The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-05-12
gelect @isrellany>
Lady Kitty's Temptation

They rode slowly, Lady Kitty some
what ahead, prol ably because the trail
is narrow and treachcrous below Lost
Moon, possibly 80 that Allison should
not see her face.
Half mile back they had ridden
side by side. The trail had been wild
er then. Lady Kitty did not care to
remember any other reason for the
proximity, but the flush on her cheeks
and the slightest possible tilt to her
chin belled her powers of forgetful-
ness.
As for Allison, be was shamelessly
self possessed and at ease. She had
even caught him whistling as they
turned into Red Mountain gulon, and
when SIZE 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 be was looking at her. 1t IS not
pleasant to feel persons steady gaze
behind one. If it had been any one
else she would certainly have reported
his unpar,lonab|y 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 bad more grit than
he gave him credit for, and when any
One as charming and deliciously Iowa
BILE as Lady Kitty had flirted with and
encouraged such man as Bob Allison
she must expect the worst or the
best, according to her point of view.
The major could lie very aggravat-
ing.
And she had not firted with Alli-
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. 1t had
been lonesome at Lost Moon, or, rath-
er, 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 vel
come distraction-she had almost said
"attraction" to herself.
He was good to look at, this tall,
lean, strong young westerner, with his
sun6urn a cross tint between tan and
brick dust and his straight, close lips,
opening in quick, unexpecting 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 colored
sombrero she had caught glimpse of
silent, erect figure on black pony,
his hat pulled down over his eyes, his
chin up, as he leisureiy 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 expression
when they met hers that Lady Kitty
had felt pleasureable tingle of ex-
pectancy, as though the chain of her
femininity had received challenge.
There Was no donbt but what she
had met 1t. 1t had not seemed SER
ious, merely part of the trip. He
had not appeared worth considering,
like the other men, who, as the major
neaIly pun IL, hau appieciaCeu IueIi
blessings when Lady Kitty had m:led
on them. She had felt that in day
or so she could nod goodby and leave
him with the same comfortable regret
as Red mountain self, with its gor-
geous, sunset tinted, sandstone peak.
She had not taken the man himself in
to consideration at all, and now, sud-
denly without word of warning, the
man had leaned from bis saddle and
had kissed her.
She tried to forget to remember the
awful moment, but its few details