Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-25

you ever notice her, Mr.. Avery?"
Jimmy helped himself to some vile
compound or other from the big silver
dish the mozo was holding Yes; that
is, no-which one do you mean?"
Il take very little stock in that wife
Of the night watchman's" said the man
ager, a ponderous, heavy-footed man,
with a large, benevolent manner very
trying to some peoples nerves. Il was
witness to a most unmotherly action on
her part
Jimmy looked bored. What were the
pelado to him. So he paid scant at
tention while Mr.. Orion spun a woeful
| yarn of Andrea's carelessly dropping
! the baby among the burros as they came
into the narrow defile above the camp,
/ laden with the long leather sacks of
ere. How the baby escaped, if it ever
did, was more than Jimmy could have
told you-but he could have told you
that Beatrice Orion had a half-opened
scarlet hibiscus in her blond hair.
/ Wonderful stories of Andreas doing
/ in Leon were waited back to the camp
that she had been seen with a red
rib on in her hair, that she had pawned
the pigs. Once an incredible tale came,
brought, apparently, by the birds of
the air. It was that Andrea had been
seen walking one evening in the jarGn
arm in arm with a "Gringo" But it
was sadly true she had pawned the
pigs.
| Pawned the pigs. The interest and
weekly rations of corn were more than
| Limpy could pay. To think of losing
those beautiful porkers.
1t was learned one day, to the intense
excitement of the camp, that Limpy was
contemplating a bath, which, of course,
portended, in the minds of the gossips,
visit to Leon, and, it was hoped, a
dressing down of Andrea.
! The momentous affair was over. Ger
trudis had washed his clothes while it
was in progress and brand-new Limpy
clothed but hardly in his right mind,
sets forth for Leon. He felt it glory
and expense enough for Andrea to ride
there, and SO had cheerfully made ready
to walk, for it is but sixty kilometers
| ana down Mill all the way.
But coming back is another tale, so
| it was a question whether it was the
long uphill pull the next night, that
had craven Limpy's face with those
lires of pain.
One afternoon, having received their
monthly pay, the men were deep in a
game of monte, sitting on the ground
in front of Limpy's mud hut. Limpy
himself was lying on his stomach,
watching with listless eyes. Suddenly
he heard over his head Andrea's happy
laugh, and the baby was pumped down
on his back. He arose and handed the
baby back, with as much scorn as his
good, honest, ugly face could show.
She had come for money, which, to
her surprise, Limpy was unwilling to
give True, things had been a little
awkward when he paid the unexpected
visit to Leon, but that was his own
| fault If he had sent word he was COM
ing, everything would have been agree
able She was hardly prepared for
Limp's attitude. He was done with her.
He would take the baby and she must
go away, and not one centavo should she
have.
Andrea did not despair. 1t was some
thing to have the baby off her hands,
and she was not counting entirely upN
Limpy.
A big golden moon was slowly sailing
from behind a black peak, when the
secretary, who was dressing for dinner,
heard a knock at the door. He was as
tonished and annoyed on answering, to
find Andrea. He stepped out with her
in the ebon shadow of mesquite tree.
Flattering himself on making short
work with her, he turned, with the last
harsh sentence on his lips-to look
straight into Beatrice Orton's face.
'FWas there ever such luck?" he
groaned, as he closed the door. What
was l saying? Something about my
salary would not permit of my support
ing half the peon women of Mexico
good Godi And what made me say she
had more now than the others? The
only woman on earth I could ever care
for to hear thatp'
If Jimmy had said the only woman
on earth he ever tried to firt with and
failed, he would have come nearer the
mark. On coming to La EsperanZa, he
had noted with interest the disparity
in the ages of the manager and his
wife. But she had treated him with
the most discourteous GOODNESS and
kindness.
| The moonlight was flooding the patio
and corral, leaving the portales in the
deey shadow. Dinner was over, and the
two men had been smoking their cigars
under the portales, but now Mr.. Orion
had fallen asleep in the broad Mexican
hammock hung in the jasmine arbor.
| Mrs. orion had taken Jimmy's hat,
of a fashion unknown to the camp be-
fore his arrival, and tripping down to
the arbor, placed 1t over her slumber-
ing laird's face, for fear, she explained
| to Jimmy, stray moonbeam might
shine in his face and make him loco.
| There was distinct coquetry in her
glance and laugh.
| Hope was beginning to revive trifie
in Mr.. Avery's bosom. He had thrown
away his cigar, and was considering,
with malice aforethought, the white
hand resting so temptingly near, when
there was heard the sound of an excited
voice.
Mrs. orion went to meet the tall,
white figure which appeared in the