im^^ 1 Li* 'i 1' v.f^ If m '^4 M m k â- .*I I ' l.^ Ml ijiii M M I 1. I 111 J' A BLUE GRASS PENELOPE. BT BBK KABXC CHAPTER V. The two men kept tiieir feontb Mr. Pomdtxter ooB^iBoed Mn. Tocker tfcat the aale of Lot Cuervoe oooldnotbe efEsoted i the BOtori ty of her hntband's flight been fiurly forgotten, and she was forced to accept her fate. The cale of her diamcnds, which Memed to her to have realized a sincnluly eztrvagant Bam^ en- abled her to qoietlv rdnat*te the Patlenoni in tbe ttenda, and to discharge in fall her hnaband'a liaHilities to the ranchero and his humble retainers. Meanwhile the winter raina had oeaeed. It seemed to her as if the clouds had sud- denly one n ebt stenck tbetr white tents uid stolen aw9y, leaving the nnvanqa ished tim to mcnnt the vacant sky the next morning alone, and possess it thenceforward un- challenged. One afternoon she tkougtt the long sd waste before her window had ' caught !ome tint of gayer color from the sonnet a week later she found it a blazing landscape of poppies, broken bere and there by blue lagoons of lupine, by pcols of daiiits, by bsoks of dog rotes, by broad ontlying sbores of dandelioiis that ica^red their lavish gold f o tbe foot of the hill», where the green billows of wild cats carried it on aod upward to tbe darker crest of pioes. For two moLt^ she was dazzled and bevildered with color. She had never before been face to face with this spend- thri!t Califoinian F.ora, in her virgin waste- fulness â€" her more th:n goddesslike p'O- digality. Tbo teemiufr earth seemed to quicken andthn bleneath her feet; tbe few circuits of a plough around the outlying corral were entugh to call out a jungle growth of giant grain that almost hid the low wslls of the /^cteneZa. In this glorious fecundity of the earth, in this joyous renew- al of life and color, in this opnknt youth and freshnt ss of coil and sky it alone re- mained â€" the dead and sterile Postâ€" left in the midtt â- f buoyant r juvenescence and resurrection, like an empty churchyard skull I ptnrned on the springing turf. Its brotzea adobe walls mocked the green vine that embraced them, the crumbling dust of ts court ytrd remained vngermlnating aud unfruitful to the t) ousand stirring voices witLoutits dry lips alone remained mnte, unresponsive, and uncharged. Dnrin? this time Don Jose had become a frequent visitor at Los Cuervos, bringing writb him at first his niece and sister in a stately precision of polileness that was not lost on the proud Blue Grass strangt r. She retui n d their visit at Lo Gatos, and there made the formil acquaictancs of Don Jose's grandmother â€" a lady who ttill regarded the decrepit; Concha as a giddy muehnaha, and who herself flittered as with the phosphor- etc nee of refined decay. Thiongh this cir- cumstance she learned that Don JjEe was not yet fifty, and that his gravity of manner and sec'atec'.aa was mora the result of fastidious is jlatiou and temperament then y( are. She could not tell why tbe infc rmation gave her a feelirg of annoyance, but it caused her to regret tbe abbence ot Poindtxter, and to won- dtr, also somewhat nervously, why he had lately avoided her pree nee. The thought that he might ledoin:; so 'rom a reccUectfon of tht icuenc'oes of Mrs. Patterson caused a little tremor of indignation in her hot pul- ses. "As if "but she did not finisD the sentence even to herself, and her eyes filled with tears. Yet she 1 ai thought of the husband who hadsocraeiiy wronged her less feverishly, less impatiently than before. For she thought shs loved him now tbe more deeply, because, although she was not reconciled to his absence, it see med to keep alive the mem( ry of what i^ 1 ai I een before Ms one wild id Feparated them. She had never seen the refitction of another woman's eyes in his; tbe past contained no haunting recol- lection of w aning or alienated affec'.ion; she coald meet him again, and