The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-01-25
IN A MEXICAN
GARDEN
BY RUTH RAEBURN



her bedroom by the open French win
dow wakened Cecilia. or. as her father
loved to cali her in the graceful lam
euage of his adopted country, my
pretty one"
Evidently her thoughts were pleas
ant. for she got up with a smile on
her lips and stood for "a few moments
looking out on the view before begin
ming to dress II was just six o'clock
and the mist still hung in the valley,
and already the garden was blaze OF
light The scent of the roses, the
orange and lemon blossom. the moist
earth and the myriad growing things.
filled the air with delicious fra.
GRANGE. One brcathod life and happi-
ness on such a morning. and love for
an that lives 10 This glorious. boluii-
ful world Besides. was not her OLD
friend and playfellow, Philip kine
coming home after being away for
seven years in the States, learning CO.
he a doctor?
ANNAlAA WIS MN NNNNAN NNNN..'s
mother died when the poor little mite
was only three days old. and her father
never married again. but gave hF
small daughter into the keeping of O.
ind hearted Mexican woman, who had
from that moment spoiled her charge
with the utmost fidelity. and now, a'
the age of 10 years. the tall. handsome
eirl was still old Conchas fayorito
The two families We're near neigh
bors. and had been fast friends from
the beginning. so it was no wond"
that she and Philip should De com
stantly together. running about and
playing al hide and seek IN thu
woods round the ranch. and whcr
hey We're older cantering over Oh.
PASTURE lands on their surc-foo'e.
Mexican pOnies-and no wonder either
as time went on. that the folks shou'
nod their heads and smile knowingly
as they watched the pair. @ pretty i'
re eirl of ~ and han lsomo .ad d"
Is. In their Imagination ihese r0nl
people already heard ihc bells r.n.
/ for the betrOthal.
Not much time was wasted over 'h
toilet this morning. There was "a ercl
deal 10 be done before eight o'cIoci
breakfast. First. the asparagus bad %
be cut. while the sun was still low j.
the sky. for later on when ne had at
tained his full strength it was insult
/ farably hot in the garden. and only ih.
/ dark-skinned natives might work there
with impunity Then she would mci
some ripe, juicy peaches for dessert
Her father loved asparagus and peach
es. and so did Philip. If her memoir
did not deceive her-but seven year
is a long ume and tastes may change
who knows If ne is still fond %
peaches?" and-she looked in the glas
and smiled at her own reflection"
think l can answer for peaches. He
thor hts ran on questioning and re
plying to themselves. "but as 20 as
paragus and. and-other thnes-wH
knows?'
On a chair by her bedside Guadalupe
her maid, had placed a clean mus.i'
frock. starched and white as sno"
She fingered it lovingly. for she wa
Going 10 put il on after her work WI
done. In the meantime a blue cotton
more than ready for the washiul
would do very well. and, havin
reached this stage in her proceeding.
she did not stop 10 twist mp her ha1
but merely braiding it in two thic
olaits. Mexican fashion. seized her som
brero and ran downstairs. At OBJ
Kitchen door COncha was waiting wit
basket and long knife with teeth DIS
a saw at one end; this was used 20 ci
the asparagus.
The dew drops on the feather
branches Of the asparagus vines spar
lled like diamonds In the sunshine an
fell on her in showers as she brushe
them aside 10 look for the white head
appearing above ground at their root
nv the time she had cut sufficient fc
a generous dish an hour had alread
cone by and she was very warm an
decidedly muddy-but what did ths
matter? There was soap and water
the house. and pretty clean whit
dress in her room waiting 20 be pi
on. The peaches could be picked
n few minutes. and then her morning
work would be done.
How beautiful it was that mornini
From her perch among the peach'
she eazed fascinated on the scene Do.
fore her. Orizaba. glory of mountain
with its snOw-capped peak, seemed D'
step from the garden. but in reali'
one wonld have TO travel more tina
4O miles tc reach the foot OF IT, Q
an sides were the hills rs far as %
eve could see. and right in front, on
about mile away. nestled the liit
town with its whitewashed houses ai
brown tiled roofs. half buried in tree
Absorbed in the view she did not 81
a borseman who was maneuyering h
way in and out the winding pathw'
which led TO her fathers ranch. an
so it happened that Philip King vi
- almost upon her before she was ava
\ of it. When she did at last cat'
i sight of him it was too late TO fly
,ho house. The color leaped TO d
face in a crimson flood. and her kne
trembled beneath her, with aeitatio
disappointment at the sudden collap
of all her plans AVID humiliation az d
& miserable figure she cut She clutch
her hair. which had long since fire.
4 itself from the plaits. and nervous
4 with shaking fingers. tried TO twist
ND and hide It inside her sombrero. b
she had no hairpins, so it only ID
down again In even greater disord
than before.
mo voune man had by this o.