The Splendid Idle Forties: Stories of Old California

ced until dawn, and perhaps they were afraid of Don Thomas Larkin. But we shall talk and have musi

ina, who always thought exactly as Beni

jenc

my si

nd trousers of red silk entered the room, so

the furniture to-night; so tell one of the servants to cut a hundred pine slugs, and you go down to the store

f languid adoration. "I will buy those knives at once, before I forget i

the Se?or Lieutena

chin, but her cheek

d, and thinks too well of his hateful country. But I shal

o it, Benicia

bent their slender necks, but dared not speak, for Do?a Francesca Hernandez was in the next room and the door was open. Immediately following the American officers came Don Fernando Altimira on ho

ing her head droop a little to one side like a lily bent on its stalk by the breeze, sang the most coquettish song she knew. Her mahogany brown hair hung unconfined over her white shoulders and gown of embroidered silk with its pointed waist and full skirt. Her large brown eyes were al

r. "She's the prettiest girl in the room! Why don't you fl

L CROSSED THE ROOM AND

m, but I will go over and

he room and sat d

the ocean about six or eight miles from here," he said to her

Eustaquia, who sat beside her daughter. "It is very beautif

erie

eek-

will not fo

hness. "It will be at t

ened to the innocent thrilling voice of the girl, and watched her adorers, amused and stimulated. The Californian beauty was like no other woman he had known, and the victory would be as signal as the capture

n a waltz; Russell took the guitar from

s mine, se?or

o kn

ssionately, "the first waltz is always min

e next

next cont

understand, but he translated their glances, and bent his lips to Benici

s may come to-morrow which will send me where I never can see y

able to the stranger who comes to-day and leaves to-morrow," she sa

ir heads erect, the silver trays held well out. They wore bright red skirts and white smocks of fine embroidered linen, open at the throat, the sl

lie round in hammocks whilst these Western houris bring us aguardiente and soda. What an improvement on Byron and Tom Moore! It is all so unhackneyed

this odd country. Your talents will get rusty, but you can rub them up when you get home. Neither Califo

is the matter?" He spoke to a brother officer wh

have put up on us? What do you suppose that mysterious table in the sala means, with its penknives and wooden sticks? I thought it was a charity bazaa

ala, and seating themselves in a deep circle about the table, whittled t