clasping her arms around him, awaken as with a troubled dream without reproach or ezplaration Her strong belief in this made her patient; she no Icneer sooght to know the particu- lars of his flight, and never dreamed that her passive submission to his absence was partly due to a fear that something in his actual presf ncc at that mc m. n( would have destroy- ed that belief for eve^ For this reason the delicate reticprc? of tbe people at Los Gatos, and their seclusion from the world which knew of her husband's fault, had made her encoarage the vis-its of Den Jose, until frm the instinct already al- luded to she oce day sucimoned Poirdexter to Lis Cuervos, on the day that Doe Jose us- ually called. But, to'her surprise the two men met mo) e c r less awkwardly and coldly, and her tact as hostess was tried to the utmost to keep their evident antagonitm from be- ing tco apparent. The efifoit to reconcile tbcir mutual discontent, and some other feelings she did not quite understand, p' o duced a n rvous excil ement which called the blcod to her fair cheek and gave a danger- ous brilliancy to her ej ei â€" two circumstan- ces .not unnoticed nor unappreciated by her two guests. Bat instead oi recniting them, the pre:tier Mrs. Tucker became, the more distaot and reserved grew the men, until Don Jose rore be'ore his usual hoi^r, and with more than usual ceri inoniousness de- parted. 'Then my business does not seem to be with him?' said Poindexter, with quiet coolness, as Mrs. Tucker tnmed her some- what mystified face towwd him. ' Or have you .anything to say to me aboat him in private?" "I am sure I don't know what yon both mean," she returned with a alight treipcr of voice. "I had no idea yon were cot on good terms. I thought yoa were! Its very awkward." Withoat coquetry and nncon- â- ciously she raised her blae eyes ander her lids until the dasr pnpQa ooyly and softly hid themselves in the co ners of the brown lashes, and added â€" "Yon have both been co kind tome." ' Perhaps that is the reason," said Poin dexter, gravely. Bat Mrs. Tucker rafnsed to accept the snggeiticii with equal gravity and began to langh. The langh, which was at first frank, spontaneooa, and almost childlike, was becoming hysterical and ner- vous as she went on, nntfl it wei aaddenly checked by Poindexter. "I have had no difficoltiea with Don Jose Santierra," he said, somewhat coldly ignor- ing her fafari^; "but periiape he is not in- clued to be as polite to the friend of tiie hoa- band as he is to the wife." "Mr. Poindexterl" said Mrs. Tacker, quickly, her face beocming pale again. "1 bsg yoAr pardon," aaid Poindexter, flashing; "but " .t«|«ool. «Toa wait to saT." «• J'^T^^Ia^ S; 'Ihat yon arenot friendB. I se^ ^«» "'lanS^foMbe ^moMirl^t (Btfaerdoseljr. ItliaklMioatiMttMkof a oonMsnte «M»f-4h«* « omsn. ertfioe. "^iRdr ke^r, cdkHy, "then I%m to believe that you prefer to spaid your leisure moments In looking after that oreattore than in calling bare?' Poindexter was etep^fie^. Was thia «*e woman who only four months ago waa al- most v.ndiotively eager to parsue her hus- band's paramonr? There could he but one answer to itâ€" Don Jose. Four months ago ha would 1 ave raniled ccmpassinnately at it from his cynical pre-eminence. Nowheman_ aged with difficulty to stifle the bitterness of his reply. "If you do not wish the inquiry carried on," he begtn, "of course " "I? What dees it matter to me? she said coc'lly. "Do as you please." Nevertheless, half an hour later, as he was leaving, she said, with a cer'am hesila tirg timidity, 'Dj not leave ne so much a'oi e here â€" and let that woman go." This was roS the only unlooked for stqcel f o her innocent detire to prcpit'ate her only friends. Don Jose did not call again upo i his usual day, but in his place came Dma Clara, his younger sister. When Mrs. Tucker had politely asked after the abaent D n Jose, Dona Cara wound her swarthy