Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-07-15

Dy--HIlny Olu mugs anu young oneS
with big eyes and the features of
bronze statues-carrying on their
heads water.jars or baskets full of
vegetables and flowers. meat and
lard. Poems, in skin-tight pantaloons
and bright zarapes, all wearing the in
evitabe sombrero, jauntily tipped up
behind, loitered along, dragging their
sandaIed feet. or sank down to doze
upon the benches. Ladies went by
occasionally. Gwin surveyed them
from the tops of their ill-arranged
heads to the soles of their wide shoes,
wondering what particular untidiness
the black shawl might cover for each,
and searching still, as he had been
doing since he had come TO the coun-
try year before, for Il beauty among
the upper classes. He quite longed
for the sight of the genuine thing-of
some gringa who would step like a
queen, in whose figure there would be
grace, and in whose face intelligence.
And presently the longing was sat
istied. She came toward him, cross
ing tho cobbles of the street, lifting
her skirt and showing foot that out
did, if not the traditions, at least the
facts of the archel instep OF the SEN
orita. She was certainly beautiful.
Her hair shone in the sunlight, and
her eyes, when she raised them to
look up at the cathedral towers her
yes!-but Gwin thought he had never
1;1-n Of fhnn, Ia oof ~
with the most energetic movement he
had known in many weeks, and
watched her. In Mexico it is civil to
stare. And Gwin made the most of
the license.
She came on directly past him now
the beautiful American-and the
wonderful ewes rested on him with a
glance Of recognition OF II countryman.
She was talking to man who Gwin
hoped for no particular reason be-
yond an innate love of the eternally
tit-might be her father. And chiefly
because he had nothing to do just
then, had had nothing to do for the
past half-year, and had no prospects of
anything to do for some months ahead,
he set about finding out.
The gringo has not yet ceased to be
an object of interest and comment IN
Mexico. Gwin walked down to the
station; and a compatriot, between ex-
pressions in cynical manner concern
ing Mexican business methods in gen.
eral and railroad employees in particu-
lar, gave him the information lie
wanted.
"Those people? Oh, that's Mr..
Meredith. Big gun of some sort on
some road in the States. Lots Of stuff.
Here in n private car. Wants to buy
mines aud things-another fool that
thinks tho land of the Montezumas is
going to make his eternal fortune. I'll
bet some plaza miner socks it to him
and I hope he does
The oft repeated quien sabe-device
of the land-had rasped his temper
against all mankind.
SCOT a party with him?'
"Daughter, | believe" And then
the disgruntlcd one launched into the
details of his own woe.
Gwin listened. He had nothing else
to do, and no further interest in the
tourists. That was What he thought
then, as lie agreed amiably with all
that the fertile tongue of his informant
could say about the Grcaser, and
fingered idly that one last silver piece
in his side pocket.
But upon the day following he
thought otherwise. For the silver
piece had dwindled 20 one much
smaller, and he did not fancy the sort
of dinner that dos reales will buy.
Therefore, when ho wandered up to
the American news gency--which was
also bar-room and exchange the
purpose of finding out if there were
anything new, and when he saw Mr..
Meredith, evidently urged by a like
purpose, standing in the doorway, q
thought flashed upon him. The owner
| of private car, stranger to the laDl
and to the manifold ways of making su
honest living therein of his own coun.
trymen, n would-be disposer of much
earthly treasure, the father Of beau
titul daughter!
Gwin made his step brisk, and puck.
cred his frank, boyish brow to suggest
brown study, preoccupation so deep
that he had almost run into the pinto
crat before he saw him. Then he
raised his hat with cheerful recoG.
milton, cut somewhat short by other
concerns.
"Has man named Storms been
here yet?" he asked of the thin Ger
man who was putting aside TAnes
/ and Heralds and Suns for regular sub
scribers.
The tone hal o ring Of business
which startled the German and made
Mr.. Meredith prick ~ his ears the
while he read headlines. Next to the
strains of his national anthem, no
sound so stirs the soul of the Ameri
can in foreign ports as that OF a sharp
decided Yankee voice.
The German said that. so far as he
knew, no man named Storms had beer
in. Gwin wondered il the fellow ex
pected him to do things on Greasel
principles, and to wait half day
losing time and money. And then he
went back to the door. There wa:
another American thee, besides the
owner of the private car. Gwin knew
him. A little furtivo IS to eyes. {
little seedy as to clothes, a little ragged
as to beard; but benign and guileles:
withal.
81 say" said Gwin; "do you know
II fellow called Storms, Bennett?'
Bennett shook his. head and an
swered, Nit" inditftrently.
"He has come down here" Gwir
went on, ''to see about my report oil
the mine.
Bennett looked up and met Gwin'.
eyes, and recognized a ncophyte-on'
who. driven perhaps by need, perhaps
by natural tastes, wss about to joir
| the brotherhood.
eff ] report favorably, his people