The San Francisco call., 1904-03-20

bed TO the wide, Old-faShiOned bureau,
the rocking chair with its arm off and
the ink-stain on the carpet. AS the !,
men entered with their burdens. he \
said:
You look as if you'd be short Of
chairs here I'll see that you get an
ether rocker tomorrow"
Mariposa wondered if Mrs. Garcia
was about to end her widoWhood and
this was the happy man.
He stood about as the men set down
the luggage, and watched the transfer
of the dollar from Mariposa's white
hand to the dingy one of her late enc
my The boys also eyed this transac-
tion with speechless attention, evident
ly anticipating a second outbreak OF
hOstiltties. But peace had been re-
stored and would evidently rule as
long as the sunburned man In the
shirt-sleeeves remained.
This he appeared to intend doing. He
suggested change in the places Of one
or two Of Mariposa's pieces OF furni-
ture, and showed her how she could use
her screen to hide the bed He looked
annoyed over torn strip Of loose wall
paper that hung detected, revealing a
long seam Of plaster like a scared
scar. Then he went to the window and
pushed back the curtains of faded rep
There's a nice view from here on
sunny days down into the garden"
Mariposa felt she must show interest.
and went to the window too. The pane
was not clean, and the view COM
manded nothing but the splendid foun-
tain-like foliage of the pepper-tree and
below a scdden strip of garden in which
limp chrysanthemums hung their
heads WhfiA n cr0od v,oef,frfftTr7 xripa
tried to protest its vigor by Haunting a
few blossoms from the top Of the fence.
1t seemed to her the acme of fOrlOrn-
ness. The crescendo Of the afternoons
unutterable dependency had reached
its climax. Her sense Of desOlation
welled suddenly up into overwhelm-
ing life 1t caught her by the throat
She made a supreme effort, and said in
a shaken voice:
1T looks rather damp now" a
Her companion turned from the win-N
dow.
Here. boys. scoot," he said to the
two boys who were attempting to open
the trunks with the clock key. You've
got no business hanging round here.
Go down and study your lessons"
They obedien ntly left the room. Mari
posa heard their jubilantly clamOrous
descent Of the stairs. She made no at
tempt to leave the window, or to speak
to the man. who still remained moving
about as if looking for something. The
light was growing dim in the dark win
try day, but the girl still stood with
her face to the pane. She knew that If
the tears against which she fought
should come there would be a deluge
of them. Biting her lips and cIenching
her hands, she stood peering out.
speechless. overwhelmed by her
'wretchedness.
Presently the man said, as if speak
ing to himself:
Where the devil are the matches?
Elsie's too careful for anything"
She heard him feeling about on
shelves and tables. and after moment
said
did you see where the matchSN
were? ! want to light the gas
There aren't any," she answered
without turning.
He gave a suppressed exclamation,
and. opening the door. left the room.
With the withdrawal of his restrain
ing presence the tension snapped. Mar
iposa sank down in the chair near the
window. and the tears poured from her
eyes, tears in torrential volume. such
years before in front of Dan Moreau's
cabin.
Her grief seized her and swept her
away. She shook with it. Why could
she not die and escape from this hide
Gus world? It bowed her like a reed
before a wind. and she bent her face
on the chair arm and trembled and
throbbed.
She did not hear the door open, nor
know that her solitude was again in
vaded, till she heard the mans step be-
side her Then she started up, stran-
gled with sobs and Indignation.
sIs it you again." she cried. Cans
you see how miserable / am?"
II saw it the moment 1 came out Of
my room this afternoon" he answered
quietly. I'm sorry I disturb you I
I only wanted to light the gas and get
!, the place a little more cheerful and
Il warm. It's too cold in here. You go on
: crying Don't bother about me; I'm
going to light the fire"
9 She obeyed him, too abject in her mis-
cry to care. He lit all the gases in the
/, gilt chandelier, and then knelt before
the fireplace. Soon the swapping Of the
wood contested the silence with the
: small, pathetic noises OF the woman's
, weeping. She felt-at first without con-
: sciousness-the grateful warmth Of the
= blaze. Presently she removed the wad
of saturated handkerchief from her
face. The room was inundated by a
= flood of light, the leaping gleam OF the
flames licking the glaze of the few old
fashioned ornaments and evoking un-
q certain CLEANS from the long mirror
standing on the floor in the corner.
The man was sitting before the fire.
: He had his coat on now, and MariposN
could see that he was tall and powerful
: a bronzed and muscular man OF about
!, thirty-five years OF age, with a face
= tanned to mahogany color, thick brown
: hair and brown mustache. His hand,
as ii rested on his knee, caught her eye:
= it was well formed, but worn as a Ia