arms arouod the fair Amsrican's waist and leplied, "Bat why did you send 'or the abo- gado Poindexter when my brother called?" • Bat Capt. Poh'fexter calls as one of my friends," said the amazed Mrs. Tncktr. "He is a gentleman, and has been a aoldier and an cffijer," she aided with some warmth. "Ah, jes, a soldier of the law â€" what vou call an oficial de policiaâ€"a chief of gendar- mes, my sister; but not a gentleman â€" a earn- arero to protect a lady." Mr J. Tucker would have uttered a hasty reply, bat the perfect and goJnatared Bin ph city of Dona Clara withheld her. Nevertheh ss she treated Don Jose with a certain reserve at their next meetmg, until it brought the simple minded Castilian so dan- gerously near the point of demandiog an ex- planation which implied too much that she was obliged to ttau re him temporarily to his old footing. Meantime she had a bril- liant idea. She would write to Calhoun Weaver, whom she had avoided sines that memorable day. She would tay she wished to consult him. He would come to Los Cuervo*. He might scggest something to lighten this weary waiting â€" at least, she V ould show them all that she had still old friends. Yet she did not dreaoi of returning to her old Blue Grass home. Her parents had died s nee she left. Shs shrank trjm the thought of dragging her ruined life be'ore tbe hopeful youth of her girlhood's ccmp^iu- iors. Mr. Calhoun Weaver arrived promptly, ostentatiou^y. ricularly, and cordially: â€" but a little coarsely. He had â€" did she re- member? â€" expected rhiufrom the first. Spen- cer had lost his head through vanity, and had attempted too much. It required foie sight and fiimness as he himself â€" who had litely made successful "combinations" which she might perhaps have heard of â€" well knew. Bat Spmser had got the "big head." "Ai to that woman â€" a devilish handsome woman, too! â€" w«ll, everybody knew that Spsncer always had a weakness t lat way â€" and he would say â€" but if she didn't care to hear any mi re about her, well, perhaps she wa^ right. That was the best way to take it." Sitting before her, prcsperous, weak, egotistical, incompetent, unava lable, and yet filled with a vague kiiidliness of intent, Mrs. Tnckor loathed him. A sickoiing perception of her own weakness in sending for him, a new and aching secse of her utt* r isolation and nelj Isf snesp, seemed to parzlyza her. "Nat'rally you feel bad," he continued, with a large air of a profound student of hu- man nature. "Nat'rally, nat'rally you'ra kept m an uncomfortab'e state, roi knowing jist how you stand. There aiu't but one thing to do. Jist rise up, qniet like, and get a divorce agin Spsncer. Hold on! There ain't a Judge or jury in CilJ'orn'a that wo' lin't give it to you rigHt ift the nail, without asking questions. Why you 11 get it by deiaolt if you watted to â€" you'll jnst 1 ave to walk over the course! And then, Btlle" â€" he drew his chair nearer her â€" "when you've settled down aginâ€" well â€" I dcn'i mind renewing that oflfer I once made ye, before Spencer ever cama tonnct veâ€" I don't mind. Brlle, I swear I don't Honest lojin 1 I'm in earnest there's my hand!" Mrs. Tucker's reply has not been recorded Enough that half an hour later Mr. Weaver appeared in the conrtyard^writhtraces of tears on his fcolish fa^e, a broken falsetto voice, f nd other evidence of mental and moral dis- tuibjiEce. His cordiaHty and oracular pre- dispositicn remained scffioientlyfo enable him to suggest the magical words "Blue Grass" mysteriously to Concha with an in- dication of his hand to the erect figure of her pale mis rass in the door way, who wav- ed to him a silent but half -compassionate fare Will. At about thia t'me a slight change in her manner wea noticed by the few wiio saw her naore f re quently. Her apparently invinciUe girlishness of spirit had given way to a cer- tain matronly seripusness. She applied