Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-05-13

- 0SA SAVSASAS AVk A4uGkS
standing woman, '.you would be glad
to have it."
The deep eyes shone. She shrugged
her shoulders. Eyes, I would be glad
to.have 1t. And 1 could have 1t for a
thousand dollars-perhaps less"
"At that cost you must be content to
so without 1t. What advice shall I
give to Don Garfiasy"
How should l know? Let him see
to his W troubles. and be glad that
your sister is not SO beautiful that you
have no peace because of her"
1t was long after dark when a horse
stopped ut WEARS adobe. vejar had
been asleep. He jumped up and went
to the door. He had his finger on the
trigger of his revolver. A man stood
under the broken-down ramada. Be
fore he spoke, the Mexican had seen by
the moonlight that he was a Gringo.
They talked together in low tones until
Sofa Joined them, rubbing her eyes and
moving noiselessly, with her bare feet,
across the dirt floor.
''This man," said her brother, sis an
American. He says he has ridden all
day to get into Los Angeles before
night, but his horse went lame. 1t is
so bad now that he can go no farther,
and he wishes to stay here until MORN
Ing"
Let him stay said Sofa, not too
g%raciously. HE can have my bed. I
cannot Sleep"
EeJar grunted in much contempt.
"Mascavel does not lie awake for you,"
he said.
Sofa made no answer. She accepted
the fact. She put the American upon
the blanket-covered willow boughs that
She called her bed. Her brother tied
the horse beside his own in the roof
less adobe clubhouse, and fed it some
hay. He did nothing for its lame foot.
The suffering of n dumb brute is a
matter of utter Indifference to a Next
can. when 1t is not cause for laughtr.
The American was n mere youth.
Sofa saw that when the patch of moon
light finally worked around to where
he lay. He vas SO still that she began
to think he might be dead. So she rose
from where she sat upon the floor, lean
ing against the wall, and went near to
see If he were breathing. 1t seemed
that he slept very lightly, for he start
ed up. with his left hand upon his belt
and his right hand upon his revolver.
You so still I thought you
might be dead" said Sofa, in her deep,
placid voice, full of the Indian sweet
ness of sound. He took his hand from
the weapon and lay back shamefaced-
ly. 1t was only a woman, a thick-set,
lazy. gOOd-hearted Mexican. He had
not been able to see her. face, and he
did not know that the comfortless pal
let was her bed. He turned on 1t and
fell asleep again. But Sofa was think
ing. long after her brother was
dreaming in the next room she crouch
cd. looking into the darkness with her
great, wide eyes-seeing nothing. And
in her brain ran the clink of the coins
as the young Gringo had put his hand
to his belt. There was IL purpose in her
untlinching mind. That she debated 1t
therein was due only to her uncertain
ty as to how many coins had clinked.
as to whether there were enough to
buy Antonio Mascavel. Five hundred
dollars would do it-for a time. After
that he might kill her: or he might let
her live and go away with Refugio-
which would be worse. He was n
gambler through and through. and
none the less so because of being luck
less. A few hundred dollars in actual
cash would present to him unlimited
possibilities of the wealth that 1t might
win. And there is always the poor
chance. in a woman's mind, that the
man may learn to love us she loves.
He might forget Itefugio; or she might
marry some one else.
She went slipping across the earthen
floor and CROPPED in n corner behind a
string Of chiles. Her hand came out
from the shadow holding a knife that
cleaned as she moved back through
the strip Of moonlight and toward the
willow-bough pallet where the incau-
tious youth lay. sleeping heavily now.
Fifteen minutes later she wen into
the room where her brother lay upon
q pea IKE her OWL. SHE reused him
with her bare foot. He turned with a
sleepy grunt.
Get up and come here" she said.
She was not a caprlcious creature. 1t
was her way to do little. but that in
logged earnest. So Vejar sprang up
and vent with her. She stopped be-
side the bed and pointed down to the
body.
II have killed him." she said.
vejar made no answer. He did not
understand.
II have killed him." she repeated.
You take him away and bury him."
1t flashed upon Vejar that what his
sister said was true. He was fright
ened. He dropped down beside the
body and dragged it into the streak of
moonlight.
Take care" Sola warned him; 'if
there is blood on the floor it n be
seen. l can burn the blanket that is
On the bed: and no one saw him come"
X-ninr lat tho 3,ori,. f,l1 and Sfon1 I'm