The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-07-20

AS softly as the caricatured tans
would permit, Dry Valley tiptoed back
to the gate and home again.
Twenty minutes after the time ap-
pointed for the walk Panchita tripped
demurely out her gate in thin, trim
white lawn and sailor hat. She stroll
ed up the sidewalk and slowed her
steps at Dry Valleys gate. her man
ner expressing wonder at his unusual
delinquency.
Then out Of his door and down the
walk strobe, not the polychromatic
victim Of q lost summertime. but the
sheepman rehabilitated. He wore his
old gray wooden shirt, open at the
throat, his brown duck trousers stuffed
into his overrun boots. and his white
felt sombrero on the back Of his head.
Twenty years or fifty he might look,
Dry Valley cared not. His light blue
eyes met Panchita's dark ones with
cold flash In them. He came as ia
as the gate. He pointed with his long
arm to her house.
go home" said Dry Valley. go
home to your mother. wonder light
/ min don't strike a fool like me. Go
home and play In the sand. What
| business have you got cavortin' around
with grown men? reckon / was
locoed to be maxim he poll-parrot out
Of myself for a kid like you. Go home
and don't let me see you no more.
why done it. will somebody tell me?
/ Go home and let me try and forget it.
Panchita obeyed and walked slowly
| toward her home, saying nothing. Fol-
some distance she kept her head turn.
ed and her large eyes fixed intrepidly
upon Dry Valleys. At her gate she
stood for a moment looking back al
him, then ran suddenly and swiftly
into the house.
/ Old Antonio was building fire il
the kitchen stove. Dry Valley stopped
at the door and laughed harshly.
"Tm a pretty looking old rhinocero
to be gettin' stuck on a kid. amt !
'Tonia ~ said he.
mot verree good thing" agreed An
tonia sagely, for too much old man t
l1kee muchacha.
"You bet it ain't," said Dry Vale
grimiy. "It's dun foolishness, and
besides 1t hurts"
He brought at one armful the regal
of his alteration, the blue tennis sui
shoes, hat, gloves and all, and threI
them In pile at Antonia's feet.
; 'tGive them to your old man." sal
he, ito hunt antelope In"
Just as the first star presided palel
over the twilight Dry Valley got h
biggest strawberry book and sat on tt
back steps to catch the last of til
! reading light. He thought he saw til
figure of some one in his straw berr
patch. He laid aside the book, q
his whip and hurried forth to see.
Ut was Panchita. She had slippe
through the picket fence and was hal
way across the patch. She stoppe
when she saw hfm and looked at hil
without wavering.
"a sudden rage-a humiliating fius
OF Hnreasoning Wrath-came over DR.
Valley For this child he had mad
himself motley TO the view. He ha
| tried to bride Time to turn backwar
for himself. He had-been made,
fool Of At last ne had seen his foil.
There was gulf between him an
youth over which he could not build
bridge even with yellow gloves to pre-
tect his hands. And the sight of hi
torment coming to poster him with he
elfn pranks to plumber hi
strawberry vines like a mischievou
scheolboy-roused all his anger.
II told you to keep away from here.
said Dry Valley. go back to you
home
Panehita moved slowly toward him.
Dry Valley cracked his whip.
"Go back home" said Dry Vale
savagely. land play theatricals som
more. You'd make fine man. You'v
made fine one of me-
She came step nearer. silent an
with that strange. defiant. stead
A,wb SS RS4
- n M ACH