Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-01-15

OAA"po, "AeCi a41, DuhG > iuLeT6SU Ill
Mrs. Martins punctuality was self
seeking. Reasoning from cause to effect,
according to his lights, if no bellrope
was pulled no dinner would ensue. He
raised his soft brown eyes %reproaehful-
ly to his mistress face and sighed au-
dibly. Translated:
"What could the woman be thinking
about?"
Mrs. Martin, with her stoutly booted
feet planted Oh the round of one chair,
the amplitude of her blue cotton skirts
completely obscuring another, was act
ing in a manner for which Duke could
find no precedent.
She was Smelling beans. Dried beans
that ratified from the blunt extremities
OF her active fingers in resembling vol
leys into a tin pan firmly clasped by
her two knees. She was getting the dry
lima beans ready for the seed bags in
"the madam's storeroom'' ND at the
big house.
Duke knew perfectly we'll the signiti-
of that succulent hailstorm. He
was familiar with the procession of in
dustries that marched through the
months, but he had never before known
the dried limas to affect his mistress 50
obviously.
Five precious, unreclaimable
minutes lapsed, and Duke ventured up
Oh a second protest. Laying his long
pointed nose delicately on the plump
arm from which Mrs. Martin had roll
ed back her blue calico sleeve, he sniff
ed suggestively.
The touch of his cold nozzle secured
him brief attention, but only increased
his p%erplexity. He was not unused to
being made q confidant of when his
master and the boys were afield, and
when his mistress turned her troubled
blue eyes in his direction he assured her
in advance of his full sympathy by dig
nified oscillations Of his handsome tail.
Your master and me have made q
mistake, Duke, a terrible bad mistake,
and don't see any way out of the mess.
That's what's pesterin me. We'd better
lef' well 'nough alone, Duke, but
we didn' have the sense to see it at the
right time"
Wlping her fingers free from tho
stains Of pea pods, she reverently lifted
an imperial photograph from where it
had been propped against the back Of
the chair in front Of her.
"This is her picture, Duke, your lit.
tie Miss Eliza's, that used to pull your
mos out by the roots, and you new
sr even snapped bout it. She signs her
name Liza now, like it was spelled
with a double ee. How Martin laughed
when she wrote us word how to pro-
nounce u own child's namel But
'eckon she's outgrowed you, Duke,
.long with the old name. You used to
watch over her mighty good, old boy,
whenever laid her down on the risin
quilt she used to think the world
md all OH. When the pink Grape myr-
les was shading the sun from her purity
yes and the risin sun was just under
Ter fat little fingers and you a-curled
Up nigh her, ! could go up t. big house,
need be, and stay hours with an easy
mind"
Mrs. Martin sighed ponderously and
licked a grain of dust from the smooth
urface Of the picture. II was sorry
vhen the wind bowed the pink myrtle
rec down, Duke, cause we always call. 1
d it Liza's tree. The rising sun is {
acked away in the press right now. Its {
olors is as bright as when I put it on {
he gallery floor for you and baby to
omp on, but you're a sight older than
on was then, Duke, and l reckon she's I
utgrowed you along with lots Of other .
,ings. It's eight years, Duke, goin OH
inc, since ! give my Liza up because +
ley all said l had oughter." With a
srtain fierce regret she tapped the i
nooth oval cheek Of the photograph h
18th her work roughened finger.
We've done you a wrong, Liza, we O
mt never undo. We've sent you off U
I'd made a lady of you, and we hadn't
lighter done no such thing. It's her do O
Is, all hers.
Mrs. Martin shook her fist vindictiye O
in direction of the governors man Il
on, whose cleaning white walls, sur "
unded by clustering gardens and or.
lards, We're just visible from where G,
sat. 7
The odor Of scorching meat smote up.
her nostrils. Duke lifted up his
ice in a howl Of reproach. The din h
r was burning up and no summons "
d vet been sounded on the big bell. 2,
came back to the sordid require. il
snts Of the hour with a violent start q,
at sent the remainder Of the beans,
DIS and all, into the pan like a rattle a
musketry. M
Good God! It's higher / than 10. pt
at pictures got me all upset-plum' ct
A,
By way Of remedying the irremedi. "
le, Mrs. Martin gave the bell pull br
Q or three startling. vigorous Jerks b.
"A tHNANM NfDA tAFNN