her- self to her honsehi 1 1 cares and the improve- ment of the hacienda with a new sense of daty and a rettled earnestness, until by de- grees she wroocht into it not only her in- stinctive delicacy and taste, but part of her own individoali^. Even the rude mieheroa and tradesnun who were permitted to enter the wsl's in the exercise of their cUling be gan to speak mystetionsly of the beaaty of this garden of the dhnarjai. She went oat bat seldom, and then aoconmaaied by tbe one (r the other of hrr female servanti, in long drives on unfrequented reads. Oa San- days she sometimes drove to the half rained mission ohoroh of Santa Inez, and hid her- self daring maM in the dim monaatio shad- ows o! the chcMr. Gradually tlie poorw peo- ple whcnn she met in these jonneys began to show an almost devotional reviErenoe for her stopping in the 'oada with uuovwed heads for her to pass, or making way fee her in the iitnda or ploao of the wretefaed town with dumb eoorteayi She began to.led ».ftaMra tense of widow-hood, tiiat, wbils it j«t JtioiM broagbt tears to her eyes, was q«t «itJMai« certain tender soImo. In the ^iinpathy and simpleneas of this impolse she went as far aa to revive the moumiag she had worn for her parents, bat with raoh a fatal aooentins of her beaaty, and daogenms misinterpwSng iMM ^t -he w»« oW^K* *• Vnaerve and dignified a §to inist»ke ^-â- 'â- ••™™ STiS to the shining la«»n bey»dth^ remSatedtheestnary. 8^;»J'jffl5 â- fondr essfor this tra«qml n««'j,"f "^J^ the sun or .tars^;aiwijs wta"ȣ*^^2 reflex of the sky above sndseemed to ress her weary eyes/ She had obectedtoone rf th^ JlIus'propoBed by Poindexter lo re- deem the Und aid deepen the water at the nilMl 'Mooto •wjr« embcreadero, as it "«"'*,_ "f'lr'^ir the U«ocn. and the lawyer had pos^onwl the improvement to gratity her fancy. Si s^te kept it through the long summer ?oota"g?^ save by tbe staiow of rawwg wings or the lazy files of sleeping sea fowl. .-. „ On one of there afternoons she noticed a slowli^ moving carriage leave the high road and cr^s the o'jaor;al skirting the edge of thelagloB. If It contained visi'o-s for Los Cierv^ they had evidently taken a shorter cut without waiting to go on to the reguUr roadSvhich interacted the highway at right angles a mile further on. It was with Eom3 sense of annoyance and irritation that stto watered the trespass, and finally saw the vehicle approach tbe house. A few moments later the serve nt informed her that Mr. Pat- terson would like to see her alrne. When she entered tbe corridor, which m the dry season served as a re caption hall, eho was surpriaed to see that Mr. Patterson was not akne. Near him stood a well dressed hand- some wcmiu. gazng about her with good- humored admuration of Mrs. Tucker's taste and iugennity. "It don't look much like it did two years ago," f aid the stranger cheerfully. " You've improved it wcndertuUy." Stiffening slightly, Mrs. Tacker turned inquiringly to Mr. Patten on. Bat that gentleman's usually profound melancholy ap- peared to be intensified by the hilaricy oi iuB companion. He only sighed deeply and rubbed his le^g with the r.'m of his hat in glcomy abstraction. "Weillâ€" go on., then," said the woman laughing and nudging him. "Go on â€" ^in- troduce meâ€" can't you? Dcn't stand there like a tomb store You won'i? Well, I'll introduce myself." She Uui^hed aga'n, and then, with an excellent imitati n of Patter- Foa's lugubrious accents, said: Mr. Spencer Tucker's wife that is â€" allow me to introduce vou to Mr. Spencer Tucker's sw eetheait that wa8\ Hold on! Isaidt^tiras For, true a^ I stand he 'e, ma'am â€" and I reckon I would'iit stand here if it wasn't true â€" I haven't set eyes on him since the day he left you." "its the Go«pel truth every word," raid Patterson, sii red into a sudden activity by Mrs. Tucker's white and rigid face. "It" tbe fr zm truth and I kin prove it. For I kin swear that