Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-07-06
Lady KittyC
Temptation
Copyright. 1904. by Izota Forester
BY lola FORESTER

should not see her face
Half 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 II 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 az
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 tiirted with
and encouraged such man as Bob
Allison she must expect the worst
or the best, according TO her point OF
ha n ~
gravating
And she had not flirted with ALL
son; not at all. II they chose TO call
common social civilities flirting in this
barbarous land Of the lariat and cow
pony she was not to blame. 1t 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 a welcome
distraction had almost said lat
traction" to herself.
He was good 10 look at, this tall,
lean, strong young westerner, with his
sunburn a cross tint between an 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
10 meet them at the little lopslded
pine board depot at Omri. She had
stood ON the platform when the train
drew In, and over the majors dove col
oPed sombrero she had caught a
glimpse Of silent, erect figure on a
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 pleasurable tingle of
expectancy, as though the charm of her
femiDinity had received a challenge.
There was no doubt but what she had
met IL. 1t 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 so she
could nod goodby and leave him with
the same comfortable regret as Red
mountain itself, with Its gorgeous, sun
bet tinted, sandstone peak. She had
not taken the man himself into conS4d-
Grafton at all, and now, suddenly, with
out a word OF warning, the man had
leaned from his saddle and had kissed
her.
She tried 10 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 Arizona the
major, Mrs Major and the major mi
nors all girls, and herself. From Ari-
EonR they would go back to Englands
Ana sudueuly int pIacK pony nuu
drawn nearer 10 her own brown mus
tang Allison's arm had swung
around YER, and he had kissed her. In
cidentally Lady Kitty was uncertain,
that she had not No, she had not, sh,
told herself positively She had onl.
permitted him 10 kiss her. but tha-
was quite enough. And that was nOv
Rll-not quite all She had said some
thing 10 him. "
II might have expected that a perso
like you would do that sort cf thug
Size had meant 10 crush and humie
late him, and he had laughed and le,
her ride on ahead. She wondered III
easily whether or not there was an,
reason for his cheerfulness. Had 81,
or had she not kissed him7 In II,
guddenness OF the attack and the eur,
ous contentment she had felt at beiI,,
summarily roped and branded, so q
speak, by him she had forgotten e.r
tirely just how far she had rCvealt
that curious contentment. -
wait, please" =
Allison's voice made her pull L,
short He rode up beside her Tt,
trail widened slightly and took a sg.o
den header into the gulch.
I'VE can't get by here" he sa, >,
'1here has been washout We,
have 10 go back and strike up ts
mountain 10 Pop Booty's. There's
path from bis place down TO the trl,
On the other side" II
Lady Kitty did not answer. E;ir
lips were half parted, and she loohe
Off at the distant foothills dream'
England seemed more than half
world away So did the major ava
the others. A curious sense OF d
cious peril possessed her. II was ,
first time In her life that she had ~,
felt sure OF herself 50 far as a n a
was concerned Just now she har
wild, Joyous belief that IL this w ;.
erner We're 10 ask her to be his Vii,
she would say Yes" She wonde ;,
III ne N"uld' lin
IL they were only not going tom
row; If only there We're not home up
her father and Hodney-Of coin
Rodney. She almost laughed out ht
10 think all at once how complewh
he had gone out of her life the mn
week. And they were to be marie eou
Easter week next spring Poor ,it