Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-09-10
HONORABLE ANNE.

HONORABLE ANNE.
All Ging's welcome when I came a bride
to the ranch was not Of the warmest. The
dusky adobe wall throwing him into pic
turesque relief, he stood on the ranchhouse
veranda, his face full Of suppressed excite
ment.
Life flowed on smoothly, monotonously,
till after the birth of Billikins All Cling
then announced his departure. "Better
girl cook, y he declared. "No likee baby.
Heap trouble. Alice time cly.'
We tried number. All failures. At
last young girl, tall, slim and neatly
dressed, stepped on the veranda.
If you please, ma'am," she quietly
said, II heard that you wanted a girl.
Can have the place?''
heard her history, which was simple
Theprevious year she had come from Eng
land to join her brother on claim, had
fallen i'll, had gone to the county hospital
at La Huerta and had come thence to me-
While hearing these details Cedric re-
turned. But one conclusion could be drawn
from his utter detection. "No girl" was
stamped on every feature. Samantha had
recommended me to Odessa Green, who
less exacting in regard to scenery, was
willing to feave the family pigpen for a
months change, provided the washing
was put out, Mrs. Allandale helped with
the dishes, tho afternoons were free and
horse every Sunday was at her disposal.
knew the type-ignorant, slatternly,
fn Inv Nfroc% .,,tk a. IL.
conner my resolution was taken. "No,
Cedric have servant already"
Where did she come from?"
La Huerta, where she has been in the
hospital"
Is she pretty?"
That's an irrelevant question. Yes
rather-blue eyes and short, curly, yellow
hair"
You know nothing about her,"
But l know that Billikins has the
whooping cough. must nurse him, and
you cannot cook. Help Is needed, and be-
hold Anne.'
SO that's her name?"
eyes, Anne James,"
He still demurred.
Prudence is an admirable virtue, Ced-
rio, but you carry 1t to an extreme"
Cedric yielded, still holding to his own
opinion. keep her! Keep her!" he cried.
But remember, if anything happens, be
it OH your head
Since the days of All Cling life had not
been worth living. Anne came, and COM
fort followed after. Capable, retiring, a
vague sense of mystery pervading her, she
proved in our monotonous existence q
source of inexhaustible interest.
II scent romance" Cedric declared,
"When Anne draws near, find out about
her."
"She Is SO reticent-a contrast to Sa-
mantha."
"Toach her something. Learning un-
locks woman's tongue"
So Anne was instructed in more house
wifely mysteries, and grew more CON-
municative, but Cedric received all details
of her past with scornful incredulity. Papa
was barrister. Anne herself had been
born In the sacred precincts of the temple.
Their crest figured as dove. Clancy
ones parlor maid having crest' he eiac-
ulated. For briefless barrister he had
done singularly we'll, marrying a niece of
the celebrated Countess Of Michigan. Many
torrid afternoon was whiled away with
descriptions of the Irish castle where the
wedding took place, the beauty of the
bride, the eccentricities of the noble aunt
Cedric scoffed, still crying for more
One languorous September day, en-
sconced In the veranda's shadiest nook,
we gazed on tho Brush hills and sighed
vainly for breeze. Cedric broke the still
ness. "What about Annep No news Of
latep''
"She has sister who lives in France
and Is possessed of independent means"
A look of reproaoh shot from his dark
blue eyes. "You told me that last week, !"
he murmured
"And did not tell you that she goes by
the name of the Lady Emily Brown"
Brown Why, she married French
man."
"True."
"Why LADY, What title has he9''
"None particularly asked Anne"
absurd! He could not be Brown or
she lady, unless, indeed, the title Is in her
own right. In that case your pearl Of
handmaiden Is an honorable. The Hon.
Anne brings out the tray" he added as
she approached our corner. ''No, it's all
false, you may depend upon It, Ask Nc
Pherson what he thinks. He Is coming up
the drive
Fergus MCPHERSON personifled
-opined that Anne had lied. He put ii
plainly: "Deceitful in speech, deceitful in
deed. Better watch her, Mrs Allandale. "
My suspicious WIRE not excited. In Cal
ifornia nothing is impossible Had not
scion of lordly house died on a neighbor-
ing ranch--a lonely, neglected sheep herd