Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-10
HEART OF THE SUNSET
o"""~"@ By REX BEACH

straightway launched herself into a tirade
against Juan, the horseboy.
Devil take me II there was ever such
shameless fellow" she cried angrily
He delights In tormenting me- and--Diosl
he Is lazier than snake. Work. BAH
He sbhors e. All day long he snaps his
revolver and pretends to be n banddo and
when he Is not rskng hell's nre in that
way he is whirlng his riata and jumping
through IT, Useless capersl He ropes the
dog, he ropes the rose bushes, he ropes fat
Victoria, the cook, carrying n huge bowl
OF hot water Co soald the ants nest. Vic
toriR's stomach is boiled red altogether, and
20 painful that when she comes near the
stove She curses In way TO chill your
blood. What does he do this morning but
fling his wicked loop over a calfs head and
break of one of its little horns. 1t was
terrible but Senor Austin only laughed and
told him he was n fine vRquero,"
Has Mr.. Austin been here all the timer"
yes"
HAS he-drunk much7"
"Um.m No more than common. He ia
on the gallery now with his cocktails"
He knows am at homer
II told him"
Alaire went on dressing After n little
she asked Has Benito finished branding
the calves In the south pasture?'
He finished yesterday and sent the re.
muna to tho Six Mile. Jose Sanchez will
have completed the rodeo by this afternoon
Benlto rode in last night to see you"
BY the way. you know Jose's cousin,
Pannlor
"Sl"
why did he leave Las PaImas7"
Dolores hesitated so long that her mis-
tress turned upon her with loo; of sharp
inquiry.
He went to la Feria, sonora" Then,
In lowered tone; 'Mr. Austin ordered Il.
suddenly. without warning. he sent him
away. though Panflo did not wish to go.
Benito told me all about IT,"
why was he transferred? Come! What
ails your tongue. Dolores7'
We'll, I keep my eyes open and my ears,
too. am no fool" Dolores paused
doubtfuly
Yes, yesr'
Dolores drew closer. Rosa Morales--you
know the giri7 Her father works the big
pump engine at the river. Well he is not
above anything. that man not above selling
his own flesh and blood. and the girl is no
better. She thinks about nothing except
men, and she attends all the bales for miles
around. on both sides of the river. Panfilo
loved her; lie was mad about her. That's
why he came here to work"
''They were engaged, were they not7"
Truly And Panfllo was Jealous of any
man who looked at Rosa. Now you can
understand why-he was sent away
Dolores's sharp eyes narrowed meaningly.
''Senor Ed has been riding toward the river
every day, lately. Panfilo was furious,
So"
II see! That is all care to hear" ;"
Alone, Alaire stood motionless for some time
her face fixed. her eyes unseeing but
later. when she met her husband in the
dining room. her greeting was no less civil
than usual
ITy9 III
careless nod but did not trouble TO re-
move his hands from his pockets. AS he
seated himself heavily at the table and with
unsteady fingers shook the folds from his
napkin. he said;
"You stayed longer than you intended
Umm-you were gone three days, weren't
your"
-Four days" Alaire told him, realizing
with little inward start how very far
apart she and Ed had drlfted. She looked
at him cruiously for an instant. wondering
IL he really could be her husband, or-ii
he were not some peculiarly disagreeablC
stranger. -r+,
Ed had been n handsome boy. but ma
turity had vitiated his good looks. He wat
growing fat from drink and soft from idle.
ness: his face was too full. his eyes toe
sluggish there was an unhealthy redness
In his cheeks. In contrast to his wife'l
semi-formal Dress he was unkempt-un.
shaven and soiled He wore spurred boots
and a soft shirt: his nails were grimy
When In the city he contrived 10 gart
himself Immediately: he was. in fact
something of dandy; but at home he
was a sloven. and openly reyeIed in a free.
dom OF speech and a coarseness of manner
that were sad trials 10 Alaire. His prep
arations for dinner this evening had been
characteristically simple: he had drunk
three dry cocktails and flung his sombrero
into a corner.
''I've been busy while you were gone. '
he announced. Been down to the pump.
house every day laying that new intake
1t was a nasty job, too. had Morales
barbecue a cabrito for my lunch and II
was good, but I'm hungry again" Austin
attacked his meal with an enthusiasm
strange In him, for of late his appetite had
grown as errant as his habits Ed boasted
in his clubs that he was an outdoor man
and he was wont TO tell his frlands thai