The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-04-23

The reply lost nothing Of It's irony
when interpreted by Mrs. Gallagher.
Dona Mariana blinked her solemn
eyes, but took the money which Nan
produced and departed with a haste
which. to phrase II mildly, was I'M
ceremonious.
Immediately the news that the
the village and reached the most re.
mote family within q radius Of one
hundred and fifty miles.
II was the ono topic Of converse
ton In dobes which nestled In lonely
bosques, and tumble down huts hud-
ding In sun-baked arroyos, while 10
Is no exaggeration to say that the
whole of Las Rubertas was aQuiver.
They chortled at the thought that q
gringo was paying for their pleasure:
for. like other inferior races, the low
caste Mexicans invariably mistake
generosity for weakness, and, Nan,
IN thinking to buy immunity from
their thieving. was reckoning upon
persons who a. . class are devoid
Of gratitude.
Nan watched the preparations with
interest. though she had no thought
OF going, nor did she believe she was
expected. There was now the wash
ing Of heads. lathered with soap
root in the front yards, the scurry-
ing to and fro between houses and
across the street, while dreadful
sounds issued from the schoolmaster's
dobe where the orchestra practised
each night.
Also. Nan observed that. the hostile
attitude of her erstwhile friends had
become merely contemptuous amuse-
mont. She saw now that she was
laughed at for her gift.
Nan had no thought the coming
dance would interest Ben. who booked
down superciliously upon all things
Mexican; but In this she was mis-
taken.
Pleasures were few and nifty miles
was only a scamper when there were
music and a dance at the end.
Tho date OF the bale had hardly
been set before, In some mysterious
fashion, everP cowboy In the LIZ.
outfit knew 4. though he carefully
RETAINED froN mekoioning II until
negotiations for certain needed ar
ticles OF wearing apparel were en-
tered into and the deal consum mated.
The first to act was Joe Brindell, who
took more than a passing pride In
his personal appearance upon occa-
sions OF the kind. On the whole he
considered himself rather a "dressy"
person when tho function warrant
cd IL.
Sauntering up to Kansas Ed he in
CURED with elaborate carelessness:
Have you ever thought or sellin'
that pink shirt Of yourn, Kansas"
We'll. no" returned tho owner OF
the coveted shirt with equal inno-
cence. cant say that had. why?"
I was Just wonderin' what for
cash value you'd put on a shirt like
that"
Kansas considered.
II couldn't rightly say off-hand lust
what ! would hold that shirt at"
MI. Brladell. specuiatively:
bleeve I'd look good in mink.
Maybe I'll write of and git me one"
mo use Goin' that--they amt an
otoer shirt like that in the world-not
exactly like same color, so they>told
me up In Coffeevilie where bought
It,"
II suppose they took the gent what
made that shirt and shovelied his
brains out so he couldn't never make
another" said Mr.. Brindcll dryly.
IT'S a rare color. all right: I've
wore II considerable and I never SEQ
one like It, People kind a pick me
out 20 look at when I got II on
a shirt" observed Brindcll reminis-
Gently. 81 mind how good looked
In one that was stole off me by SON.
of-a-gun from Roswell. I follered
him twenty mile"
ITS hard to keep anything NJ to
wear in COW camp" agreed Kan
eas. where half the outfit Is nothin'
hut petty thieves. mind how bad
] felt when ! lost three good silk
handkerchief that same way. took
'em of a dudes neck while he was
asleep and then some skunk robbed
me-"
III you don't set no great store by
that shirt. Kansas. l wouldn't mind
givin' you five beans for H." Care
lessly. II kinda took a fancy to It,"
The prairie Shylock shook his head.
Fact In. Joe. | been holdin' that
shirt back to be buried In. The way
things happen sudden out here. it's
a good scheme to have one good suit
by .S you :.,,u.o. vanilla. NJ ,.,,,s,.
haughtily, realizing that he was play
Ing the mouse TO Kansas Eds cat,
Teller out of his shroud. but as far
as that goes" he scrutinized Kansas
Eds unprepossessing visage critic
ally. you'd be Jest as good lookin' a
corp and more natural. with your
coat collar turned up"
1T might think 1t over II you'd
throw In that navvyho saddle blan-
ket." reflected Kansas.
Joe Brindell hesitated, then, short
ly:
IAN right; gimme the shirt"
and" with a look OF cunning.
"agree to dc a warsfin' for me the
mart time Won do YOURS"
"Shan't I lest make over my wages
to you and bind myself to saddle
your horse and take 1t on your hands
when you rides in? Between times
] could darn your socks and keep your
clothes mended up. Say" ominous-
ly. ~ amt no pauper jest because
I don't happen to have a shirt When
! starts to take In warshin' t'won't
be for a Kansan! Ketch that?"
mo offense meant" protested Kan
sas hastily. "'Twere jest thought
I had. Como over to tho bunk house
and git the shirt whenever you want
It,"
"Iooks like you got your head
pecked that time. Joe" observed the
cook, who had been an Interested
listener. THAT blankets worth IS.
/ see you aims to attend the bale"
Don't you?"
"I'd like to-" the cook answered
wistfully. III I could dig me up a pair
OF socks sommeres'
"Ren Eyans's waah came home dny