Williston graphic., 1917-06-07
(condnusd)

II don't know nothing definite. In
this business, you understand, fel-
low has to put two and two together.
All the same, I'm sure Jose ain't cary.
Ing no epitaph for you. From what
I've dug out of Rosa, he's acting for a
third party-somebody with pull and a
lot of coin-but who it is don't know.
Anyhow, he's cooking trouble for the
Austins, and I want to stand from
under"
Now that the speaker had dropped
all pretense, he answered Dawes ques.
lions without evasion and told what
he knew. It was not much, to Dawes
way of thinking, but it was enough to
give cause for thought, and when the
men finally parted it was with the un-
derstanding that Strange would
promptly communicate any further in
telligence on this subject that came
his way.
On the following day Dawes duties
called him to Brownsville, where court
was in session. He had planned to
leave by the morning train; but as he
continued to mediate over Strange's
words, he decided that, before going,
he ought to advise Alaire of the fell
lows suspicious in order that she
might discharge Jose Sanchez and in
other ways protect herself against his
possible spite. Since the matter was
one that could not we'll be talked over
by telephone, Dave determined to go
in person to Las Palmas that evening
Truth to say, he was hungry to see
Alaire. BY this time he had almost
ceased to combat the feeling she
aroused in him, and it was in obedience
to an impulse far stronger than friend
ly anxiety that he hired a machine and,
shortly after dark, took the river road.
The Fates are malicious jades. They
delight in playing ill-natured pranks
upon US. Not content with spinning
and measuring and cutting the threads
of our lives to suit themselves, they
must also tangle the skein, causing us
to cut capers to satisfy their whims.
At no time since meeting Alaire had
Dave Law been more certain of his
moral strength than on this evening
at no time had his grip upon himself
seemed firmer. Nor had Alaire the
least, reason to doubt her self-control.
Dave, to be sure, had appealed to her
fancy and her interest; in fact he SO
dominated her thoughts that the i'm
aginary creature whom she called her
dream-husband had gradually taken on
his physical likeness. But the idea
that she was in any way enamored
of him had never entered his mind. In
such wise do the Fates amuse them
selves.
Alaire had gone to her favorite after
dinner refuge, nook on one of the
side galleries, where there was wide,
swinging wicker couch; and there, in
q restful obscurity fragrant with flow
ers, she had prepared to spend the
evening with her dreams.
She did not hear Dawes automobile
arrive. Her first intimation of his
presence came with the sound of his
heel upon the porch. When he ap-
peared, it was almost like the mate
rialization of her uppermost thought
quite as if figure from her fancy had
stepped forth full-clad.
She rose and met him, smiling. "How
did you know l wanted to see your
she inquired.
Dave took her hand and looked down
at her, framing commonplace reply.
But for some reason the words lay un'
spoken upon his tongue. Alaire's In
formal greeting, her parted hps, the
welcoming light in her eyes, had sent
them flying. 1t seemed to him that the
dim half-light which illumined this
nook emanated from her face and heR
person, that the fragrance which came
to his nostrils was the perfume Of her
breath, and at the prompting Of these
thoughts all his smothered longings
rose as If at q signal. As mutinOue
prisoners in Jail delivery overpowef
their guards, SO did Dawes long-re-
pressed emotions gain the upper HAND
Of him now, and so swift was their
uprising that he could not summon
more than feeble, panicky resistance
The awkwardness of the pause which
followed Alaire's inquiry strengthened
the rebellious impulses within him, and
quite unconsciously his friendly grasp
upon her fingers frightened. For hel
part, as she saw this sudden change
sweep over him, her own face altered
and she felt something within hei
breast leap into life. No woman could
have failed to read the meaning of his
sudden agitation, and, strange to say
1t worked similar state of feeling
in Alaire. She strOve to control her
self and to draw away, but instead
found that her hand had answered
his, and that her eyes were flashing
recognition of his look. All In an In
stant she realized how deathly tired
of her own struggle she had become
and experienced q reckless impulse te
cast away all restraint and blinds :