Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-06-05

| "Will you not sleep, then?" Cur
rita was eager. She glanced about,
and saw horse blanket. She made
i it into roll. Then she held it out to
him.
! FUSED to looking out for the COM
A forts of u.s. decided Clifton.
| 1T is for your pillow" she said;
"you will sleep, and I will sing to
you-a lullaby"
1t struck Clifton as an idea not half
bad. He reached out for the blanket.
But she put it down little further
away from the campfire, in the thick,
black shadow of tree. Clifton won
dcred why she wanted to get him out
Of the freight. But he was accept
ing things as they came. He stretched
out upon the ground, his head on the
blanket-roll, and sighed profoundly,
with content.
Currita sat down near to him, meas
uring the distance carefully with her
eyes. It was just an arms reach. So
Clifton put out his hand, and took
hers. She let him hold it for a mo-
ment, then she drew it slowly away.
II will sing now" she said, land
you will Sleep"
precious anxious you seem to be
to get me to Sleep" said Clifton
in English. ......
"Que cosa?" Currita asked.
"Nada," answered Clifton, nothing
begin
She began, singing softly, soothing
~, never stopping, but starting her
love-lullaby over and over again.
After awhile she heard Clifton snore.
Still the song kept on. But the snor-
ing kept on as well, and gradually
the song died down and away. Then,
gently, very gently, Currita laid the
guitar aside. She listened. She put
her hand in the bosom of her gown
and drew something out. She lis
tened again. Then she rose to
kneeling posture and moved nearer
to Clifton-quite noiselessly.
There was not the echo of sound,
save for the low and even snoring of
the man on the ground, and the dis
tant, vague murmur of the cattle
grazing somewhere beyond. 1t was
dark in the heavy shadow of the tree.
Currita knelt close beside the gringo,
and listened once more. Then she
raised her arm.
Clifton was holding her by the
wrist, with hold from which there
was no escape. A log shifted on the
campfire, and sent up a squirt of
spark and flame. 1t showed red on
the blade of the knife in Currita's
hands, on Currita's wild-eyed face,
defiant still, and on Clifton's calmly
| cynical smile.
1T is not anna ble," suggested Cliff
ton, Ito kill gentlemen while they
Sleep"
"You did not Sleep" spit out Cur
rita. She swore an oath.
"But you thought I did, little
pigeon" And then he sat up DELHI
erately, still holding her by the wrist.
| ''Let fall the knife, chulita," he said.
She opened her fingers and let it
drop. He took it up and then set her
free. After which, he scrambled to
his feet and went off to the tree
where her horse was tied. When he
came back, he was leading the horse.
He held it while she mounted, and he
settled her skirts attentively.
"And now" he said, his hand on the
bride still, just above the bit, "tell
me a thing or two. Surprising you
had stabbed me what would YOU have
said?"
"That you made too much love to
me-" she answered promptly. She
was ready for that.
Clifton smiled. 1T might have been
objected that it was probably for
that purpose you came. But never
mind And then-was it Sewell, your
lover, who sent you, or did you think
| of it all by yourself?"
II have no lover" lied Currita, I'M
hesitatingly.
"That isn't so, and you bungled his
suggestion rather badly. But you're
a spunky little wildcat" he COM
mented, for his own benefit. The
English aside exasperated Currita
very much. She jerked on the reins.
But Clifton kept hold of them still.
"Espera," he soothed her; "wait.
You will give the Senior Sewen mes
sage for me, will you not?"
"No,' said Currita.
"Que ST." contradicted Clifton, I'M
moved; ''you will tell him that the
Senior Clifton says that because he
has taken money in the east is no
reason why he should take life in the
west. And you will return to him
this knife-it is marked on the han
die with his name"
He took his arm from the bride,
and stood aside.
my compliments, senorita," he
said.
And Currita was gone into the
night.-Gwendolen Overton, in San.
Francisco Argonaut.