The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-19
IN A MEXICAN GARDEN.
BY RUTH RAEBURN.

| | The bright sunshine streaming inte I her bedroom by the open French win. 1 dow wakened Cecilia, or. as her 1athe' loved to call her in the graceful Iah- guage of his adopted country my | pretty one"
 l Evidently her thoughts were pleas l ant, for she got up with smile on 1 her lips and stood for few moments l looking out on the view before begin l ming to dress It was just six o'clock | and the mist still hung in the valley, | and already the garden was blaze oi l light. The scent of the roses, the | orange and lemon blossom, the moist earth and the myraid growing things filled the air with delicious ira erance One breathed life and happi- ness on such a morning, and love TOT all that lives in this glorious. oeauti, full world Besides, was not her old friend and playfellow. Phillip King. coming home after being away TOT seven years in the States. learning to be doctor?
 Cecilia was an only child. Her mother died when the poor little mite was only three days old. and her father never married again. but gave his
 small daughter into the keeping of a
 kind hearted Mexican woman. who had
 from that moment spoiled her charge
 with the utmost fidelity. and now. at
 the age of i9 years. the tall, Handsome
 firl was still old Concha's favorite-
 The two families were near neigh
 bors, and had been fast friends from
 the beginning. so it was no wonder
 that she and Philip should be con-
 stantly together, running about ana playing at hide and seek in the
 woods round the ranch. and when they
 were older cantering over the pasture lands on their sure-footed Mexican
 ponies-and no wonder either. as time went on, that the folks should nod their heads and smile knowingly. as they
 watched the pair. pretty little girl or 12 and & handsome lad of 15. In their imagination these good people already heard the bells ring for the betroth- al. Not much time was wasted over the toilet this morning. There was grea t deal to be dope before eight o'clock breakfast First, the asparagus had to be cut, while the sun was still low in the sky, for later on when he had at tained his full strength 1t was insuf- ferably hot in the garden. and only the dark skinned natives might work there with impunity. Then she would pick some ripe. juicy peaches for dessert. Her father lover asparagus and beach, es. and so did Philip. If her memory did not deceive her---but seven years Is long time end taste may change. 'swho knows If he is still fond of peaches?" ahd--she looked In the glass and smiled at her own reflection-"I think can answer for peaches Her thoughts ran on questioning and re- plying to themselves, but as to ss- paragus and, and-other things-who knows?"
 On a chair by her bedside Guadalupe. her maid. had placed clean muslin frock. starched and white as snow.
 She fingered 1t lovingly. for she was
 going to put it on after her work was
 done. In the meantime a blue cotton. more than ready for the washtub. would do very well, and. having reached this stage in her proceedings. she did not stop to twist up her hair.
 but merely braiding 1t in two thick plaits, Mexican fashion, seized her som- brero and ran downstairs. At the kitchen door Concha was waiting with a basket and long knife with teeth like the asparagus.
 At the garden gate. on the right, grew tall rose bush. covered all the year sound with crimson roses. The tree was Co the young girl almost a personality, and often she would go to 1t and tell 1t her small joys and sor- rows. This morning she could not pass
  of greeting, so stepping to fasten up a spray which had fallen to the ground with it's own weight, she murmured Phillip is coming today He has been away for seven years-just think of it flor seven years!" a pause then she continued: And I am wondering-you will never guess what I am wondering, so I'll tell you, it's just this,' and she whispered quite low. holding a rose close to her lips:
 If the women in New York are so very. very pretty, as they say" Here the rose swayed lightly towards the girl as a gentle breeze just ruffled her leaves. but Cecilia chose to take the motion as a sign of polite interest in her condolences, and so she went on And I am going to take the loveliest bud you have on the whole bush and put it in my hair just here,' and she touched one of her thick plaits at the nape of the neck, because dad says a touch of red is very becoming to me, and want to show him. not dad, you know, but Phil. that other people be- sides his beloved countrywomen can look quite nice at times, why, how silly I am, to be sure." and she laughed happily to herself. But enchantment was evidently in the air that morning, so who knows but that the rose did un- | derstand, after all?
 The dew drops on the feathery branches of the asparagus vines spar kled like diamonds in the sunshine and fell on her in showers as she brushed them aside to look for the white heads appearing above ground at their roots By the time she had cut sufficient for generous dish an hour had already gone by and she was very warm and l matter? There was soap and water Tn the house, and a pretty clean white dress in her room waiting to be put on. The peaches could be picked in a few minutes. and then her morning $ work would be done.
 How beautiful it was that morning From her perch among the peaches she gazed fascinated on the scene be- fore her Orizaba glory of mountains with its now-capped peak, seemed but step from the garden, but in reality one would have to travel more thar forty miles to reach the foot of it. Or all sides were the hills as far as th' eye could see, and right in front, only about a mile away, nestled the little 1 town with its whitewashed houses anC brown tiled roofs, half buried in trees Absorbed in the view she did not se' a horseman who was maneuvering hi' way in and out the winding pathwa,
 which led to her fathers ranch, anC 1 So it happened that Philip King wal almost upon her before she was aware l of it. When she did at last catci 1 sight of him it was too late to fly tt 1 the house. The color leaped to hei
 face in a crimson flood and her knee: | trembled beneath her, with agitation I