Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-10-07

more; they pointed at the ful DEUS OF
the American guard and demanded
them as their right; and when the
Americans refused to yield they dew
Into a rage and threatened. En-
All in all, it was q pitiful exhibition
OF hot-headedness and imbecility, and
only the lrmness Of the s~uperintend.
ent prevented q real spilling Of blood.
The Mexicans retired In a hun and
broke into the c~antina, and as the
night camo or the valley re-echoed to
their drunken shoutings.
Such was war as the Sonorans CON.
.cetved. 1t. When Hooker, standing his
guard In the corredor, encountered
Gracia Aragon on her evening walk.
he could scarcely conceal . grin.
What are you laughing at, Senior
Hooker?- she demanded with asperity.
lis It 10 pleasant. with . houseful OF
frightened women and screaming chill
:dren. that you should make fun Of our
,plight?"
mo, indeed" apologfxed. Bud; moth
Ing like that. Sure must be bad in
there----I stay outside myself. But /
reckon it'll soon be over with. The
Mexicans here in town have shot Oh
all their ammunition andI reckon the
rebels have done the same. Like as
not they'll all be gone tomorrow. and
then you can 60 back home" g.
ooh. thank 0 for thinking about
me" she returned with q scornful curl
of the lip. But II ill men were as
open as you. Mr.. Hooker. We women
would never need to ask q question.
This morning you told me L did not
know what l was talking about-now l
presume you are thinking what COW
ards the 5Mexicans are!
#1""Oh, ! know! You need not deny It!
You are nothing but a great big-Te-
;jano! Yes. ! was going to say brute
but you are q friend OF dear Phil's, and
so ! will hold my tongue. II 1t wasn't
for that, I'd" She paused, leaving
him to guess.
...Oh, / do wish he were here" she
breathed. leaning YEARLY against the
white pillar of an arch and gazing
down through the long arcade.
ut was 80 close in there" she con.
tinued, Il could not stand It q minute
longer. These Indian women, you
know-they weep and moan all the
time. Andethe children am 10 sorry
for them. I cannot go now, because
they need me; but tomorrow-ifs Phil
were here-Ifwould leave and ride for
the line. us M
"Have you seen Del Rey today No?
Then all the better-he must be polio
ing the town. 1t Is only of him l am
afraid. These rebels are nothing
agree with you! No! l am not angry
With you 1T all now! But tomorrow.
lust at dusk, when all IL still rs It 10
At this time. then, II Phil were here
II would mount my brave horse and
ride out by ,thA western pass"
She ended rather inconclusively, let
ting her voice trail OF w~istfully as she
waited for him to speak, but something
within moved Hooker to hold his
peace, and he looked out over the town
without commenting on her plans. It
was evident to him that she was deter
mined to enlist his sympathy and in
volve him in her wild plot. and each
time the conversation Sveered in that
direction he took refuge In a stubborn
silence. y,
N.What are you thinking of. Mr..
Hooker?" she asked at last, AZ he
eazed into the dusk. Sometimes /
sNcold you and sometimes l try to
piease you, but I never know what you
| think! I did not mean that when I
said / could read your thoughts-you
| are SO different from poor, dear Phil"
t"M-m-m," mumbled Bud, shifting his
feet. and his face turned a little grim.
"Aha!" she cried with i~ll-Concealed
satisfaction, you do not like me to
call him like that, do you? Poor, dear
| Phil,'-like that! But do you know
why 1: do it? 1t is to punish you for
never coming near me-when 1 signed
to you-when l waited for you-long
ago! All, you were SO cruel! I want
ed to know you-you were a cowboy,
and 1 thought you were brave enough
to defend me-but you always rode
| right by. Yes. that was it-but Phil
was d%iYerentl He came when I sent
for him; he sang songs to me at night;
he took my part against Manuel del
Rey; and now" S.'' %.
"Yes!" commented Bud bruskly.
with his mind on "dear Pills" finish.
and she turned to peer into his face.
go that is I'll" she said. you do
not trust me. You think that l am not
your friend-that I will serve you 10
he was served. Is that what you are
t~hinking?"
Something like that" admitted
Hooker, leaning lazily against the
mud wall. "Only / reckon I don't think
just the way you do"
why? How do I think?" she de-
manded eagerly.
We'll, you think awful fast" an
swered Hooker slowly. "And you don't
always think the same, seems like.
I'm kind of quiet myself, and l don't
ike-well. l wouldn't say that, but you
don't always mean what you say"
"Oh!" breathed Gracia, and then,