when that chore voane wo- man was sailin' outer the Golden Gate Spen- cer Tucker was in my barroom; I can swear that I fed him, lickored him, give him a hots, and set him on his road to Monterey that very night." "Then where is he now?' said Mrs. Tuck- er- suddenly facing them. They looked at 9aoh tt' or and th(n look- ed at Mrs Tacker. Then both toge ther ra- plied slowly t ni in perfect unison. ' 'That's â€" whatâ€" we â€" want â€" toâ€" k now." They seemed so satisfiea with this effo.t th- 1 tl ey as deliberately repeated. "Yeaâ€" tlat's â€" what â€" we â€" w autâ€" toâ€" k now. " Bat ween the shock of meeting the partner of her husband's g^ilt and the unexpected reyeUtion to hir inexperienoe, that in sug- g«ti(nand appeartnoe there was nothmg beond the recollection of that guilt that was really shocking in the woman â€" between the extravagant extremes of hops an 1 fear suggested by their words, there was.se ma- th n? eo groterqaely absurd in the melo- dramatic chorus that she with difficulty eup- pie laed a hysterical laugh. • Thi t's the way to take it," said the wo- man patting her own good-humored intar- pretacion upon Mrs. Tabker'a ejp.-ee s on. "Now look here I I'll (ell you all aboitit." She carefully select id the mjst comfortable chair, and' sitting down, lightly crossed her hands in her lap. "Well, I left here on t le 13';h of last January oa the ship Argo, cal- caluing that your hukbind would join the shipjast inside the heads. That was our arrangement, but if anything happaned to prevent him, he was to j oin me in Acapuloo. Well! He didn't come aboard, and we sail- ed withoat him. Bat it appears now he did attempl; to join the sh'p. out his boat was capsized. There now â€" uon't be alarmed he wasn't drowned, as Patt rion can swear toâ€" r o,cato jAim.' not a hair of him was hurt â€"but /â€" was bundled cff to the end of the earth in Mexico, aUne, without a c?nt to bless me. For,tme M you live, that hound of a CaptaJn. when he found, aa he thought, thai! Spencer was nibbad. ha just confiscated all his trunks and valuables and left ma in the lurch. If I hadn't nut a mjn down there that offered to marry me and brought me here I might have died there. I r.ok-rn. Bat I du», and here 1 am. I t^ent down there as yoat'hns^ bmd's sweetheart I've oome back as the wife of anhcneatman, ted I ^reokmifa about eqaarel" There was something so atartlingly frank, ro hopelessly self-satisfied, so eoSta*ionsly good-humored u the wonuui's pwfeot mor- al onconwioarnesa that evan if Mr*. Tockra b«l bem less preooeopied her leientmeat would have abated. Bat her eyes were fixed on the gloomy fiKOof Patterwn, who waa begnuuBg to unlock the Mpolohree of his mjm^and dinnter hi. deoply boArf •?Yoa kto bat ymr whole pile on wbat *«lfc* QapBng. Baxter^-eT^ to be Prenoh In«t,f New OtlmBb-^htTtM^ ^« can take everjrthiiig sh^a onloada^ toWr 5f« -,_ And its only doin' aqowe ihiar to a^ shoi baint dctoe it dtts V tio eutedi neis, bat jart to aatiafy henetL aair abTra art tt«tidn'tn«to«rWnor thewTrt rat. of the wbatotjaatteria muBoakj^ Tuoto waa at the tienda the day afteHhe- .»«• then g ave a dat»aaA:meti«mS^S^M^. I^T^ dff»aiIril:fto^,iMJie«4^! view, with *••- 'â- .^ T^ ~^»*^T'««» the ».»..^-. u- 1 ""necessary bot tmthfal mmnts of In cl««. adding to the parttou- ^ML^»?~ «•* »h?foUowii5\nSt he visited tbe Sommit Hoose 8n4%L \nf pri«d to find that »tH,iS^Sl^i^ ne ffSTllWn"'^**'*** tfeew the SSk Stbe howl Unt him by a looaeaho a. fSanSied; and found be b«i turned off the huTrosd «.mewh«r« beyond the lagoon. iS a«Tf he wae »»kin' a bee tee here." ' 'Well." laid Mr*. Tocker. breathlessly. '•WdL" said Pattenon, with the reMga- edtcnerfan aooastemediiMrtyr, "mabbee I'm a God-fot«*en idioV but I reokon he iSoomeyer. An^ «eWe I'm that muoh of a habitooal lon»««- .»»*. *^"^°?,?