The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-04-27
THE STORY OF JUANA
4 QUAINT TALE OF THE GREAT
SOUTHWEST.

lena 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-
Der. 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:
"Aint yoh scaihed You'll fall off an
git broker"
Il suah am replied The Girl" an
I'd smash bad. I'm brittle as clancy
DOLL
And about as much sense" thought
John.
II Still he watched her. There was
something about the dark eyes and the
dark curls which interested him.
II AS they 1eft the car at the foot, of. the
incline a comb. shaken from it's moor
ings by the restless. tossing head. fell
almost at his feet. He picked it up and
handed it to her.
ooh, thanks awfully!' said The
Girl. 'Theyah pizen fob gittin' loose"
"Ouch!" thought John! but she made
SO pretty a picture. with head thrown
back and appraised arms. as she re-
placed the comb. that he hesitated a
moment ere he should turn away.
''Youah stoppin' at the game place
as weah. amt yoh?" queried The Girl,
cycling him frankly and openly. "Ain't
yoh at TIL Green? Weah at The
Green"
Yes, l am at The Green" he re-
piled.
Il was suah I'd seen you theah.
Weah soht O. neighbohs. amt ~c?" 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 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?' she laughed. Il remembahed
t theah was empty seat by yoh, an
l ah dem change me to it. seem as
we'd got to know each othah.'
John was so aStounded that for an
instant he was at his wits end for a
reply but finally managed to murmur
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 eatin'; 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 l 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
q woman" commented John. and 1t
must be rather tough. too, is it not?'
Dull amt tn word for it, ex-
claimed The Girl AN yes. it's rough
not bad. yoh know: theah amt any
fine mammals. but those boys II git
down o.. theyah knees fob a woman.
A COW punchah amt much on bOwin'
an scrapin' but he's got 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 of
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 timetable cal
culations and plans for a precipitate
departure.
Moreover. as the days came and
went. and the dinner table conversa-
lions 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-
ton he could not guess, but beneath
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 a 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