Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-09-03
MARIA OF THE
MAVERICK
BY R0THWElL BROWN
Coprtoht. Isos bv \. G. Mccur,

broken lFm- DOWuSIdtfS III the dance
hall musicians were twanging their
fddles. The sound came through the
boards to the boy. He was d tall, ii
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 am in.
She was a small girl. Her eyes were as
dark as her hair. and her skin wa OF n
rich olive color. She lighted d candle.
1--WE been trying to get up to see you
all day, Bill. but | couldn't. Where
were you shotl'
I'm the arm" growled Pecos Bill
"and it's stiff as thunder"
tits your right one, too said Maria.
NO matter: myelaft's just as good
But I've got to get 1t fixed somehow,
and then I've got to 90 away. When
that sherifrs convention finds ont I'm
here the crowd ii tear the town down
to get me-
Maria barred the boys broken arm.
disclosing a round, purple wound, cut a
Dandage from her petticoat and bound
1t.
X don't see how a little thing like
that queered me So said Bill. ut
made me sick all over
NOW fix my gum said pecos Bit.
He passed it to her. II suppose the
crowds all here by this time lie add
ed while he watched her fiji the cham
bers of the six shooter with cartridges.
Curse 'em. why couldn't they go some
place else he growled. ut 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 ~playfully.
You'd been all right eaf you hadn't
got shot" she said.
Guess / amt any good any more,''
whined the boy. .Confound those sher-
ifs. I wish they'd hold their conven-
ton in Jericho"
Maria left the candle IN 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 fiddle-s
played on ii platform. Across one side
OF the long room was the bar.
Bob CowaE, who ran the FL 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 a 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 c~obwebbed overhead.
"know that fellow asked Cowan.
pointing to a tall, loose jointed man.
Most prominent man I'm Texas today,
bar none. Sheriff, empire builder. he is.
Bill Sopes Of San Antone, 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.
who's the grip asked Sopes, loung-
ing up to Cowan.
Cowan glanced down the long room.
Maria stood binding mp her hair.
"Oh." said Cowan, that's Maria;
Mexican girl. She's d typesetter on our
paper. Amt she a Jim Dandy?'
'She is" said Sopes.
At Z 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 El 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
p with a haze before her eyes. Then
she found the small letters, and the big
capital b with the other small letters,
and set them up mechanically. faint
with fear.
The two words were near the end OF
the take. She finished ii. thrusting the
remaining bits of type ~savagely into
their places and clinging by the heels
OF her slippers 20 the rung OF the stool.
Lunch time arrived. The girls filed out,
followed by Bob Cowan. putting at a
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 to
the press On his shoulder. Maria re-
membered 4 report, once current, that
Tommy vas In love with her. but she
had never considered him seriously.
He was always so drunk, or hrd lust