The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-09-02


into a rage and threatened.
All in all, it was a pitiful exhibition
of hot-headedness and imbecility, and
only the firmness Of the superintend-
ent prevented a real spilling Of blood.
The Mexicans retired in a huff and
broke into the cantina, and as the
night came on the valley re-echoed to
their drunken s%houtings.
Such was war as the Sonorans coll
ceived it. When Hooker, standing his
guard in the corredor, encountered
Gracia Aragon on her evening walk,
he could scarcely conceal a grin.
What are you laughing at, Senior
Hooker?" she demanded with asperity.
"Is it so pleasant, with a houseful Of
frightened women and screaming chill
dren, that you should make fun of u
plight?"
mo, indeed" a~pologized Bud; moth
ing like that. Sure must be bad in
there-I stay outside myself. But (
reckon it'll 500 be over with. The
Mexicans here in town have shot off
all their ammunition and l reckon the
rebels have done the same. Like rs
not they'll all be gone tomorrow, and
then you can 60 back home"
"Oh, thank you for thinking about
mel" she returned with a scornful curl
Of the lip. But if all men were as
open as you, Mr.. Hooker, we women
would never need to ask a question.
This morning you told me l did not
know what I was talking about-now /
presume you are thinking what cow
ards the Mexicans are!
"Oh, know! You need not deny it!
You are nothing but a great big-Te-
jano! Yes, l was going to say BRUTE
but you are a friend Of dear Phil's, and
so l will hold my tongue. If it wasn't
for that, I'd" She paused, leaving
him to guess.
"Oh, l do wish he were here" she
breathed, leaning YEARLY against the
white pillar Of al arch and gazing
down through the long arcade.
1T was so close in there" she cor
tinued, 81 could not stand it a minute
longer. These Indian women, you
know-they weep and moan all the
time. And the children-I am so sorry
for them. l cannot go now, because
they need me; but tomorrow-if Phil
were here-I would leave and ride for
the line.
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-I
agree with you! No! am not angry
with you at all now! But tomorrow.
lust at dusk, when all is still as it Is
at this time, then, If Phil were here
l would mount my brave horse and
ride out by the western pass"
She ended rather inconclusively, let
ting her voice trail off wistfully as she
waited for him to speak, but something
within moved Hooker to hold his
peace and he looked out yer the town
without commenting on her plans. 1t
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 veered in that
silence.
What are you thinking of, Mr..
Hooker" she asked at last, as be
gazed into the dusk. Sometimes l
scold you and sometimes l try to
please you, but l never know what you
think! I did not mean that when l
said l could read your thoughts-you
are so different from poor. dear Phil"
"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 l do it? 1t Is to punish you for
never coming near me-when | signed
to you-when l waited for you-long
agoi All, you were so cruel! I want
ed to know you-you we're a cowboy,
and l thought you were brave enough
" ueIeuu ulS-uuL SOu Always iouS
right by. Yes, that was it-but Phil
was different! He came when | sent
for him; he sang songs to me at night;
he took my part against Manuel del
Rey; and now"
"Yes!" commented Bud bruskly,
with his mind on dear Pills" finish,
and she turned to Ieer into his face.
so that is it," she said. You do
not trust me. You think that | am not
your friend-that | will serve you as
he was served. Is that what you are
t~hinking?"
Something like that" admitted
Hooker, leaning lazily against the
mud wall. only l reckon don't think
Just the way you do"
why? How do l 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
like-well, l wouldn't say that, but you
don't always mean what you say"
oh" breathed Gracia, and then.