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

came to naught. With the spring Of a
panther the boy had bounded near
enough to seize the parcel in her hands
and with half a dozen backward leaps
had disappeared absolutely from view,
somehow, somewhere! Liza followed
| the miracle of his vanishment with
wondering eyes, then sighed contented-
ly and brushed some crumbs from her
skirt front. Eat least he will not 60
hungry for the next "a hours"
A chuckling laugh close at her elbows
made her turn quickly in its direction.
A withered crone was standing at the
foot of the stile leaning heavily Oh a
single crutch.
"W'at yo' stealth my boys vittles
fur to gle to that ash cat? Amt yo'
learn no better'n to steal, wild all yo'
schoolgirl? Whar yo' comman 'mints?'
"Aunt Whey! What a fright you
gave me. l don't care if you do tell
Strong. would do it right over again"
SASSY as everl Who say ! gwine to
tell on your"
"You always used to. You never did
treat me as we'll as you did Strong. You
were always ready to scold me for him"
"Strong is my boy. nussed him in
desc ve'y arms Isuckled him long wild
my own Suzanne. 'Cose ] gwine stan
up fo' him, an look arter his purvishuns
too. l is dat. Yher, you git down otf'n
dat stile an go in dat house Dom you
know de rains a-comin up? We gwine
have a fusclass thun' erstawm in less'n
a hour"
"a thunderstorm! And my poor little
pony is tied to a tree up yonderl Oh,
Aunt Whey, my poor little FancyP
up whar? amt 'sponsible fur de
stawm. Whar yo' pony?'
"At the top of the cliff"
"Who is yo' po' leetle Fancy
"My pony-my dear little pony that
Seth gave me, and my new embroidered
saddlecloth out for tie first time!"
"Yo' pony amt gwine to melt. Yo'
git inter that house"
Liza stretched out her hands, palms
upward, to feel for the threatened rain.
The clouds were mastering overhead,
but the downpour might not come for
hours Could anything be more horrible
than to be penned up with old Viney
in that cabin during a thunderstorm!
She would rather risk everything, And
then Fancy; she must be rescued. She
was anxiously drawing on her gloves
and securing her hat with long pins
Aunt Whey, where are the steps
that Strong tells me are cut in the side
of the cliff
swat yo' want wild them steps?"
II want to go up them, Of course.
am going home. You are entirely mis-
taken about the storm. 1t won't be
here for an hour yet"
Whey drew away from this arrogant
young woman in offended dignity. Hel
reliability as an oracle had been ques'
toned.
"Yo' was born sassy an yo' will die
sassy, Eliza Martin. Nv cose yo' ii
right and ole Whey is wrong. Thar ain
gwine be no stawm tall. Oar de steps. :
She pointed one haggish finger vague
~ at the cliffs and turned toward thu
house, mumbling and hobbling in uni
son. Evidently Whey was resolved tx
leave the high handed young woman
who had dared entertain weather opin
ions Of her own to the worst possibl,
fate that might befall.
Liza surveyed the face Of the cliff
anxioualy. She could see no sign o
steps cut In it, steep sides, but retreat
NOW war impossible. viney, at her %
renest, wss forbiddinR. viney in he1
wrath was formidable. She crossed thu
stile and walked rapidly in the direc
ton Of that vague hint.