The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-11-27

l had added boat to my stock about
that time, and the ranchero wanted me
to take his butter and wine down the
river each week, and ship it to the city
from the railroad station.
"You are the only Mexican l can
trust to do it, Santos" he said. "Nic-
colo and Pietro and the other fellows
would 60 to sleep on the way"
The work was easy. and the master,
though strict, was always fair. One
thing l had forgotten to tell you, Caro-,
that he was blind. A tall and power
full man, with long, gray beard; a
patriarch, once heard my old master,
Senor Americana, call him; he never.
theless could not see, nor could he have
managed the ranchero, if it had not
been for his administrator and bis
daughter and only child, Senorita Elsa
She was not more than nineteen at
that time, and motherless, but so sweet
she was and good, l thought, even
though in religion hereto.
Tall she was like her father, and
fair as veritable Morse maiden,
heard the Senor Americana say, when
she was only fifteen. He said many
strange things, the Senor.
1t was the administrator l did not
like, Caro-a bad man be was, l fel,
sure, and later proved it. Where be
came from nobody knew. Some said
he had lived life on the plains, an6
others that he had fed from England
to escape the law; but that was only q
rumor. There he was, trusted by the
Senor Zoeller, and, alas! by the fail
Elsa.
Some one else did not like the ad
ministrator, Caro-. Next to the Zoel
Ter hacienda was another, five miles
distant, owned by the Senor Enrique
Hernandez. Alone be lived with only
the ranch hands, and cousin of your
grandmother, old Juanita, to do the
cooking and cleaning. His chief com
pan;on was his dog, and his best friend
was his violin, on which he played till
he seemed to draw the heart from you
| knew he loved the Senorita Elsa
and l knew the administrator loved
her too. Worthy she was of the best
for in his own country her father had
been of the nobility; poverty, hard and
bitter, had driven him in his young
days to our corner of the world.
1t was customary for the admins
TRAITOR to 60 once week to the city
thirty miles distant, to attend to the
masters buying and selling; but there
came one spring day when, to my sur
prise, he suggested that l should &C
in his stead. Just at that time your
grandmother was sent for to visit her
sick sister, five miles back in the coun
try, so it was decided for you and your
mother to 60 with her, Caro-, and fo1
the house to he closed in our absence
had expected to be gone four days
but the good Lord who watches over
US ordained otherwise. On arriving
in the city, l found the man to whom
my master sold his wine and butter
had been called away unexpectedly
and would not be back for week, So
as there was nothing for me to wait
for, | determined to return home at
once.
took the evening train, and, alight.
ing at the little station, started to
walk the four miles home. I was
trudging along in the late twilight
when l heard the sound of approach
ing carriage wheels on the hard road
and presently small covered wagon
dashed rapidly past me. Late as it
was, and quickly as it passed, l could
have sworn that the sole occupant was
the Senorita Elsa. For moment /
stood still, haunted by deep forebod.
ing. Was the master ill, or anything
wrong at the hacienda? 1t was too
late to stop tue Senorita, so l hurried
on until mile further the mystery, as
l thought, was solved. The river
which / had now reached. had become
a raging torrent, sweeping down
through the hill that lay to the north.
ward. 1t was a spring flood, which
seemed with every rush of the waters
to be increasing in volume.
At this point the banks were so
high that it had not overpassed its
bounds; but my house, half mile be.
yond, was on the lowland close to the
river. | ran the whole halt mile, and
arrived on the high, steep hill above
the river and close to Senor Zoeller's
house, breathless, painting, with de-
spair in my heart. Yes, my little
house was gone. l could but raise my
H. a. (.3s