Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-15

A great fear possessed her. She was all
woman now
The look of hate cleaned again in his
eyes as the man laughed loudly and un-
naturally.
DO not you be frightened, 1 will not
shoot the senior"
On. Lon, l love him so. Do not hurt
him for my saker'
The mans glance softened a little with
her pleading.
Let not fear be in your heart senorita,"
said the man again, bat strength seems
not nine any more
The herd having now come up with tu-
mu!tuouS beating, the man turned and
valhe1 slowly away into the Illuminated
prairie. The girl noticed a look in his face
as if he were aging, and his tall form SEEM
ed to stoop and totteT.
AlonZo Memlico hal come to this Kan
sas ranch several years before the time of
this meeting, with gang of shearers from
New Mexico. OF his former history little
was known In point of education he was
superior to his fellows. He remained on the
ranch good part of the year, sometimes
working with vehemence, at other times he
spent weeks in idliag dreaming. 1t oc-
caSioned no surprise when he came or
went. for he came and disappeared without
warning. He was unusually good natured,
and his anger slow in coming, bus
when ii did come his Spanish blood mani
Tested itself in prolonged sulen and re-
vengeful moods. So. while not quarrelsome,
1t came 20 be considered prudent not to
make enemy of Lon.
1t was observed that Lon was extremely
fond of Ciematis. the only daughter of Mr..
knowlton, the owner of the sheep ranch;
but as she was but a child when he first
came TO the ranch, and he nearly twice her
age, nothing was thought of it by the fam
lily. Often Lon used to say to CIem as
they all called her, in his polite Spanish
way:
You shall be my wife some day, senori-
ia"
Glenn would reply laughingly: 'If my
hero does not come along 1 WILL Lon"
But suddenly there had come to Clematis
knowito1 that marvellous transformation
into the fullneSS Of womanhood; the prairie
Hover hid blcomed into woudrous he tity
and with that transition Glenn found that
her hero had come, aid she gave herself
TO him with all the confidence of her Young
ard ardent rature.
The declaration that Alonzo Memlico
made came t. her with surprise and pair
She had never thought of HIM as a lover
anu the manifestation of his passion filed
the breast of the lovely girl with strange
iorebodings. She knew something of his
sulleD and revengefu nature. That laugh
ot Ion when he promised not to shoot
Aiph still rang in her ears with a horrible
dSSOnance
She determined to walk out on the prai-
ne Tor II waS not quite dark to meet her
rover, Ehom she was that evening expect-
ns- TIE solcnInity and grayness that fell
upon the wide e-5parse of prairie cores
pended to the vague feeling of trouble that
possessed her. She felt that she must AT
once INFORM Aiph of the danger that threat
ened him.
Alfred Long was a young man who had
come from Ohio several years before to
make his fortune on a Kansas ranch He
mad commenced with & little flock of sheen
and by industry and good management his
nero LAD grown, until he was one of the
largest hock-masters In the country. There
was that about Alfred Long that marked
him fer manliness and honor He was
modest. quiet, brave. and possessed the cor
ndence OF his neighbors in an unusual de-
hf owltcn. SO that he early me. Clematis
ana naturally fell in love with her and in
the last few months they had plighted
toth 10 each other, but their engagement
was not known outside OF the family of
the Knowltons.
Glenn saw black speck moving swiftly