The Grit-advocate., 1906-04-20
THE STORY OF JUANA
A QUAINT TALE OF THE GREAT
SOUTHWEST.

BY TRUMAN ROBERTS ANDREWS.
John Edgerly Osborne came TO Pasa-
dena from Boston. The Girl from
Texas came from some spot scarce
named in the plains of Texas.
Johns first experience of The Girl
was on the incline coming down Mount
Lowe. He hoped at the time it might
be his last. "Of all the Barbarians."
thought John to himself. ''Jabber. jab-
ber. jabber." said The Girl to anybody
and everybody.
There was an elderly man with her.
Six foot, chin whiskers. broad felt hat;
branded Texan. presumably her father.
The elderly man remarked, jocularly:
"Ain't yoh scaihed yohll fall off an
git broke?"
Il suah am replied The Girl" an
I'd smash bad. I'm brittle as chaney
doll"
And about as much sense" thought
John.
Still he watched her. There was
something about the dark eyes and the
dark curls which Interested him.
AS they left the car at the foot of the
incline comb, shaken from its moor
ings by the restless, tossing head, fell
almost at his feet. He picked it up and
handed it to her
"Oh. thanks awfully!" said The
Girl 'Theyah p!zen foh gittn' loose"
"Ouch!" thought John! but she made
80 pretty picture. with head thrown
back and upraised arms. as she re-
placed the comb, that he hesitated
moment ere he should turn away.
"Youah stoppin' at the came place
as weah. amt yoh?" queried The Girl,
eyeing him frankly and openly. Amt
yoh at TIL Green? Weah at The
Greea."
"Yes, am at The Green" he re-
Piled.
81 was suah I'd seen you theah.
Weah soht O. neighbohs. ain't -" she
observed. laughing so infectiously that
John had at least smiled before he
realized it.
John himself never understood the
rest of it. When they parted it was
upon the piazza of The Green. and
then he smoked a cigar with her
father.
That evening. when he came down
to dinner, he was surprised to find The
Girl at his elbow.
Kind O. s'prised. reck'n. amt
yoh?H she laughed. Il rememEahed
It theah was empty seat by yoh. an
ah dem change me to it, seem rs
we'd got to know each othah."
John was so astcunded that fer ar
instant he was at his wits end for
reply, but finally managed to murmu:
something about very pleased" etc,
while he calculated the chances of get
ting away on the morning train.
81 s'pose l really ought to stay ovah
theah and ride herd on dad" she con-
fessed. He says he gifts all mixed up
in this new-fangled way of cain; an
fact is, he don't like it at all! Yoh
see," continued The Girl. confidential
ly, we nevah bin away from tn ranch
much since can remembah, an
we've got to git broke into tn way yoh
folks do things. Weah soht O. bronco
yet. sabe?"
Ranch life must be rather dull for
a woman" commented John, land it
must be rather tough, too, is 1t not?"
Dull amt tn word for it," ex-
claimed The Girl; IAN yes. it's rough
not bad, yoh know; theah amt any
fine mammals, but those boys II git
down o., theyah knees foh woman.
A COW punchah amt much on bowin'
an scrapin', but he's got a mighty big
heaht an a woman s woman in his
eyes"
AS they talked through the. long
meal-or rather, she talked and he
listened-John learned a great deal CT
The Girls dreary life on the ranch
and of her great yearning for the finer
culture which she felt existed in the
wonderful outside world; and when
they left the table he had, temporarily
at least, laid aside his time table cal
culations and plans for a precipitate
departure.
Moreover, as the days came and
went, and the dinner table conversa-
tions had been many, they seemed to
have placed The Girl in a new light
He became accustomed to the crude
speech and odd ways, insomuch that
they ceased to detract his interest from
the personality of The Girl herself He
had discovered that she was not ig-
norant; where she had obtained educa-
tion he could not guess, but beneath
the superficial defects of speech and
mannerism he found the workings of a
mind not only naturally acute, but, to
a certain degree, trained. Also the
true womanliness of her character was
forced in upon him. and he felt more
fully the charm which had at first been
somewhat neutralized by his dislike of
'barbarianism."
"It's unusually warm this evening""
he observed one night after dinner;
'let us sit outside for while upon the
piazza"
"Sta bueno," agreed The Girl.
"Reck'n I'd bettah git cape oah jack
ct, though"
Ensconced in the deep wicker porch
chair, which the willy John had so
placed that the light from one of the
windows shone softly upon her The
Girl seemed far more beautiful than
ever before. and he was content to sit