Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-12-29


with cry. Rushing forward. she took
the edge of Alaire's skirt in her hands
and kissed it.
"God be praised! A miracle" sht
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 It Is she who delivered
you from the prison"
Juan stared unbelievingly, then his
face changed; his teeth flashed in u
smile, and, sweeping his hat from his
head, he, too, approached Alaire.
ut is! Sonora, | am Juan Garcia,
whom you saved, and this is Inez," he
declared. Heaven bless you and for
give me-"
"Now know you," Alaire laughed,
and Slipped down from her saddle
'"This is happy meeting. So! You
live here, and that was little Juan who
ran away as If we were going to eat
him. Well, we are hungry, but not
hungry enough to devour 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 JOY
fully, adding their own account of her
goodness.
"We've fallen among friends" Alaire
told Dave and Father O'Malley. "They
will let us rest here, | am sure"
Husband and wife agreed In one
voice. In fact, they were overjoyed at
an opportunity of serving her; and lit.
tie Juan, his suspicious partially al
layed, issued from hiding and waddled
forward to take part in the welcome.
Shamefacedly the elder Garcia ex-
planned his inhospitable reception of
the travellers. eve hear the gringos
are coming to kill us and take our
farms. Everybody Is badly frightened.
We are driving our herds away and
hiding what we can. Yesterday at 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 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'Malley told
him. 'Will you hide us here until we
can go on?"
Juan curtsied respectfully to the
priest. "My house is yours, father"
"Can you take care of our horses,
too, and-give us place to sleepT
Dave asked. His eyes were heavy; he
had been almost constantly in the sad
die since leaving Jonesville, and now
could hardly keep himself awake.
Trust me-" the Mexican assured
them, confidently. IF somebody comes
I'll send them away. Oh, can lie with
the best of them"
The Garcias were not ordinary pe0-
pie, and they lived in rather good cir
cumstances for country folk. There
were three rooms to their little house,
all of which were reasonably clean.
The food that Inez set before her
guests. too, was excellent if scanty.
Juanito, taking cue from his parents,
flung himself whole-heartedly 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 tlattering attentions. His
shyness, 1t seemed, was but pretense
at heart he was bold and enterpris-
ing fellow-and so, as mark Of his
he presented her with all
his personal treasures. First he
fetched and laid in her lap cigar-box
wagon with wooden wheels-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 a splendid
There were no blades in
the knife, but he showed her how to
peep through tiny hole in the handle,
where was concealed the picture of
dashiHg Spanish bull-hghter. The APP
probation which these gifts evoked in
toxicated the little man and reused him
to very madness of generosity. He
battered away and returned shortly.
and granting under the
weight of another and a still greater
1t was a dog-a patient,
hungry dor with very littla hair The
animal was alive with fleas-it
absent-mindedly with one ,
hind paw, even while Juunito strangled |
1t against his naked breast-but 1t was
the apple of its owners eye, and when
lnez unfeeingly banished it from the
house Juanito began to squat Justify. ),
Nor could he be conciliated until Alaire
took him upon her knee and told him
about another boy, of precisely his own
lge and size, who planted magic bean
N his mothers dooryard, which grew
up and up until 1t reached clear to the
sky, where giant lived. Juanito Gar
,ia had never heard the like. He was
spellbound with delight; he held his
breath in ecstasy; only his toes moved, I
md they wriggled like ten fat, brown
.adpoles.
In the midst of this recital Garcia
senior appeared in the door with
Conceal yourselves" he said, quick
y. "Some Of our neighbors are com