Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-15

with one aud then with the other or
these men. When she WAS with Jose
he looked Sullen. and ! reckored she
war trying 10 make him believe she
didn't care uothin' at all about All
Ston. When she was with AllStOn ]
reckoned she was tryin' TO bring him
under her spell. They was fine CON
trast. them two. she dark Spanish
beauty. he q fair haired. blue eyed
Britisher. 1t didn't appear to me that
be was more interested in her than
If she'd been any other gal. 1t war the
way she slung them big black eyes
about that made me think she was try
ing to lasso him.
The reason took all this interest in
the matter was that | was as fond o
Pacquita as if she'd been my own lit
tie gal. One day l overlook her ridin'
along the road alone. After awhile
] said somethin' against the English
man just to see how she'd take il. She
fred up, you bet Then | told her l
thought Jose Herrara was worth three
of Edward Allstou. She looked kind
o. funny. but didn't say nothin'.
We'll. little gall said when I left
her. better decide between EN-. 1t
would be cruel 10 keep 'em on the
anxious seat always
- don't know she said. that l
have the privilege OF decidin' between
EN-
with that she cantered away, kind
of glum.
Il knew well enough that so far as
Jose Herrara was concerned she could
have him whenever she wanted him.
But | didn't know anything about her
havin' the Englishman.
But us time wore on saw Pacquita
and Allston more and more together.
while Serrano seemed to be dropped
out o the race. 1t was perfectly nat.
uraI that a fine lookin' man with sweU
manners should supplaut a boy who
didn't show up for much except tina
be was a very good kind of a Teller
He'd been about the only person PaC-
quita had ever come across for lover.
and when sOmethin' better turned up
it was natural she should gradually
let go her hold on the first and get
grip on the second.
But the time come when It was plain
enough that the EugiShman had been
landed and was layin' on his side
gaSpin'. What | mean by that is that
the gal had woven spell about him
he couldn't resist. and he was dead
gone on her. From that time she did
not seem so stuck on him as she was
before. That's the way with all of US
when we once git thing we don't care
so much about 1t as we thought we
did. That's what | thought was the
case with Pacquita. but them as knew
told me ] was wrong. They said she
was in love with Allston and was goin'
to marry him.
1.-The race was comm to a finish. with
big odds on AllstOn. Leastaways, it
would "a been ridiculous for Pacquita
to stick to a boy lover when she could
git man and fine man at that But
she didn't seem to want TO decide.
"One day Pacquita was out on her
horse got up, as usual, in her Mexican
toggery, revolver at her side and
lariat at the pommel of her saddle,
when she saw the two men who was
courtin' her ridin' toward each other
She wondered what they was goin' to
do. She didn't want 'em to Gght-fact
is, all along she had been keepin' Ser
rano from pickin' a quarrel with All
ston. Then she remembered that there
was quicksand between 'em. an she
began TO worry lest one on 'em would
git into il. She reckoned Jose Serrano
knew all about it. but she wasn't sure
Allston did. They was a ridin' kind O.
reckless. especially SerTano. and she
made up her mind there war goin' to
be a fracas. She war bound to stop
it. so she started for 'em.
well. before she reached 'em they
met. She saw that Serrano was talk
in mighty savage TO Allston. while
Allston was a-keepin' his temper and
pattin' his horse. which seemed FESTIVE
to keep him quiet. l'acquita rode on
as fast as she could make her beast
go dreadin' every minute TO see the
two men come TO blows. Then she no
ticed that there seemed TO be some
thin the matter with both their horses.
Serrano went on ralkin' excitedly. but
Allston stopped payfn' any attention
TO him and WAS luShin' his horse. The
borse seemed TO be maxim "A great eff
fort to CO somethin. but didn't DO