Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-12-07

watched her enter the quiet little cottage
and almost fancied that once when she
saw him looking at her she had stolen a
swift, shy glance, and then blushed a
beautiful pink to match her pretty gar
den gown.
He sought the aid of his sister, who al
ready knew her, and before Hal Stewart
had made up his mind what course of
life he would pursue he was head over
ears in love with his pretty neighbor.
Being such close neighbors, they saw
great deal of each other, and il was not
long before Donna Valesquez noticed that
Romano was more than usual in the gar
den, and when she discovered the cause
she frowned on Hal Stewards wooing.
She would never allow Romano to mar.
Ery Gringo, she had told her, and had
again gone to the padre. who promised
to counsel Ramona.
But Ramona had will of her own.
and besides she loved Hal Stewart.
She thought Mammeto unfair. and de-
cided to see him as much as she chose
There were many little clandestine
meetings, which Ramona hated herself
for keeping, for she dearly loved the kind
old aunt, who had been everything to
her.
But Hal Stewart was going to Frisco
to enter upon the practice Of law. and
he could not 60 without Ramona, he had
told her.
He pleaded with her to elope and she
consented, scarcely knowing what it
would mean.
They were to leave the following night
at Sis, and Ramona was to meet him q
few minutes before at the station.
That night as she knelt beside her he'd
she babe silent, fearful farewell to the
little cottage and Mammeto
Dear Mammeto, she loved her. and It
was hard to go away, but she loved Hal,
and somehow she felt that Mammeto had
not been fair to him.
She thought of what the padre and ev-
cry one would say, but she consoled her
self with the thought that she would
write and Mammeto would forgive her
and all would end well.
She thought of many things but sleep.
and when she did finally slumber it was
to awake long after sun-up scarcely re-
freshed and surely sad at heart.
She could not look at Mammeto with
out wanting to cry and tell her what was
in her heart and ask her to forgive her
for being so wicked
And Mammeto had asked why she was
so silent, but she had not answered; and
once, when Mammeto came upon her in
the act of putting some clothing in a
bundle for her hurried departure, she had
lied to her, and after she had gone she
had cried her eyes red and swollen.
Seven thirty came, and it was time for
Ramona to start.
She put on her hat, and, catching up a
cloak, she came softly down the stairs.
She would not go by the rear gate, for
Kate would surely see her and call out to
find out where she was going alone.
No, she must go by the front gate and
run the risk of being seen by some one.
She stepped silently across the hall,
and there on the veranda, gazing dream
lily down the path, sat Mammeto.
She looked so lonely, so small and
weary, that Ramona felt great lump in
her throat that almost choked her.
What should she do?
She thought of Hal waiting at the sta
tion, and for moment she seemed ready
to burst out the door and down the path
to the gate.
4 But twilight had commenced to gather,
and she knew Mammeto would soon come
in to light the lamps, and then she could
steal out unobserved.
She looked at her watch 1t was 7:45.
and it was twenty minutes to the sta
tion. just then Mammeto rose and
walked to the side veranda and examined
a place where the honey suckle had brok
en- away from the trellis, and as she did
so Ramona stole noiselessly out of the
door, down the path and into the road
way. Her heart beat fast as she looked
back at the little cottage as if in fare
well, and just then the chimes rang the
Angelus from the old mission tower, bid
ding the erring ones to halt in their sins
TO pray.
Ramona sank to her knees, and when
she had finished praying she arose,
rushed up the path to the side veranda,
calling "Mammetol Oh, Mammeto, were
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