The Press., 1915-03-10

| fo the tank he was inside the shack and didn't see me. He had an old cot out at one side of the engine house screened by !; clunIp of mesquite. l dropped down on it.
 T could see blur of green made by the Bermuda grass on the bank of the tank and the droopin' willows that bend to the waters edge. There was no sound but the creak of the wind mills and an occasional unpretty word that Chris let go at the engine he was irwin to fix The ranch house was a quarter of a mile away, so 1 was sur prised to see through my half closed eyes a white spot against the green. This kinder woke me up, and at the same time Chris said an awful word and hurled his monkey wrench through the door of the engine house. There was big splash and little scream. Chris come runnin' out on the bank.
 Did it strike you?" he says, with more excitement in his voice than l had ever heard before. "No" says Miss Della Dumont, hold
 
 only splashed mud and slime on my clean white linen. And I suppose the curl has all come out of my hair and
 my face is wet and dirty. No, it didn't strike me-" she repeats. Aren't you sorry that it didn't?'
 "Why, mo-" says Chris, and there was laughter in his voice now. "Why {S Because" she says, "that seems to have been your sole aim in life durin' the last week-that and maxim me ridiculous. 1 want you to know that l
 have not forgotten your failure to ac- cept my apology when l tried to re- ! move your saddle and got it all scared up. shall never forget your rudeness when asked you to dance with me-"
 "I couldn't stand my partner up,
 could I?" asks Chris, innocent. 'I
 asked you to try me again" he says.
 "And, besides, Lawson was there. He's one of your gallant scouts "Yes, he is,'' she says, but I sacri- feed his friendship ill dancin' with you afterward. He s:Gd if I had had
 one ounce of independence I would not have done it.
 "Well don't know that you would,'
 says Chris, thoughtful. At that she boiled over. "You brute!" she says quick and flu rious. You are the most insultin man I've ever known. All the rest
 have seemed to want to please me. I'll tell you why danced with you, though scorned to tell Lawson. It was be cause Eve asked me to overlook you1 -peculiarities."
 The way she said that last word | made old Chris vince a little. "She told me you practically owned this ran~l and had been bacllin' EG
 all this time; that without your money | it could not run. She is afraid to cross you, but I'm not. Because you are good lookin' and conceited you believe all women are attracted to you.' And now you've told me what am and what think" says Chris. coo
 and calm. maybe you'll tell me how you happened to come down to the engine house this mornin.' "I was leavin' today" she says. "ant could not go until 1 had seen you wanted to tell you that if this was
 my ranch you shouldn't stay on it a day; no, not an hour. 1 hate you. loathe and detest you! You dog.' But before she got the last word out he had her in his arms. He kept push in back the little curl that falls against her face and kissin' the spot be heath it.
 "Why, you little catr' he says de
 lighted. You have got temper. Thank goodness you are not one of the spineless kind. This is all you lacked to make you perfect in my sight. I'd begun to despair of your havin' any spirit. I'd almost made uI my mind I'd have to lose you, but now now! Why, it's my ranch" he says ''and you shall stay on it-alwaysw She was strugglin' hard to git away from him.
 You beautyv' he says, low and caressin'. You darlin'! My, how I car love your
 He kept holdin' her that way and kissin' her face and hair because she
 would not give him her lips. 'Stop! she says at last. 'Stop hold. ln' my arms this minute" There was somethin' in her tone that
 made him let her go and step back a little. I expect he thought she was goin' to slap bis face-I did. I'm goin' to tell you what she done.
 She puts her arms around his neck and holds up her lips to be kissed. hear him draw a sharp breath.
 "You old dogw she says when he
 gives her a chance to speak.
 Funny what difference that word
 'old'' made!