The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1906-07-11
SeflOrita Rita
BY lola FORESTER
Copyright, 1876, by Ruby Douglas

80 You are going home, Senort The
girl looked straight ahead ut the wide
sweep of level prairie pasture, her red
lips parted in smile most tantaliz-
Ing. annoying smile Carrnthers thought
as he caught u glimpse OF It sideways.
Perhaps" lac returned moodily. "a
have stayed too long already"
You do not like Texas. senor?"
"You did not call me senior last
week" He bent toward her slightly.
but she did not turn her head. You
called me Jack"
She laughed and flashed Il hasty
glance at him from her soft. dark eyes
THAT was long time ago last
week hut viii call you ii again II
you wish, Mr. jack"
tarruthers did noe notice the conccS-
sion or her gay scorn. He stared out
10 where the cattle hrowsed Il sea of
still, brown waves. hundreds of them,
motiouless and peaceful In the morn
ing sunrise. Here and there ON the
outskirts stood II figure of "A horse with
silent rider watching the grazing
herd. Carruthers' gaze swept over the
mass until it rested on one herder ut
the extreme north. Even With the dis
lance of nearly mile between them
he knew what the figure looked like,
knew that it WAS watching them ~ he
knowledge.
You have changed your mind, Seno-
rita Rita" he said bitterly, "since RIA
mon came 10 the ranch. | was very
happy in Texas until your old sweet
heart appeared
Rita laughed again, delieiously, warm.
~. with II fun enjoyment of his mood.
You are not tired of Texas, Mr.
jack" she said merrlly. You are tired
of me ah yes, | say you are. You love
me ST. muddy, 50 entrancingly, until
somebody else comes who also loves
me ST madly, ST untrHnclnEly, too; and
then all Mt once you are Jealous and
distant and dissatisfied, and. presto,
nov, this minute, you say you will
leave Texas, you will never, never
come to the Fortuna ranch again. You
are what did you call mo the day !
cried when Pep broke his leg2 Kid,
that is 1t. You are II big, foolish kid
Mr.. Jack When nun loves he does
not sull, and ride away. lie stays and
fights See,' She held up her hand and
snapped her small tanned fingers
sharply In the air. II would not give
that for the silly kid lover who rides
| away. Ramon Is Il Mexican, but he is
| brave; lie can fight. II | but let him
! know the least bit | loved him he
! would carry me oil on his horse way
I WHY south oNet there ~ ucNtrO. IUu
would not carry me away to your
home like that. would you. Mr. IacltF"
Il would carry you to the end of the
world. retorted Carruthers.
but not To your home?' she persist
Il have no home" said Carruthers.
when | came here TO Texas | meant
to stay even before | met you"
but you are rich. Ramon says you
could bug all of the Fortuna for Il pas
time IL You cared for 1t. And the For
tuna IL the richest ranch within hun
bred miles of the border There Is no
cattlemnn So rich as my father In Mex
leo"
She lifted her head with the little tilt
of pride he knew we'll. SenorltH Rita
Riaz, helress of the Fortuna, could well
afford Ia lft her head IL trlhe higher
than other girls. But to Cnrruthcrs the
motion brought merely regret. lie
knew the truth about the Fortuna
knew what every Texan M far Ms San
Antonio would know within II week.
that old Dlablo RiaZ had squandered
his wealth Ia gambling; that not IL
thing on the Fortuna was unnOrt-
gagged save his daughter, aud even she,
It was rumorcd. was pledged 10 Ramon
Dorundn IN return for his promised as
sistance when the crush came.
Cnrruthers might hnve given the
same assistance and claimed the same
reward, but something within him re-
yolted against making the hand OF the
girl he loved the stake IN II transaction
over old Riaz's gambling debts. If he
could win her. If he could hold her
promise freely from her own lips, then
he felt free Ia buy W the whole For
tuna when the crash came and lay 1t
at her feet. But she must be free To
say yes or no And she would say
neither. She would only laugh.
'iIaVe you told Ramon you would
marry him. he asked with sudden
curtness THE uncertainty WIS mad
dening 10 him.
"Why do you ash. Z" she answered
teasIngly.
Rita" he pleaded, be serious If
you do not
she raised her arm with sudden,
Imperative gesture audi pointed to the
herd
"look" she cried "fhey are stam-
peding"'
Ca1mthrrs looked The brown sea
had suddenly stirred 10 life. tndulat-
Ing, swaying, branching out loosely at
the edges. It was lurdhng toward them.
swift about It's coming. OtfrutherS
thought. almost idly, Of how 1t resent
BLEED the swing Of bunch OF race
horses rounding the eud of the field,
when the movement twas so concerted
SO deliberate. that ii hardly seemed Il
movement The heHicrS were riding
here and there IN confusion. They
seemed mere speckslof helpless misdl-
rection In the distance
Rita's face had lost its color. she
turned her horse iabout. the rein held
short AMI tight inthef cllnched hand.
"We must racel before them as they
come" she said III the horses keep
their strength { they viii not trnmple
US"
But Carruthersb had slipped from the
saddle.
ut is sure death to try to ride with
theIu," he answered. "Dismount and
do as tell you"
The stern masterfumess Of his tone
startled her. He hWd never spoken
like that 10 her: no DIN. had.
Hold the horses helordered- She
obeyed, watching him in)breathless 81
ience. The brown cloud ION, the prairie