°.' ,. calkilated you'd know it without toUin. With their eyea lixad UDon her, Mrs. Tucker felt the gaiek blood rash to her cheeks, althoagh she knew not why. Bat they were apparently satisfied with her ig- noraaoe, fcr Patterson resamed, yet more gloomily "Then if he wasn't hidin' here beknownst to you, he must have changed his mind agin and got away by the embarcadero The on- ly thing w antin' to prove that idea M ^10 know how he got a boat, and what he did with the boss. And thar's one_;^morejdea. and ez that can't be proved," coatmned Patterson. s:nWng his voice still wwer. "mebbee it's accorcin* to God's laws. Unsympathetto to her as the speaker had always been and still wa% Mrs. Tucker felt a vague chill creep over her that seemed to be the result of his manner more than his wcrds. "And that idea is?" she suggested with pale lips. "It*s this 1 Fast, I don't say it means much to anybody but me. I've heard of these warnings afore now, tz coming orl/ to folks ez hear them for themselves alone, and I reokon I kin stand it, if it's the will of God. The idea is thenâ€" thatâ€" Spencer Tackerâ€" was drovanded in the boatâ€" the idea is"â€" that it was no living man that kim to me that night, but a spirit that kem out of the darkness -nd went back into it I No eye saw him bat mineâ€" no ears hetrd him but mine. I reskoa it weren't intended it shoald." He paused, and passed the flap of his hat across his eyes. "The pie, you'll say is agin it" he continued in the same tone of voiceâ€" "the whiskey is agin it â€" a few CUBS words that dropped from him, accidental Ike, may have bean agin it. All the sam? they might ^have been only the little signs and tokens that it was him," But Mrs. Baxter's ready laugh somewrhat rudely dispelled theinfeotion of Patterson's g^ocm. "I reckon the only spirit was that which you and Spencar consumed," she laid cheerfully. "I den's wonder toa*re a little naixed. Like as not you've misunderstood Lis plans." Patterson shook his head. "He'll turn up yet alive and kicking! Like as not then. Poindexter knows where he is all the time." "Impossille! He would have told me," said Mrs, Tncker quickly. Mrs. Baxter looked at Patterson without speaking. Patterson replied by a long lugu- brious whistle. ' "I don't nn lerstand yon,"said Mrs. Tucker drawing back with cold dignity. "You don't.^' retamed Mrs. Baxter, "Bless your innocent heart! Why was he so keen to hunt me up at first, shadowing my friends and all that,and why has he dropped it now he knowsr I'm here, if he didn't know where Spencer was?" "I can explain that" interrupted Mrs. Tacker hastily, with a blosh of confusion. "Th'»tisâ€" I " "Then Oiebbee yon kin explun too," broke in Patterson with gloom significance, "why he has bought upmost of Spmoer's debte himself, and perhaps you're satisfied it isn't to hold the whip hand of him ana keep him from ce ming back openly. Pr'aps you know why he's movin' heaven and earth to make Don Jose Santierra sell the ranch, and why the Don don't see it at all." "Don Jose sell Los Cuervos Bay it. yoa maanfeaid Mr8.Tucker. 'l offered to sail it to him" Pai-terson arose from the ohair, looked despairingly arouni him, passed his hand sadly across his forehead, and said: "It is come I knew it would. It's the warning! It's suthiug betwixt jIm jams and doddering idiocy. Here I'd hev becjn willin' to swear that Mrs. Bixtor here told me she had sold this yer ranch nearly two years ago to Don Joae. and now you ' ' S'jopI" said Mis. Tacksr in a voice that chilled them. She was standing upright and rigid, as if stricken to stone. "I command yoa to tell ms what this means!" she said, turning only her bl:z'ng e^es upon the woman. Even the ready smile faded from Mrs. Baxter's lips ai she replied hesitatingly and submissivelj "I thought yon knew already that Spencer had given this ranch to me. I told it to Den Jose to get the money for us to go away with. It was Spencer's idea "You lie!" said Mrs. Tucker. Therewas a dead. silence. The wrathful