Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-02-19
Liza anneurance simultaneously with

Liza S appearance simultaneously with
Abrams caused a diversion of aston
ishment i'll her direction, Strong was
regarding her darkly; ChamDliss with
perpleNed, impersonal curiosity.
Strong scarcely waited for her to
reach his side.
"What is the meaning of this, Liza?
Why did you not stay at my house?
You arc drenched."
Eyes, drenched. If it had not been
for Abe there, | should have been dead
with fright by this time; $ o Il drench-
ing seems slight by comparison, | got
lost trying to find my way back to poor
little Fancy. Abram found me, and
here l am"
She was composedly shaking the rain
drops from her hat. Its removal had
brought to view a charming disarray Of
moist brown waves curling tightly
about her blue veined temples. Randall
Chambliss was regarding her with that
inscrutable smile that had set her cheeks
to tingling with wrath the day before.
"Caliban and Miranda, he said mus
ingly. Then, conventionally, II am
sure l ought to be very much obliged to
you, Miss Martin"
For what?'
"For restoring this ragamufin to
my arms. Life is barren without Abe. "
II assure you l had nothing to do
with your boys restoration. He has
done me a great service, and l did tell
him you had got home. l hope you
will keep your word about Furnishing
him"
II believe l have contracted a bad
habit of keeping my word always. Al
for furnishing Abe, he inficts punish.
ment much oftener than he receives it.
Don't you, Abe? Speak, you buff col
ored tatterdemalion!"
Abram, standing respectfully aloot
from the little group of "w'ite folks, !"
showed a faultless set of teeth at this
challenge, grinning with happiness. His
adoring eyes had never once left Ran
dal's face since that first ~ecstatic vel.
come. Between master and man OBJ,
tanned an indissoluble bond of mutua,
affection and mutual dependence. Eacl
had need Of the other.
"Mars Ran," he said in a voice O
solemn rebuke, II is ben had a might,
rough time sence you ben gone. l i
dat. Mr.. Foulksis, he put me to ginnil
wen | git up firm de measles, an
don't know nothin tall bout ginnin
Den Mr.. Foulksis, he put me to pickil
cotton, but de driver tell him / ain
with my salt as a picker. Den Mr.
Foulksis, he put mo to splittin fence
rails down closet to de woods, All dt
devil he peeps out'n a holler tree one
mawnin, an he say, Abe, you kin SLEEP
in here wild m Nv nights, an you xii
scrimmudge 'roun fur simmons an pa
paws to live on tell Mars Ran git back.
An I say, All right, MI. Satin an
stick my AK in a rail an light out. Jus
so. But the simmons gittin might,
sceercc, an the havgs beats me getheri1
papaws all holler, an l would er bel
mighty boiler inside right now, Mar
Ran, eff little mistis hadn't gle me
whole paper full er vittles. / reckon
dey worm cook fur me doa. / amt ee
'em all up yit. Fore I finish my Dime,
L yhere somebody cryin sof' lax, outsid,
er my dinin room do, al I peeks GU
an thar was little mistis, JUS as whit
bout the gills as a fresh w'itewasl
fence and a-cryin cause she was los ant
skeered. I done lef' er heaps er den
vittles in dat holler. Reckon I better g.
back arter 'em, Mars RAM"
:, Randall laughed his lazy, indulgen
laugh. Abrams irrepressible sense 0
fun was one Of his highest recommen
dations in his masters eyes. He wa
the kings jester.
}, "No, sir. You can leave them Their
until you take to the woods again"
Abram rolled his eyes reproachfull.
until nothing but the whites Of then
We're visible.
MARS Ran, you oughtn't to lef' you
!, niger to be cuff 'roun by de oversee
lax a common fel'han. You oughtn'
dat. l cyarn't 'bide you wife trash"
The amused look died out Of Randall
face abruptly Liza was fastening he
hat Oh again with her back to him
Strong had gone to fetch his horse fror
| the shed. A gulf had seemed to yaw,
visibly between them all in a second.
There was nothing to do, nothing t
say. He stood stupidity by, looking a
Strong helping Liza into his W sad
die, and long after the gray had passe
out of sight with his slight burden h
stood there, bordering the nice thing
/ he might have said to cover Abe's in
: fernal blunder if only he had though
r of any one of them before it was to-
late.
Abram alone was supremely and ig
norantly happy,
: CHAPTER X.
/ Ti1o Martin har cool cnmnOSnro mn