Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-09-04
MARIA OF THE
MAVERICK
BY ROCKWELL BROWN
COPYRIGHT, 1908. bp T. c. Mcclure


hall musicians were twanglng their
fiddles. The sound came through the
boards to the boy. He was tall, sun
Drowned young fellow. His blue shirt
was stained. and his boots were dusty.
On the floor by him was his coat rolled
up for a pillow.
The door opened, and Maria came in.
She was small girl. Her eyes were as
dark as her hair and her skin was of a
rich olive color. She lighted candle.
"Ive been trying to get up to see you
all day, Bill, but l couldn't. Where
were you shot?"
"In the arm" growed Pecos Bill.
"and it's stiff as thunder"
ITS your right one, too" said Maria.
mo matter; my lefts just as good.
But I've got to get it fixed somehow.
and then I've got to go away. When
that sherffs convention finds out I'm
here the crowd IL tear the town down
to get me-"
Maria barred the boys broken arm.
disclosing round, purple wound, cut
bandage from her petticoat and bound
It.
81 don't see how little thing like
that queered me So" said Bill. ut
made me sick all over"
"Now fix my gun" said Pecos Bill
He passed it to her. II suppose the
crowds all here by this time" he add
ed while he watched her fill the cham
bers of the six shooter with cartridges
course 'em. why couldn't they go some
place else" he growled. at wasn't my
fault anyway. Graham was cheating
and he'd killed me sure If hadn't got
the drop on him first"
Maria clicked the gun payfully
you'd been all right eef you hadn't
got shot," she said.
Guess l amt any good any more"
whined the boy. "Confound those sher-
IFS l wish they'd hold their conven.
ton in Jericho"
Maria left the candle on the floor and
opened the door. The crowd in the
dance hall below was singing. There
were loud laughs and the noise of boot
ed men lining up at the bar. She crept
down the stairs.
The dance hall was crowded. Dark
skinned Mexicans and gayly dressed
Mexican girls from across the river,
cowboys and gamblers danced and
chatted or patronized the games Of
chance. Three grave looking fiddlers
played on a platform. Across one side
of the long room was the bar.
Bob Cowan. who ran the Ell Paso
Daily Maverick and was reputed to be
the best judge of stock and liquor in
west Texas, and who was pointed out
to strangers as 'El Paso's next mayor"
bought Maria bottle of st. Louis beer,
imported at great expense, and later
danced with her, to the admiration Of
all. Maria, whirling over the slippery
floor. frequently glanced at the ragged
rafters cobwebbed overhead.
"KnOw that fellow" asked Cowan
pointing to tall, loose jointed man.
Most prominent man in Texas today
bar none Sheriff. empire builder, he is.
Bill Sopes of San Antoine, president Of
the sheriff's convention"
Maria danced and sang and enjoyed
herself with the others until the sun
came up. She danced often with Bill
Sopes, her eyes shining, her loosened
black hair falling around her face, and
her white teeth glistening between her
parted lips.
"Whos the girl?" asked Sopes, loung-
ing up to Cowan.
Cowan glanced down the long room.
Maria stood binding up her hair
"Oh," said Cowan, that's Maria;
Mexican girl She's typesetter on our
paper. Amt she Jim Dandy?"
"She is" said Sopes.
At 7 o'clock Maria climbed upon her
stool at her case in the dingy office Of
the Maverick and began to set type
busily. She could not read English. but
she knew the alphabet.
At noon COwan wrote the story Of
the sheriffs' convention, then in session
in Ell Paso, and dealt the takes" to Ma
ria and the other girls. Maria clicked
the type merrily until suddenly she saw
the only two printed words she knew
Pecos Bill. She found the big capital
= with haze before her eyes. Then
she found the small letters. and the big
and set them up mechanically, faint
with fear.
The two words We're near the end Of
the take. She finished it, thrusting the
remaining bits of type savagely into
their places and clinging by the heels
of her slippers to the rung Of the stool.
Lunch time arrived. The girls filed out,
followed by Bob Cowan, putting at q
black cigar.
Tommy remained. Tommy was fore
man. He set heads, read proof, helped
Cowan to make up the paper every
day, and, when the proper time came,
locked the forms and carried them 10
the press on his shoulder. Maria re-
membered report. once current. that
Tommy was in love with her but she
had never considered him seriously
He was always so drunk, or had just
been drunk, or was in fair way to be.