Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-07

| his honor and her utter dependence upon
him awoke his deepest chivalry. Then. too.
the knowledge that her life was unhappy,
indeed tragic. filled him with n sort OF won
dering pity As he continued TO look at
her these feelings grew until finally he
turned away his face. with his chin IN his
hands no stared out somberly into the blind
ing heat He had met few women. of late
| years. and never one quite like this--never
one, for instance who made him feel 30 dis
| satisfied with his own shortcomings.
| After n while he rose and withdrew TO the
shelter OF another tree, there to content
himself with mental images OF his guest
But one cannot sleep well with n tropio
sun In the heavens. ard since thcre was
really nothing for her TO do until the heat
abated. Alaire. when she awoke. obliged
| tho Ranger TO amuse her.
| Although she was in fact younger than
he. married life had matured her, and, she
treated him therefore like boy. Law did
not object Mrs. Austin's position in life
| was such that most men were humble In
her presence and now her superior wisdom
seemed TO excite the Rangers liveliest adj
miration. Only now and then, as IL In an
| unguarded moment, did he appear to forget
| himself and speak with an authority equal
| ing her own. What he said at such times
indicated either a remarkably retentive
memory or else an ability TO think along
| original lines too rare among men Of his
kind to be easily credited.
For instance. during n discussion OF the
| Mexican situation--and OF course their talk
drifted thither. for at the moment II was
| the one vitality interesting topic along the
| border--he excused the barbarous practices
| OF the Mexican soldiers by sayings
"Of course, they're cruel. vindctive
treacherous, but after all there are only
hundred and forty generations between us
and Adam; only a hundred and forty life
times since the Garden of Eden. We civ
ilized peoples arc only lap or two ahead
Of the uncivilized ones. When you think
that II takes ten thousand generations TO
mis- nd rOnt
early heredities. you can see that human
beings have long way yet TO go before
they become perfect We're creatures OF
environment Just like plants Environment
has made the Mexican what he Is"
Certainly this was an amazing speech
70 issue from a sun-browned cowboy sit
ting crosslegged under a mesquite tree.
From under her hat brim Aiaire Austin
eyed the speaker with curiosity into
which there had come n vague hostility.
For the moment she was suspicious and
piqued. but Law did not appear to notice.
and as he talked on her doubts gradually
| subsided
'You said. last night that you were
born on the other slider" She inclined her
ruddy head to the west
"Yes'm. My father was q mining man.
and he done well over there until he locked
horns with the Guadalupes, Old Don En-
rique and him had run-in, at the finish.
over some land or something. II was when
, the don was gobbling all the property In
, the State and laying the foundation for
, his big fortune. You know he had per-
! mission from the President to steal all the
land he cared to, Just like the rest OF those
:, local governors had Well Guadalupe tried
to run my people out"sf hra srAee.
did he succeed?"
" Nom He killed 'em, but they stayed
, ''Not-reailyT' The listener was shocked
: american citizens, too?"
l. "Times wasn't much different then than
| now. There's plenty of good Americans
/ N MexiC0
! about II, even in our day. don't know
all the details-never could get 'em. either
for I was away at school; but after I
.. . came back from the Philippines the Ma
! dero fuss was just brewing, so I went over
q and Joined It. But 1t didn't last long, and
there wasn't enough fighting to suit me.
I've been back, off and on, since, and I've
burned a good deal of Guadalupe property
> and swum a good many head of Guada-
: lupe stock"
AS the morning progressed Law proved
himself an interesting companion. and in
! spite Of the discomforts of the situation
\ tho hours slipped past rapidly. Luncheon
l was a disagreeable meal, eaten while the
= arroyo baked and the heat devils danced on
the hills; but the unpleasantness was of
brief duration, and Law always managed TO
{ Danish boredom. Nor did he seem TO waste
4 thought upon the nature of that grim
business which brought him to this place.
Q Quite the contrary In the afternoon he put
his mare through her tricks for Alaire's
y
q interested his guest.
5 Then as the sun edged TO the west and
Q Mrs Austin became restless he saddled
Bessie Belle and led her down tho gulch
into a safer covert.
! Returning, he carefully obliterated an
traces Of the camp He watered the ashes
Q OF the fire, gathered up the tell-tale scraps
of paper and fragments of food, and then
when the place suited him fell TO examin-
4 | ing his rife.
Alaire watched him with interest ''where
9 shall I CO." she asked "and what shall
4 dor"
you just pick out good cover beyond
: the water hole and stay there, ma'am. IL
< may be a long wait. for something may
4 have happened. II so wen have to lie
4 close. And don't worry yourself none.
q ma'am he won't make no trouble"
n The afternoon drew to a close. Gradu-
? ally the binding white glare Of the sun
lessened and yellowed, the shadow Of the
bluns began to stretch out THE shallow
= pool lay silent deserted save Afor furtive
: little shapes that darted nervously out OF
the leaves, or for winged visitors that
: dropped out of the air.
With the sunset there came the sound
a OF hoofs upon loose stones, branches rustled
r against breasting bodies. and Mrs. Austin
a covered low In her hiding place. But II
was only the advance guard OF a bunch OF
=, brush cattle coming to water They paused
y at assistance, and nothing except their
: thirst finally oyercame their suspicions. One
a | at the remoteat edge OF the tanque then.
alarmed at some imaginary sight or sound,
i. went Gathering up tho ravine
Once again the water hole lay sleeping
= AlaIre's retreat was far from comfort
!, able there was an ants nest sonewhers
near her and she thought OF moving but
r. suddenly her breath caught ana her heart
jumped uncontrolably She erouched low
a er. for directly opposite her position. ana
a outlined against the sky where the sharp
a ridge cut II. was the figure OF mounted
/. man. Rider and horse were silhouetted
n against the pearl-gray heaven like an
l equestrian statue How long they had been
+. there Alalre had no faintest notion. Per-
II haps Il was their coming which had alarmed
/. the cattle. She was conscious that a keen
9. and hostile pair OF eyes was searching the
d eoyerts surrounding the charco.
'e Then, as silently as IL had appeared, the
n apparition vanished beyond the ridge, ana
d Alaire wondered II the rider had taken
a alarm She earnestly hoped 50; this breath
b less vigil was getting on her nerves. and
. the sight OF that threatening figure had SCI
: her pulses 70 throbblnk The rider was or
n his guard. that was plain; he was armed