Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-26

| quickly, impellcd by a sudden impulse;
then, checking herself; "But you are too
kind to trouble about me. l must not de-
tain you, sir"
II will SEQ you out of the wood, at any
rate, - he returned kindly. Then together
they strolled toward the farm.
There was IA pleasant feeling of curiosity
in the strangers mind Us to who tho pref
ty child was. As she paused at thewhite
gate it suddenly flashed across him. IC
couldn't be. He had just been at the farm.
This couldn't possibly he the little niece
| Mrs. Brown had talked about in a ram
bling, mysterious way This dainty girl,
with her supple figure and gracefully
poised head, could never be that woman's
relative? But Betty had opened the gate
while he melitated, and, with IL shyly muir
INJURED "Thank you," she was gone.
And the squire-for he it was-rode
slowly homeward, thinking, trying to re.
call what good Mrs. Brown had said about
young folks and Irritation, how folks
wasn't always as poor ms they seemed and
how it was good for parsons to marry
young and settle down with a wife and
family round them. She couldn't have
meant to imply anything about his broth
or and-no! to speak of that pretty child
ish thing in the same breath as anything
so prosaic as q "wife and family was too
| absurd.
The idea annoyed the squire in a most
unreasonable manner "Wife and fam
iIy!' How these folk did talk, to be sure
He must ask Leonard. And later he did
drop hints on the subject, but his brother
most emphatically averred that he hadn't
yet seen tho Oma OF whom he would
bestow his hand and heart.
OF course 1t had been the squire's mis-
take-he shouldn't have jumped to son
illusions. but Mrs. Browns hints and
Betty's tears had got mixed in his mind,
and he had fancied his brother responsible
for one or both. 1t was a relief to think
that Leonard was free.
After that the squire called often at
Mrs. Browns. She was ono of the best
tenants-there might be repairs needed at
the farm.
Always Betty vas there, either helping
to make sweet butter, collecting eggs or
feeding little fluffy chickens, and one day
the squire pulled up his horse al the home
paddock and watched.
Old Farmer Brown had been breaking
in II colt, and there was Betty, seated on
its back, her pretty face flushed with ex.
element. Then the farmer let 90 the lead
ing rein, and Betty cantered triumphant
ly round the field.
"BravO" At the squire's voice the girl
looked up. She was just about to leave
the saddle, and her hold Oh the high spir-
tied little animals head was relaxed.
With a start it reared, then bolted. Betty
tried In vain to regain her seat. She fell,
her foot caught in the stirrup, and the
colt started at u mad gallop round the
paddock.
"Good Cod" The squire sprang over
the low wall, and in a the recreant
little steed was brought to a stand and the
fainting girl was in his arms. Kneeling
down by the brook close by, they bathed
her face and hands, and soon the blue
eyes opened.
at was all my FAULT" the squire
groaned. II was a fool to shout like that.
You-you might have been killed"
"Nay, nay, sir; don't take on. There's
no harm DONE, said Farmer Brown good
naturally. 1.-THE lass is no worse. Are you,
Betty, childs I'll just catch Rob Roy be-
fore he does further mischief; then III
help Betty up home"
Betty was still resting against the
squire's rough sleeve. She felt dazed and
queer, but very comfortable, and the
| squire kept chatting her little cold hands
in his own warm clasp.
"You might have been killed!' he re-
peated hoarsely. "Betty, do you know II
you had died the light of my life would
have gone out? Oh, childie, could you
ever accept All old mans lover I am old
enough to be your father, but l love you
more than all the world beside!'
$50 you have money after all, 1t seems!
Raymond has done well for himself. You
won't tell him we were ever engaged"
81 shall tell him some day that you
asked me to marry you,' said Betty proud
ly. "But I will not betray you. Don't be
afraid, l know how to DC generous. And
Raymond trusts me. He will not press
the matter.
"Well, you can afford to be generous, I
suppose" Leonard answered sullenly.
"You've not como off badly after all. You
see, you and l might have had to wait
years for the property"
"Oh, how dare you speak like that
she cried. sis all honor dead within you?
But you are going away. After this we
need not meet again till
"Till you are married. Well, you can
afford to despise me now, Betty
"Your one cry is Afford, afford!" she
said. "But the girl who Is loved as l am
loved can afford a good deal. Even a
woman scorned can afford to be generous
to the man she thought she loved when
real love comes and conquers ALL"
1t was nearly II year after their wedding,
and Betty and the squire stood among the
primroses where he had first found her,
and she told him the story of why she
cried that day.
"And you've never cried for him since,
Betty"
"Never, Raymond. Those were my first
and last tears for a false lover, and | have
never regretted that day"
Regretted it," The squire drew her
| close and kissed her sweet lips almost rev.
| e%rently. cit was the happiest day of my
life," he said, ''for it brought me YOU
Worse Yet.
A story about the odd names of the col
ored people of the south comes from tho
New ORLEANS Times. Dpnocrat