blood that had quiokly moanted to Mrs Bnter's^4lB.ek, tpriRsittttiic^'s^iddttioDal be- wilderment faded as qniokly. She did not lift her eyes agan to Mrs. Tucker's, but slowly raising hersi If from her seat. aaid. "1 wish to God I ,did lie but it's true. Audit's troe that I never touched a cent Of the money, but gave te all to Uml" She laid her hand qnPattonon's aim, and said, " Come! let us go." andlMfUhia a few attj^ toward Wg»teway. J^* 1^ Pfljtefcon panaed and again pressed his band over hia melan- ohply ^nm. The neMsdty of ooharaotlT aaa IcgM^y clowng the conversation im- pressed itself upon bis darkeains ated IIi?*^?1? »'"«»PPw» tobave beanU^i tMjg of Spenoer r he taid, had xdmSd with Mn. Bszter tiurougb the^rto. *=^" -â- Left ^e to herse^MM. f25„ n^aed W hands above her heail ^witbrSK? bSSfllte ^^" •id7lo3i S^Sl ifl?* P'" hard aa H to oruah .out all light aa4 aenae of '«bt bufoM W j and adjusted the t.,^ ,Twodayaafterir«rdt..^ Capt. Poindexter w»i i^?fl^ OotaI, and a moaent Ii2^ hSS lered the corridor. HwiLr^ 4«o?epit Concha who iM!S*lC! disorganizad by its omiSll^ 1* a ©art words with which it^ N gazed silently upon the vT** *^ fresh and redolent with ti?*' I"!*?: perfume of its gracafm o^**»* aark eyes filled witauS^ tare. Bit his reverie w^TjI'!^' the sound of jinglin?8pu,7S^'n old humor struggled biok ^^^""'Ni Don Jose impetuously entei^i !?• ard started bock, bat iSti^s! himself. â€" '"WHy j^ "So I find you here. igbev^iaadatdkei ^i^44^rp«iHed oontoon ofhw fig. tianothe^ quicUv to tbi^^tew^. lSef*oat. re- Jbe walked. Here ^nnwd. thl^dL-T i7«dd.iib«»iriy ^^SSiSToSK his bosom. "Lo-,kl Do you»iii t^ « L.okhowyoukeepyo/ri:",*!'k. Pomdexter 001)!/ ^ook the 1 taineda fewwords of ganfle^ir!?" K Tacker, informing D. a kXlH oaly that initan^ Uaraed othur '• upon Los Cuervcs. tenderlne hii'f tude for his dei;cite iatEnK'"» ing out with respectful a^^% must k^ow that a munect'afnrt? "*il anoe of his courtesy was imnimiKi ' "ShehaagainadthiskaowlSt, 1 word of miie." said Poiadftr "*« "Right or wrong. I hava 1 f"" to you. I have as mach reasontn of betraying my secret in thij "7'" coldly, as he took another letter l!: pocket and hanled it to Don Jom It seemed briefer ana oolrf« v neither.. It lemindel PoindextJijI had again deseivad her, she mutTv J government of her sffairg intoheroCj henceforth. Sae abindoned all turd and ::mpro7emen's ehehadnnti,.! Caervoa to him to whom shenow ktlj was indebted for them. Siie could not? him for what his habitual generouhil] ed him to do for any woinan, butjhe ' forgive him for misunderstandiis herl any other womw-perhaps she .tould' like a child. When he received tbl would be alreidy oa her way to b! home in Kentucky, where she still hon be able by her own effoita to anuije to discharge ber obligations to him "She does notspaik of her hnsbiad-i woman," aaid Don J.S9, scanning fi ter's face. "It is possible shereiiiM eb?' ••P.-rhpi in one way she hasnevttl him. Don Jose," said Poindexter sin ly- Don Jose's face flashed, bit he ca-elessly, "And the rancho -natanlj]] will not buy it now?" "On the contrary, I shall a')i?ebyii fer" f aid Poindext r quietly. D n Jose eyed him narrow y, audi Slid, "Ah, we shall co.siderofii. He did consider it, and accepted tliiJ fer. With the full CDn'iol of tiie li Capt. Poindexter 's improvements, niii nitely postponed, were actively puh^ ward, f he t^ick walls of the hacieadi the first to mel away before them tuH lines of corral were effaced, and the 1 breath of the summer trade winds aw interruptedly across the nbv le? to the embarcadero. where a newer i are arose. A more vivid green ed the spot where the c'umblingaMi of the casa had returned to the pwoU that gave it. Tne channel was detpatellll lagocn was drained until one eve!iiii;i magic m'rror that had so loag rtflictedi weary waiting of the Blue Grus Pa ' lay dull, dead, lustreleis- an cpiqu; mire of noisome ooirapticn