The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-16
Lady Kitty
Temptation
By lola FORESTER
COPYRIGHT, 1901, by lola FOsrestcr

q Copyright, 1901, by lola Fosrester i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
They rode slowly, Lady Kitty some
what ahead, probably because the
trail is narrow and treacherous below
Lost Moon, possibly 50 that Allison
should not see her face.
Half a mile back they had ridden
side by side. The trail had been wider
then. Lady Kitty did not care to re-
member any other reason for the
proximity, but the flush on her cheeks
and the slightest possible tilt to her
chin belied her powers Of forgetful-
ness.
AS for Allison, he was shamelessly
self possessed and at ease. She had
even caught him whistling as they
turned into Red Mountain gulch, and
when she had deliberately ridden
ahead he had not tried to join her.
Lady Kitty felt irritated by the i'm
penitence expressed In his confident
attitude and also by the knowledge
that he was looking at her. 1t is not
pleasant to feel persons steady gaze
behind one. If 1t had been any one
else she would certainly have reported
his unpardonably rude conduct to
Major Dick, but she couldn't report
Allison. The major would laugh at
her. More than that-and Lady Kit
tvs flush deepened-the major would
say the young cub had more grit than
he gave him credit for, and when any
one as charming and deliciously low
able as Lady Kitty had f1irted with
and encouraged such a man as Bob
Allison she must expect the worst
or the best. according to her point Of
view. The major could be very ag-
gravating.
And she had not firted with ALI
son; not at all. If they chose to call
common social civilities flirting in this
barbarous land of the lariat and cow
pony she was not to blame. It had
been lonesome at Lost Moon, or, rather,
by the time the majors party had
reached the ranch Lady Kitty had
seen so many lariats and COW ponies
that the novelty had begun to pail, and
Allison had loomed up as welcome
distraction-she had almost said lat
traction" to herself.
He was good to look at, this tall,
lean, strong young westerner, with his
sunburn a cross tint between tan and
brick dust and his straight, close lips
opening in quick, unexpected smiles
and showing white, square teeth like
new corn.
She had seen him first when he came
to meet them at the little lopsided
pine board depot at Omri. She had
stood on the platform when the train
drew In, and over the majors dove col
ored sombrero she had caught
glimpse Of silent, erect figure on
black pony, his hat pulled down over
his eyes, his chin up, as he leisurely
surveyed their party. She had liked
the clear, cool glance of his gray eyes.
There was something so serenely well
balanced and self sufficient in their ex-
preston when they met hers that Lady
Kitty had felt a pleasurabl BILE tingle Of
expectancy, as though the charm Of her
femiDinity had received a challenge.
There was no doubt but what she had
met 1t. It had not seemed serious,
merely a part of the trip. He had not
appeared worth considering. like the
other men, who, as the major neatly
put it, had appreciated their blessings
when Lady Kitty had smiled on them.
She had felt that in a day or 80 she
could nod goodby and leave him with
the same comfortable regret as Red
mountain itself, with its gorgeous, sun
set tinted, sandstone peak. She had
not taken the man himself into consid
GRAFTON at all, and now, suddenly, with
out word Of warning, the man had
leaned from his saddle and had kissed
her.
She tried to forget to remember the
awful moment, but its few details
danced through her mind insistently.
There had been long silence after she
had told him they were going away
from Lost Moon in the morning. The
party was going through Automatic
major, Mrs. Major and the major mi
nors, all girls, and herself. From Ari-
iona they would go back to England.
And suddenly the black pony had
drawn nearer to her own brown mus
tang, and Allison's arm had swung
around her, and he had kissed her. In
cidentally Lady Kitty was uncertain
that she had not No, she had not, she
told herself positively. She had only
permitted him to kiss her, but that
was quite enough. And that was not
all-not quite all. She had said some
thing to him.
II might have expected that person
like you would do that sort Of thing"
She had meant to crush and humil-
tate him, and he had laughed and let
her ride on ahead. She wondered I'M
easily whether or not there was any
reason for his cheerfulness. Had she
or had she not kissed him? In the
suddenness Of the attack and the curl
GUS contentment she had felt at being
summarily roped and branded, so to