The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-08-25

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 a 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 Panchitas dark ones with
cold flash in them He came as far
as the gate. He pointed with his long
arm to her house.
$50 home" said Dry Valley. go
home to your mother l 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? l reckon was
locoed to be maxim he poll-parrot out
of myself for kid like you. Go home
and don't let me see you no more.
Why / done it, will somebody tell me?
i Go home and let me try and forget It.
Panchfta obeyed and walked slowly
toward her home, saying nothing. For
some distance she kept her head turn
ed and her large eyes fixed intrepidly
upon Dry Valleys. At her gate she
stood for moment looking back at
him, then ran suddenly and swiftly
into the house.
Old Antonia was building fire in
the kitchen stove. Dry Valley stopped
at the door and laughed harshly.
j ssIm a pretty looking old rhinoceros
to be gettfn' stuck on a kid, amt l,
j 'Tonia p said he.
mot verree good thing" agreed An.
tonia sagely, for too much old man to
likee muchacha.
.sYou bet it amt" said Dry Valley
grfmly. Its dun foolishness, and,
besides it hurts"
He brought at one armful the regalia
of his alteration, the blue tennis suit,
shoes, hat. gloves and all, and threw
them in a pile at Antonia's feet.
"Giye them to your old man," said
he, Ito hunt antelope in"
Just as the first star presided palely
over the twilight Dry Valley got his
biggest strawberry book and sat on the
back steps to catch the last of the
reading light He thought he saw the
figure of some one in his strawberry
patch. He laid aside the book, got
his whip and hurried forth to see.
Tt was Panchita. She had slipped
through the picket fence and was half
way across the patch. She stopped
when she saw him and looked at him
without wavering
A sudden rage-a humiiiating flush
of unreasoning wrath-came over Dry
) Valley. For this child he had made
8ltUS0l1s llOltG4 " bLC AAct0
tried to bribe Time to turn backward
for himself. He had-been made q
fool of. At last he had seen his folly.
There was a gulf between him and
youth over which he could not build a
bridge even with yellow gloves to pro-
tect his hands And the sight of his
torment coming to poster him with her
| elfin pranks- coming to plumber his
strawberry vines like a nlisehieyous
schooIboy -roused all his anger.
81 told you to keep away from here"
said Dry Valley. Go back to your
home
Panchita moved slowly toward him.
Dry Valley cracked his whip.
Go back home" said Dry Valley
savagely, "and play theatrieals some
more. You'd make a fine man. You've
made fine one of me"
she came a step nearer. silent and
with that strange. defiant steady
~