anldxifti pat awray from the sight of man fortre,! this spot the crows^the titnhr teoutij Lm Caervoi â€" assembled in tamaltnouf grsss, coming and going in mysterionid or laboring in thick and writhing numl if they were continuing the work of r provtment begun by human agency. Ss* had they done their work tba: by theM a week only a few sc ittered white ow remained glittering on the sarfsM oil quickly drying soil. But they weni bones of the missing outcast Spsncer r erl • », ♦. « The same spring a breath of w« ' ever a foul decaying quagmire 0! thei land before which sush passing dejsj thfse were blown as a Tap». called mien of all rank and confl to battle for a nation's life, and i the first to respoad were thoie itt) ' boyish hands had been p'aoedthei honor. It returned the epaulets to P«" ter's shoulders, w.t'i the addition of aH star, carried him triamp laatly to thw and left him at the ena of a sanimeri 1 and a hard won fight scrjly wouniedHJ door of a Blue Grass farmboase. Am'1 woman who sought him out a°^ "" ,, 1 to his wants said timidly rs she le" ' hand in Lis, "I told you I should live »1 pay you." [the end.] I-" «^^oii»«»l Pt the â- ^ a»d j,t Fond i} ' fcai»d»eJ I benelf 'I â- -' 81 lagleside Keflections. I have a morbid love of truth. It »J I know. Itisesrenfilse ton8e»n"r when all others employ a field.glaa There is a wide dUtinjtioa bet««"t and the intelligent dfsjussion of «'»"°7l There is an element of the ridicalo"" man who is graceful at all times m j places. A ohjld's quesfcoaings serioM!y.»! sui^ly the chiefs basis for that cm' oation. How I hate an Irish woman. SheJ «ie iwfaole atmosphere. She b"»""aJ tiie.air; and leaves one gssiung, '" I QNh|h, .^^ The one thiug which «^?^f^\ world u that dreadful question » ' We wish for God, for He «'^V^fl We Irish for love for that oompl«" rSan Franoisoo Ingleside. Tke Amtlqiiii ' li^ all ages people seem to hsW"" fcmmded of tneir wants and »• ^^^ ^Beat enabled the busj or the WL ^t them ^mthont extra trouble. .,5, Awiion of the peripatetic ao^^^ MUsh now greet our eyes o^ '^rtHn,' li^Tioae outre and ridio^°°\^g perhapa they may have «»" jjj S bom antiquity and the pef'^t.Lwd t^ phers, who studied ^^tl\\i^ learned tbeDrics while V^fV^^ZT-^^ ating the walks of the gyms* "" dolj^ia Times. HCSBAJn) WAS I invoked tbe aj toonple, ovoftak" L Soe induoec ,. But they fled t tight of for se rd of the case, a ligation, feH sal _, BO other than b Ibettnseerjhu'g Iple. After con r«ed them, and i" proved to be 1 She refused t at first, bat I arrest decided jn to her abt kr children. GHer Ither's home in VI ned to live until itdto talk toouh t contended to t»i Hudfontookl ned to their foi jisois. liast fall Ether, and she s Ibeis was the chil le hss never been tall kinds of the L It certainly w (trimomal mbrria apter was enact n ui the nortfa le Gertie Fulleij -»« named Lehm hlaine. Wis., wl A HsrroBi bevalicr. gener a. was born of Dce, in 1728. lliant parte., a w sptibleon varici bed diplomat and period he « r to the British I the Court de kssambasfadcr I fcr Us notretu probable, that tb Dglandwas hi Jtni of Louis XV. [a pension. D£ i(m for fonrteei fiiendship with Ds. Bumou dually acquirinj THAT d'eoi twere certa'i I voice. nd he v I tfiairs of gallm sme caution witl Bgthit began 1 I in England a trichttotbetit Wagers to I this subject dnoed a most 1 Mansfield. r Burgeon Hayes Tand nnderwri vn hundred oat six years be Ktsen per cent. '" engaged to never it shoi ^hsvalier D'Eon I oaase three s two of wb positix 1 mob pre diction that D A VIBDICI WAS f tile pla'nt'ff im on a point c '^ergennfla, 01 t.» letter whiob that It wai hoold aasnme Ding tbe drea ^icnwaa rej iBgin France end of hia loi â- looked upon ia tbe Fee 'wglaBd anil 1 ii* .till hia dew [folly of those .I'Mor hia asai '•mbtby aa ^.fcody. Wbj Why he oont /. J When be Ij^ there apj " '•â- •-' •â- •"' -f-n^^f-'M'-^ '-f • IL^i'^^-.