The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-08
a LADY's GIFT.

thing could mtIbe thought of, that 1 could
not for q moment entertain the idea OF
depriving a hAy-
But she interrupted me with the ques-
ton uttered A0ewhat haughtily, and with
her beautifuk eyes looking straight at me:
MAY gentleman refuse lady's gift!
1t is not so Wi6h US. You must take him,
and sometimes when you ride him, think
of :. Santa Cruz and us. You
see we have SO many more horses. Please
say no moreS take him, accept him from
:. from 49,. me-"
Don Solomon said nothing; he looked
away and smiled; think he rather liked
it. l bowed low and uttered n profusion
Of thanks. But Eulalia's mother looked
at her child, her innocent, modest, reticent
child, with q look of such utter astonish-
ment, not to say horror, that l expected
her to burst out presently with: wei, l
neverw
The breakfast following this making
over of Tinto into my possession was
much less ceremonious, less constrained.
ard more animated than the dinner had
been OH the previous day. We were be-
coming acquainted, and l was especially
astOnished at the rapidity with which l
seemed to develop an easy fiuency in this
melodiOus language which from the lips
of the beautiful girl sounded like heavenly
harmony. / was never known for immod-
crate bashfulness. and the dawning happl-
ness that thought l saw looming up in
the horizon made me very mirthful.
Wooster, however, was silent. He look
ed gloomy.
After breakfast I mounted Tinto and
rode him for couple of hours mp the
valley along the river bordered by splen-
did cottonwood trees. The horse had
very easy gait, walking or cantering, and
l soon discovered that he was an cxcep-
tionally fine PAGER. ! remember today
how beautiful everything looked to me
that morning; was brimful Of happiness,
bursting with the mere joy of living;
seemed to be in love not only with Eula-
liza, but also with Tinto, with the river,
with the sky, with the trees!
When l returned thanked the young
lady once more for her generous present
She answered nothing, but she gave me
one look from those wonderful eyes that
said more than words could express.
However, | am not writing 4 senti-
mental novel, and we will hear nothing
more OF Eulalia Except in a short Incl
dent, presently to be related of Miss
Warmer until the last charter of this true
narrative. OF course, tried, before say
ing gcod-by to see her for one moment
alone, were it only to press my lips for
one short moment upon her beautiful
hand. But it was not to be; there were
too many female relatives who, each and
every one, considered herself a self-ap-
pointed guardian of my treasure.
Mr.. Warner told me where | was to find
my friends, and said he would join US
later on. The gay trio, consisting Of
Wooster, Brown and Mendoza, | found
under q large liz tee full of ripe fruit in
beautiful. shady garden appertaining to
Mr.. Fernandez, who Kept small gro
clnr, rp,hipcI ~ tho =
skirts of the town. With this gentleman
my friends had already become sufficient
ly acquainted to call him Don Alfonso. 1t
seemed to Inc upon approaching that the
| company was somewhat hilarious, the
anon gloomy Wooster not excepted. The
cause of this hilarity / soon found to be
the contents of a new tin bucket which
was standing. at their feet and from
| which they dipped with large foot tum-
| blers very ridi-looking. aromatic creamy
| liquid, apparently to the utter satisfac-
ton of their. concrete and abstract being.
| They offered lie some at once. l tasted
and drank. ard drank and tasted-was
in my senses or was / under the spell
of Il benevolent bacchanalian power! 1t
was egg-nOg, and very good egg-nog at
that. The mconsfuity of the thing, to
find the delicious American egg-nog in
the small Mexican tGwn of Santa Cruz in
cited me to nncoptrollabie mirth, and we
were soon q merry crowd indeed. At
Wallen we bad neither eggs, nor milk, nor
nutmeg. Here these articles were to be
had fresh and in plenty, and Don Alfonso
kept a very fine article of mescal, which
we all preferred to the brandy he offered
ut first | am afraid to say how much of
this delicious drink we imbibed in the next
two hours. l know when we came to set
tie, the bill was 81, an almost unheaId-
of sum in those surroundings for the ar
ticles consumed, be they in ever such
quantity. We were, however, too happy
to ask for details or items, but paid. 1
only asked cur host if these articles We're
so scarce in Santa Cruz, to which he re-
Piled: NO, Senior, but suffers and Quar-
| termaster- Sergeants of the U. $. \. are
scarce here l understood later Oh that
ever since orr visit to Santa Cruz egg
nog was called there ''Lcchc de Babo-
| conIari'' QSadocomari milk.
Soon after 2 p. IN. Mr.. Warner arrived
while we were engaged in the rendering
of the beautiful song: I'VE won't go home
apparent great satisfaction while his
lively eyes twinkled, probably i'll remem-
brance of his youthful days.
He told Us dinner was waiting, and gave
us the kindest good-by messages from the
ladies, who he said, had suddenly been
called away to San LaZarO, a farm nine
miles distant, where still another sister
of Mrs. Warner had been suddenly taken
ill., Thus would not be able to say good
by to my angel; Santa Cruz had no more
charms for ME just then; but what was
that? AS we were saddling up in the
yard towards evening preparatory to our
return trip, l saw little Carmeita making
signs to Inc from behind the kitchen door,
This little maiden was a much younger