The San Francisco call., 1904-03-06

N thick, red-brown hair, with
its fiat loose ripple and the
4 dogs brown eyes to match.
q skin as white as a blanched al
mond with a slight powdering Of
freckles over her nose, and lips
that were freshly red and delicately
defined against the warm pallor sur
rounding them. She was, in fact. a
beautiful likeness OF the Lucy that
Moreau saw come gropingly back TO
youth and desirableness in the cabin
on the flank Of the Sierra. Only happi-
ness and refinement and a youth passed
in an atmosphere Of love, had given her
all that richness of girlhood, that effer-
Vescent confidence and joy of youth
that poor Lucy had never known.
Despite her air of a young princess.
her proudly held head her almost
Spanish dignity. where only her brown
eyes looked full OF alertness and laugh
ter. she was in character and knowl-
edge Of life foolishly young-in reality,
q little girl masouerading in the guise
Of a triumphsntly maturing woman
hood. Her life had been one Of quiet
ude and seclusion. Her parents had
been agreed in their desire for this; the
father in the fear of a re-encounter with
some phantom from the past. Lucy's
ostensible reason was her own delicate
health; but her dread was that Shack
letCn might see his child and claim her.
II seemed impossible to the adoring
mother that any father could see this
splendid daughter ard not rise up and
call her his before all men.
The afternoon was cold and Mari
posa wore a jacket as she sang. The
cottage in Pine street was all that a
cottage ought not TO be-on the wrong
side Of the street. too far out cold.
badly built. and with only one window
to catch the western sun. II had one
advantage which went long way with
the widow and her daughter-the rent
was $50 a month. Mariposa had paid
SO cf this with her earnings. and kept
the other six for pocket money. But
the happy day was dawning. so she
thought, when she could pay the whole
twenty She cogitated on this and the
sf7uence il would indicate, d s her real
father might have cogitated when he
and the inner ring Of his associates be-
gan 10 realize that the Reydel Monte
was not z pocket. but a solid mound of
mineral
on this gray afternoon the cold little
parlor, with its bulge Of bay window
looking out on the dreariness of the
street, seemed impregnated with an
air Of detection. In common with many
poor DWELLINGS in that city of extrava-
sAnt reveTses. it was full of the costly
relics of better days. San Francisco
has more Of such parlors than any city
ia the country. The pieces of buhl and
marQuetry hiding their shame in 500
cottages and SIS flats furnish pathetic
commentary on many a story OF fallen
fortunes. The furniture looks abashed
and humbled. Sometimes its rich de-
signs have found a grateful seclusion
under the dust Of a quarter century,
which finally viii be removed by the re-
storing processes Of the second hand
dealer. who will eventually Jecome its
owner.
There was a beautiful marquetry
sideboard in the gray front parlor and
a ane scarlet lacquer Chinese cabinet
facing it. Moreau had had the tall,
gilt-framed mirror and console brought
round the Horn from New York when
he had been in the flush Of good times
in Sacramento. The piano Mariposa
was playing dated from a second period
cf prosperity, and had cost what would
have now kept them for year. It had
been considered cheap at the time, and
had been bought when the little Mari
posa began to show musical tastes. She
had played her first pieces on it, and
in that halcyon period when she had
had the singing lessons, had heard the
big voice in her chest slowly shaking
itself loose to the accompaniment of its
encouraging notes.
Now she was singing in single tones.
from note TO note, higher and higher,
then lower and lower. Her voice was a
ltlezzo. with break" in the middle,
below which il had haunting, bell-like
depth. AS it went dow nit gained a
peculiar emotional quality which
seemed TO thrill with passion and tears.
AS il began TO ascend ii was noticeable
that her upper tones. though full, were
harsh. There was astounding volume
in them. It was evidently a big voice,
a thing of noble promise. but now crude
and unmanageable.
She emitted a loud vibrant note that
rolled restlessly between the four walls
as IL in an effort to find more space
wherein to expand, and her hands fell
upon the keys. IN the room opening of
the parlor there was an uncertain PLAY
Of light from an unseen fire, and a
muffied shape lying on the sofa. To
this she now addressed a query in a
voice in which detection was veiled by
uneasy inquiry:
We'll. does it seem to improve? Or
is it still like a COW when she's lost hei
calf2"
Its wonderfully improved" came