Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25

it builds you up seen' it's so uncertain in its work
ms prefer to stick to qunine for myself"
Lord knows one gifts in your head as bad as the
other" replied Mrs. Gilmer taking the matter seri-
ousy, Her and Luis II make handsome couple,
won't they
"They will So They amt better liked young
feller nowhere. He's little what you might call
shaller, but you got to take men as you find 'em,
Mrs Gilmer If you find 'cm sober it's all you can
ask. It's wonder to me- what with six saloons wide
open, as a male man-Jack in the place ever has
head the size it created"
"'Tis Well do hope everything II be for the
best. If anything should happen
Happen? What's going to haaPpen7 Lovers guar
res is only lie the fire, And l don't they's
any quarrellin' liable to come betwiNt them two"
"Y never know" said Mrs. Glmer, signing.
One afternoon when Lorena came home radiant
from stroll the hillside with her lover, Mrs.
Gilmer, viewing her child Joyous face yielded to her
sense OF apprehension and burst suddenly into weak
tears ooh, law me, Loreny seems like can scarce
y take it in, you being happy and all! been so
harried and distracted these several many years to
you so pale and pinng! And now eVerythng's
changed. OF course Luis IS a Mexican, and at hrst
had my prejudice against furren blood, not knowing
how much Injun in him. for they say these ma
tives amt pure Spanish, but mostly Nevvyho; but
I'm reconciled to him. Loreny For he's well
thought OF and has property coming to him, and the
lOveest manners nearly ever see, be the other who
they may. And when he bats his eyes at you l de-
clare dknow how any person could stand against
him, SO I don't! | han't word to say, Loreny, only
Pm just a fool a-thinking howt you're gong to be
happy-after all"
LOTena let herself SINK laxty INTO hcr char. lter
eyes narrowed. yes" she said very slowly. 81 am
going to be happy, after all" She knotted her hat
strings for moment, and then cried out: "Oh,
mother, he is so noble my Luis? So high-mnded, so
honest, $3.50" She paused, shiverng, and hid
her face.
anxiously. "Now Loreny!" she besought, don't you
give way You're all het UP with walking. Con
lay down SPELL
But though Lorena docilely obeyed this command,
her manner continued to show some constraint. The
1iCht seemed q he Shining her Her
bloom waned and one afternoon week before the
wedding, as she and her mother together sewed up
on the fair breadths of the wedding gown the girl,
having quilted her needle into the stuff, leaned back
in the chair and began silently to wiring her hands.
It's no use she moaned after little. Il can't
do it
"Lorena Gmer," quavered her mother, "dont you
be foolish Think of your poor pa and all he's went
through! He's give up everything-yes everything.
And in spite of his being acquitted and all I've never
believed he'd hold his head up again like he's done
lately If you want to kill him you can!"
The girl rising dzzily and with no appearance
of hearing her mothers words
"AIy Luis!-if he wasn't so noble, so honorable so
proud, might-go But can't go on. 1 must
tell him.
house-this afternoon. I'll tell him them
1t was not long after this woful hour that Luis
Lucero came airly up the street on his high heels,
trilling boerO as he came, and waving gay hand
toward the window at which Lorena usually sat.
"But-amadora!-why art thou so white? he
asked, as she joined him Or IS it only the shade OF
Lucero perceived something omnous in the haste
with which she urged him up the canon road, and
across to moderate slope, IN the shelter OF which
walls were rising Lorena did not stop beside
those and naked walls. but went on up the hull
to the mesa above. where the village herd Craze all
day in the smooth pasturage over the tilted coal
measures.
1--WE will sit here" she said, dropping at last upon
little knoll. Luis" she went on in kind OF hard
voice, 81 have something to tell YOU I'd sooner die
than have to- Luis, I'm not good like you think.
Back in Kentucky-long ago-hVe years. was only
sixteen and he-I don't know how it was My father
killed him. But he never forgave me. 1-l-oh, God!
Iuis YOU understand, don't you? I'm not good
enough to be your wife. oh, you look as if you
didn't understand Luis
Lucero had been holding her hand he sat beside
her He dropped it as she spoke, not harshy, but as
one whose mental effort detaches him from material
things. Fe was staring. He stumbled to his feet and
stood gazing emptily away to the southwest, where
the Raton Mountains heap their sapphire blocks
against the sky.
Her face, drawn into an unfamiliar form with the
suspense of every feeling except anguish for Lu-
ceros hurt and shame, set on his straight slight
figure in tense expectancy. For a while he stood
motonless when he let his eyes fall upon her again,
he shuddered at the fixed horror of her look.
81 wish you hadn't told me- he said simply
At this She leaned forward, she held her breath.
Luis, would you have wife so untrue to-every-
What good iss it to tell?" he flung out "Id soon
er a1dt not know; .5,yi"
I'D sooner not have to think of it. But, Dios!-
after all what iss the difference? No will know.
She was slowly dragging herself to her knees; she
paused and with a hand clutched in the tough hbres
OF the hill grass she asked, "Do you mean-that it
makes no difference you-what I've JUST told your"
Lucero snapped impatient finger. Something
was abroad which he did not comprehend He was
being generous and fine; what them was this strange
ness in her manner?
Haven't said it? No one but will know. Next
week we will be married" He held out his hand.
He stepped toward her but she lifted her arm to stop
him. A moment passed. Then she said:
"No, Luis. We won't be married next week; Or
ever There is something in my life that l
ashamed even to remember Oh. God knows how
ashamed But I could be ashamed of another
made no difference to hin1-so long other people
didn't know about it,
Lucero flung himself passionatey toward her. but
again her lifted hand deferred him. He fell back
with little cry mute bewdered, resentful; and with
his foot upon the knoll where she had sat, he
watched Lorena 60 down the hill and disappear in
the shade of the shrub oaks and pinons.