The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-25
THE EVENING STORY
Nfta,s Lover.
BY Izola Forrester.)

Southwark, the trail led straight
down to Juarez. It wound in and out
to the town and the sluggish yellow
river.
Nita paused there to catch her
breath. The envelope was inside her
blouse. Unconsciously her hand pressed
1t to make sure it was still there. 1t
was sealed. certainly. and she had no
idea of its contents. Leonard had
| given it to her when they heard the
rurales pounding on the patio gate. All,
but he had been brave, the tall, lean
young American. And only two days
before they had taken couple of his
| friends to the prison down at Mendez.
| She shuddered and closed her dark
eyes for moment in prayer. 1t was
still miles to the reconstruction camp.
and the afternoon was growing golden
and hazy.
eff they take me, Nita," Leonard
had told her the night before, as they
had stood out in the old garden by the
stone fountain, you must not faint, or
cry, or show any emotion. You must
be a brave soldier girl, like all of your
| family. No Carreno is a coward
| 81 am no coward" she had told him
gravely, her face tense with feeling.
Il shall not faint, senior, believe me.
You have known my three brothers
and my father. 1 am the same race"
ST know, Nita, know" he had said,
Irestlessly, impulsively. Haven't I
strained that Carreno courage already
to the utmost by coming and planting
here for days, when the fellows down
lyonder at Juarez are dying for fair
shot at me with white wall at my
lback?'
How dare they shoot an Ameri-
CAM" she had demanded, holly.
How dare they do anything, dis
rupt Mexico, destroy railroads, burn,
murder, steal? Because they are revo-
lutionists. That covers any slight &C.
centricity. have been a desirable bit
of game for them ever since Marn ey
, and held them off from the arsenal
at Piqua, until the government troops
. arrived. oh, Nita, If you could have
seen US that night. Only four, mind.
besides myself, your brothers, and
Marney, my staff photographer. We
!, had been taking snap shots at the
town, and general local color points
of interest, when we heard the shots
> on the outskirts, and saw the whole
+ crowd riding toward US. The arsenal
: was the nearest place of refuge. We
! held it against the revolutionists for
!, half an hour, thinking not a bit about
saving the arms and powder stored
: there, but just the saving of our own
q necks and the pictures to send on to
. 1.-THE papers in the states.'i
: did you kill any one?"
l "Quite few, hope" he said cheer
fully. 1--WE tried to. When the troops
came, they scattered. But now comes
! 1.-THE interesting situation. We held the
deserted armory. against the revolu-
tionists. and saved it. Along came the
Mexicans, and .swore we were captured
revoiutionists, seized in the very act of
trying to make way with the arsenal.
The rest got away, Marney with the
pictures, but-well, I didn't. I got a
bullet in my shoulder, and your broth
, ers sent me up here"
cit was an honor, and a joy, senior"
Nita had replied, without smiling. In
the darkn eSS there were tears on her
lashes he could not see.
That had been only the night be-
| fore. Now they had found out his
, hiding place, and had taken him down
to Juarez to the prison. And the only
! hope he had given her was the letter
+ to the head engineer at the reconstruc-
ton camp.
HE will understand" Leonard had
tsaid-
Twill it save your Iife?" asked
| Nita.
: at is dearer than life to me-" he
had replied. "Give it to Eaton at the
camp"
At the top of the hill she found
. the horse her brother had promised
! to leave for her. The boy who held it
/ stared after her as she pushed ahead
: over the dangerous, uneven trail. Only
once she looked back as the path dip
. ped into the deep arroyo. to see how
= long it would be till sunset.
: 1t was dark when the pinto rode into
t the engineers camp Somebody caught
: the girl as she half fell from the sad
, Idle, and Eaton himself brought water
8 to battle her face. His face was a
r study as he opened the long envelope
= she gave him, and looked at its con-
a. tents. They were surely an index to
II the character of Leonard. His last
Copy was written hastily in pencil
and revealing conditions at Juarez
ready for mailing to the states. That
and a check made out to Eaton for a
little over three thousand dollars.
g This is all the ready cash I can
e dig I'D now" Leonard had written him
r personally There is more tied up ir
: property back home. I want you tc
e see that Nita gets it. And, by all the
o faith I have in our long friendship
: get her out of this place. They will
: keep me jailed for months, perhaps
r and then again, may be shot at sun
s down Take care of Nita, until she
h can reach her brothers. We were tt
o have been married"
It seWhat does he say?" asked Nita
a eagerly. Eaton's lips set in firm line
y He had his own ideas on this last vii
: and testament.
: "He says I am to see that you ge
s over the border safely, senorita.''
= Her face turned pale. In her great
Isl dark eyes there dawned the actua
-lmeaning of Leonard's sending her tt
/ the camp He wanted to save her
IS Eaton's face softened as he watched
Re her.
e eff you are strong enough to stant
d the return ride, senorita, we will trave
d back tonight to MendeZ," he saiC
d islowly.
s. "Give me a fresh horse, senor,'
e laughed Mia. pushing back her hair
t. "and 1 will ride all night"
l. Eaton remembered that night rid
d all his life. At the head of forty o
,t his own men, he rode with the CIR
lie back through the mountains toward
l. Mendez. She would not talk, but rod
l. on, her face uplifted to the moonlight
lie and now and then he knew that he
e-iIips moved in prayer.
The first glow of dawn was on tn