The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-04-25
Lady Kitty
Temptation
By lola FORESTER

4 Copyright, 1901, bD lola ForTester
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. s,ssassass1s


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 hirted 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 flirted 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. 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 doomed up as a welcome
characteristic had almost said "at-
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 a
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 pleasurable tingle Of
expectancy, as though the charm of her
femiDinity had received a challenge.
There was no doubt but what she had
met 1t. 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 It's gorgeous, sun
set tinted, sandstone peak. She had
not taken the man himself into consid-
Grafton at all, and now, suddenly, with
out a word of warning, the man had
leaned from his saddle and had kissed
| her.
oAC NAAC0 " AOASCL W AChhCA1O0l uI0
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-
zOna fhnv would Oo hooL to En0Ia0d
And suddenly the black pony had
drawn nearer to her own brown mus
tang, and Alllson'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.
Il might have expected that person
like you would do that sort Of thing"
She had meant to crush and humil-
fate 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
speak, by him she had forgotten en-
tirely just how far she had revealed
that curious contentment.
wait please"
Allison's voice made her pull up
short He rode up beside her. The
trail widened slightly and took sud-
den header into the gulch.
I'VE can't get by here" he said.
There has been a washout. Well
have to go back and strike up the
mountain to Pop Booty's. There's a
path from his place down to the trail
on the other side"
Lady Kitty did not answer. Her
lips were half parted, and she looked
off at the distant foothills dreamily
England seemed more than half a
world away SO did the major and
the others. A curious sense of deli
cious peril possessed her. 1t was the
first time in her life that she had not
felt sure Of herself SO far as a man
was concerned. Just now she had
wild, joyous belief that if this west
erner were to ask her to be his wife
she would say Yes" She wondered
If he would.
| If they were only not going tomor-
row; if only there were not home and
her father and Rodney-of course
Rodney. She almost laughed out loud
to think all at once how completely
be had gone out of her life the last
week. And they were to be married in
Easter week next spring. Poor old
Rodney! She looked at the figure
ahead on the black pony and sighed
happily. If only he would talk to her.
They turned bend In the path and
faced small mountain cabin. Some
! chickens and pigeons wandered
haughtily about, and a girl was shoo-
ing them away from a struggling
| fringe Of red geraniums that grew
around the stoop. She came toward
them smilingly Lady Kitty thought
she had never seen such honest, trust
ing eyes before except in deer. She
looked up at Allison
Hello, Boil Them chickens are
just terrible No, dads gone over to
the ranch. There's a washout down in
the gulch. He wants some of the boys
to help him fix up the trail. Want to
rest up a bit and waltz
Allison said NO" he would ride on
little and see If the path was safe
down Booty's side of the mountain.
This is Miss Booty, Lady Kitty"
he added as he rode away.
Dimple Booty watched until the
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