Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-06-07
CHAPTER Ill.


BALCONIES rancho faced 10 the east. In
front of it ran Arroyo Pena. clear
stream, shallow for the most part, but
having deep, dark pools in places. Its
banks We're thickly grown with willows,
cottonwOods, live-oaks and pecan trees.
Indeed Lois had seen the line of them
when five miles distant. The arroyo, af-
ter traversing the greater part of the
rancho land, emptied into the Rio Grande
ten miles below the house. Being per
manent wafer" it was of priceless value
TO the English colony which had planted
itself in that far spot. The house itself
covered nearly an acre of ground. 1t was
of one story and built of adobe, or sun
dried slabs of clay. and it was painted
glazing white with lime. Its roof was OF
'tule, description of water grass. laid
on 10 a foot in depth and imperyious to
the tropic downpours which, though in
frequent yet prevented the country from
being a desert. All about the rancho
house were hills, the land having lost its
prairie character five miles to the east
ward, and these hills We're, for the most
part, bare. though there We're occasional
small forests of mesquite and wide
stretches of cacti of many kinds. The
yellow turbid Rio Grandc wound its way
to the sea two miles away at the back.
On this river the rancho had a frontage
of more than twenty miles. In all this
portion of the stream there were but
two known fords-one called the Car
rizo' ford from growth of wild canes
near it; the other known as 'PalafoX"
| ford. Beginning a half-mile behind the
| rancho house, suddenly showing in per
| feet form on the side of a hill and run
ming straight TO the river and beyond.
was Il wide, smooth road. 1t penetrated
| far into the interior of the Mexican re-
| public it was said. and had formerly been
much used by goods trains of carts, but
| Of late not 4 wheel had touched it.
| Though disused, it retained its perfection
| and the hoofs of straying cattle and
! horses did not mar its surface 1t was
| supposed to be creation of early Span
! iSh adventures. Whoever made it, they
did their work well-thosc old-time engi-
neers Near to the rancho house proper,
not more than hundred feet away, stood
| similar but smaller building, which
Lois knew intuitively to be the bach
elcrs' quarters of which her companion
had spoken Grouped in the rear were
various outhouses. sleeping rooms for ser
| wants and cOW-hands, a kitchen, and so
| forth. The corralS-SeYeral of them
| were quarter of mile distant.
As the ambulance dashed to the door.
the mules stopping without pressure of
| rein or word of command, d pale lady,
with limp figure clad in loose wrapper,
with hair slightly disordered and bot
| tie of smelling salts in her hand, saun-
tered forward. This was Mrs. Glynn.
She was followed by Glynn himself, a
tall spare man, with a pointed beard
streaked with gray, high forehead
hooked nose, the length Of limb which
seems inseparable from the coloniZine
Englishman and pleasant brown eyes. He
held in his arms pale girl-child with q
tiny, sweet, pathetic face At his heels
hanging back, were two small boys, evi-
IDENTITY spruced for the occasion and evil
IDENTITY uncomfortable about 1t. Lois rec
ognized Teddy" and "Miggs" in an in.
slant and smiled at them brightly. They
| grinned instantly in response and came
forward little more briskly. Grouped
at the back were several men whom she
| did not notice and to whom she was sub
sequently introduced without remember
ing their names
Placing his child carefully on the hard,
white ground, Glynn assisted his new gov
erness to alight. said some words Of SIM
| pie welcome and busted himself about
! the disposition of the trunks. In a high
thin drawl, extending two fingers of her
right hand, Mrs. Glynn said:
"Ne'y welcome, yey welcome, indeed.
| to BALCONIES rancho, Miss English. l trus
| you all not tiahd. would show YOU to
your room myself, but | am not we'll
| This climate tiahs me"
Ito be continued.)