Morris tribune., 1901-10-26
! BORN TO WE'D
How a Texan Woman's Inheritance,
, q Pair of Mules, Gained Her
q Second Husband.

L
The sandstorm had passed, leaving
the air vibrant and electric. The lash
5 ed earth was distorted from the pun
| ishment it had endured.
Mrs Elliott emerged from the far
! thest corner of the lee room-there
/ were but four-and made an attack on
the heaps of alkali dust that covered
] the floor. Her weapons were lire
shovel and a coal scuttle. A mere
! broom would have availed no more
| than feather.
She was northern woman making
! acquaintance with the new southwest.
/ Domestic help in the southwest is a
| case of Chinaman or nothing. Mrs. Ell
lott would have preferred cobra.
A shadow fell silently across the tiny
entrance way and soft voice said:
"Good eyenin."
| Madam resented the southernism. 1t
was only afternoon. However, she
looked toward the open door and ac-
| eepted the challenge.
| "D'y'all want a grip
Mrs. Elliott gripped her shovel firm
| ~ to prevent herself from throwing
her arms around the woman's neck.
''Will you walk IMP .-*.=~~~>~,-
| She family remembered a tradition
regarding servants entrances and 9th
er devices of civilization, but they were
! intangible vapors, beating idly against
| the rocks of primitive conditions.
/ The Texan smiled gently, and her
brown eyes were as friendly as dogs,
She seated herself unasked. calmly
rocking back and forth and apparently
seeing no reason to pause in the chew
| ing of her gum.
care you looking for placer"
"Yes. Y'see, m husban' has jest
died, an of c'ose l cayn't live alone in
tent out on the plain"
Mrs. Elliott bowed in recognition of
Texan eonventionalities. zastz..
81 thought mebby VI I'D Low me to
put my tent in y'all's back Fatld. Then
I'd be safe, an I cu'd wo'k feb y'all"
! The idea was good Mrs. Elliott
grasped it with concealed eagerness.
"Yes. M husban' lef' me shack an
pa'h O. mules an a wagon" T.
Her shipper could not be called purse
proud, but it was certainly well salts
fed.
Husband been dead long?'
"'Bout three weeks" Her cheerful
ness was suspicious. s;
''Was he good to you?"
81 reckon he was as good as most
when he was SObeh. Sometimes when
he'd been drinkin he use to beat me-"
This had apparently been no cause
for resentment, but was regarded with
mild unconcern as the usual course OF
nature.
''What is your name?"
"Loo-eye-za."
Mrs. Elliott gasped, but her necessi-
. ties were great.
s'Loo-eye-za," she said, with gulp,
"you may come tomorrow"
EARLY the next morning the shack
and shackhold effects appeared IN
charge Of lazy, shiftless looking and
unkempt Texan ranger, smelling yilely
Of tobacco and whisky. Leoeyeza fol-
lowed with smiling elaboration
"Who 10 that manT asked Mrs. Ell
liott.
''He says his name is Mack Taylor"
In New Mexico it 10 the part OF Wis
dom to take a mans word for his
name and.to make no further Inquiries
els he q friend Of yoursY
"He lives OF yondeh, an got himstO
move M shack feb me. / never saw
him befoh."
When the full New Mexican moon
hung overhead that night, flooding the
plains with silver sheen for hundred
miles, unwonted voices reached Mrs.
Elhotts ear She made an errand into
the back yard. On 9, bench In the tent
door rat Looeyeza and Taylor. His
feet were on another bencil, and he
had shed his coat. He had the Sir or
man perfectly at home.
II 1es come oyeh t see ef I'd got
Mrs. RENDERS shack fixed all right :,
he exclaimed. thrusting his pipe behiRd
him and trying to appear unconcerned.
LOoeyeza's smile was conscious and
silly. =
Looeyeza took no trouble to adjust
herself to her new conditions. She let
them fall around her and drape them
selves as they would. Her smile was
Mrs. Elllotf's despair. She ceased to
wonder her husband had beaten her. !!
On the third day Of her advent she
Joined her mistress and calder in the
room dignifed by the name Of parlor,
seated herself, with serene interest in
the newcomer, and smiled on both la
dies benignly. For a few seconds the
atmosphere of the room was peculiar.
Thomas Jefrersorl's Ideas OF democ-
racy were crude and limited" remark
ed Mrs. Elliott TO her friend.