The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-09-20

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with cry. Rushing forward, she took
the edge Of Alalre's skirt In her hands
and kissed it.
God be praised! A miraclel" she
exclaimed. "Juan, don't you see? 1t is
| the beautiful sonora for whom we pray
every night Of our lives. On your knees,
shameless one! 1t is she who delivered
you from the prison"
Juan stared unbelievingly, then his
face changed; his teeth flashed in
smile, and. sweeping his hat from his
head, he, too, approached Alairc.
1T is! Sonora, I am Juan Garcia,
whom you saved, and this is Inez," he
declared. "Heavcn bless you and for
give me-"
Nov know YOU" Alaire laughed,
and slipped down from her saddle.
'"Fhis is happy meeting. SO! You
live here, and that was little Juan who
ran away rs if we were going to eat
him. Well, we are hungry, but not
hungry enough to dcvour Juanito."
Turning to her companions, she ex-
/ planned the circumstances of her first
meeting with these good people, and as
she talked the Garcias broke in ioy-
fully, adding their own account of her
goodness.
We've fallen among friends" Allure
told Dave and Father O'M1alley. "They
Will let us rest here, am sure"
Husband and wife agreed in one
voice. In fact, they were overioyed nj
an opportunity Of serving her; and lit
lie Juan, his suspicious partially al
| Iaycd. issued from hiding and waddlcd
forward 10 take part in the welcor,o.
Sllancfacedly the elder Garcia tx
plaincd his inhospitabc reception of
the travellers. eve hear the crirros
are coming TO kill lis and take our
farms. Everybody is badly frightened
We are driving our herds away md
hiding what we can. Yesterday nt the
big Obispo ranch our people shot two
Americans and burned some OF their
houses. They intend to kill all the
Americans they find, SO you'd better be
careful. Just now Il fellow rode up
shouting that YOU were coming, but of
course didn't know"
Yes, of course. We're trying TO
reach the border" Father O'NIulley told
him. "Will you hide us here until we
can go on?"
! Juan curtsicd respectfully to the
priest "My house is yours, father"
! Can YOU take care of our horses,
TOO, nnd--giye us Il place to slcep!"
Dave asked. His eyes were heavy; he
had been almost constantly in the sad
die since leaving Jonesvillc, and now
could hardly keep himself awake.
Trust me-" the Mexican assured
them, confidently. "If somebody comes
III send them away. Oh, can lie with !
the best of Them"
The Garcins were not ordinary pco-
Pie, and they lived in rather good cir
cunstanccs for country folk. There
were three rooms to their little house,
al OF which were reasonably clean.
The food that InrZ set before her
guests. too, was excellent If scanty.
Juanito, taking cue from his parents,
tlung himself fundamentally into the
task OF entertainment and since Alaire
met his advances halfway he began,
before long, to look upon her with par
ticular favor. Once they had thorough
ly made friends, he showered her with
the most flnttcring attentions. His
ShynesS ii seemed, was but a pretcnse
at heart he was a bold and enterpris-
ing fcllow-and so, as a mark Of his
admiration, he presented her with all
his personal treasures. First he
fetched and laid in her lap cigar-box
wagon with wooden whccls-evidently
the handiwork Of his father. Then he
gave her, one by one, highly priced
blue bottle, rusty Mexican spur, and
the ruins Of what had been splendid
clasp-knifc. There were no blades i'm
the knife, but he showed her how to
peep through Il tiny hole in the handle,
where WAS concealed the picture of
dashing Spanish bull-fightcr. The ap.
probation which these gifts evoked in
toNicatcd the little man and reused him
to very madness of generosity. Hc
pattcrcd away and returned shortly.
staggering and grunting under the
weight of another and still greater
Offering. 1t was q dog-a patient,
hungry dog with very little hair. The
animal was alive with ncas-it
scratched abscnt-mndcdly with ono
hind paw, even while Juunito stranrlcd
it against his naked brcast-but Il was
tue apple of It's owners eye ana when
lncz uhtrclingly bnniShcd it from thr
house Juanito began to suuall lustily
Nor could he be cOncilintcd until AInirr
took him upon her knee and told him
about another boy, Of precisely his own
age and size, who planted magic bean
III his mothers dooryard, which grew
up ana UP until it reached clear to the
SKY, whore giant lived. Juanito Gar
cia had never heard the like. He was
Spcllbound with delight: he held his /
breath in ecstasy; only his toes moved, |