The new North-west., 1897-02-26

AuEuStlI1lt1 MAS pleau0u. Gil6 blt
her teeth down on her cheroot and said,
Send for it.
I'm about two hours the engine came
laundering in from Aguas Calientes.
Tom Haslsins was the pilot, and the en-
gineer was one of the best on the extra
list.
sThe road was clear for half dozen
stations, and they Went whizzing along,
80 kilometers an hour.
i" 'Old mamma sat stolidly looking
out of the cab window, apparently un-
moved by the tremendous speed and the
lurching of the engine as they tore
round the short curves, but Haskins
thought she must have been greatly ex-
cited, because she was unable to keep
her cheroot lighted. Finally she tired of
trying to smoke and simply clamped her
jaws OH her puro and sat immovable,
with her beady eyes fastened on the rails
ahead.
''They met the passenger train in the
early morning, and, as word had gone
from one end Of the line to the other, OF
course the trainmen had informed the
passengers, and, with heads out of Win
dows and the platforms crowded, they
cheered and laughed as the engine ran
by. One wag shouted: Hurry, and
you'll catch them. They're just round
the bend!
"Not 90 minutes later, at the next
station, was the freight train, humbly
side tracked, waiting the enemy.
|, torr aCG1ct-
ing Augustinita i'll the cab You can see
for yourself she weighs about 275, and
clumsy at that. Haskins and the engi-
neer pulled, and the fireman, who was a
Mexican, pushed, and Augustinita
struggled and grunted and finally was
landed. But when she saw the yellow
caboose she frisked out like kitten.
The engineer, who is a spiritualist, said
that the spirits helped her. Haskins said
he would have been much more grateful
to them if they bad helped her in, but
he thought they showed good sense in
taking the easf end Of the job.
"Haskins was afraid Branscombe
would shoot or abuse the old woman i'll
some way, SO he went with her to the
caboose. The two were sitting on sort
| of locker. He had his arm about the
girl, and, beyond rising, they made nc
change in their position. Haskins, on
the platform, lowered near the open
door.
"Augustinita walked up to them and
asked Manuela in her politest basso to
come home. The girl gave an impudent
answer, and poor old mamma turned
to Branscombe, who laughed in her face
and gave Manuela fervent kiss. Later
in the day the thought of that kiss and
! others made Branscombe's blood turI
| to ice
"Now, Augustinita had followed hel
| daughter because she loved her ane
wished to save her from the fate Brans
combe had in store for her. Besides she
is a thrifty old body, and Manuela's
beauty brings.a great many centavos tt
the house. Many of the men eat here
merely to get look in her big gray
eyes.
cat Branscombe's laugh Augustinit'
burst out 'Caramba! No more will yo,
laugh this day! Look!'
"With a surprisingly quick move
ment she pulled off Manuela's chal ant
tore open her high necked camisa
Branscombe gave one glance and stag
gered heavily against the wall.
:" Keep away! he screamed, witt
outstretched hands. For Gods sake
keep awayl Don't let her come nea
me! I'll hit you il you touch me!' a
the girl endeavored to catch at him
pleading with him i'll her soft tongue.
Branscombe, mad with fear, wa
deaf. Although he had threatened
strike her he did not do it, for it woul
bring his flesh in contact with hers. Th
terror stricken man, shaking her off, ra
out of the car and down the track.
''Manuela covered her breast an
walked sulkily back with her mother
the engine.
Hawkins said it was an awful sigl
those shining, livid, white blotch'
on the brown skin, sight he could III
forget for many day"
rose, sick and trembling That w;
one of the loathsome sights of Mexico
which l could never accustom mysel
anu tue tnrlll VI uoiioi nau lei'
seeing the first white patched, fros
headed leper returned.
"Don't get frightened, madam,
said my friend, eating his salsa WI
gusto. "'Old mamma had just pain
ed Manuela up i'll her sleep, If she hs
been a leper, Branscombe would ha'
been welcome to her. Do you think tn
old lady would spend $500 recoveril
damaged goods?'
I looked at "old mamma, sitting {
the earth floor comfortably smokin
and she looked back with her diamol
eyes, and thonght it not likely.-Edi
Wagner i'll Argonaut
Fisherman's Story.