The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-07-12
CHAPTER XIV.
superstitions and certainties

Superstitions and Certainties.
The sensation caused by Ricardo
GuZman's disappearance was as moth
ing to that which followed the recovery
of his body. Whatever the facts Of
the rescue, it was generally recognized
that the result had been to bring on
a crisis in the affairs of the two ma
uonS. Strong influences, however,
were at work to prevent that very out
come for which the people of Texas
prayed During the delay there arose
Il report that Ricardo Guzman had
borne an evil reputation, and that he
had been so actively associated with
the rebel cause as to warrant punish
ment by the federal government. More
over, legal question as to his Ameri-
can citizenship was raiSed-a question
which seemed to have important bear
ing upon the case.
Public interest is short-liyed: few
living men can hold 1T more than q day
or two, and 1t reckons no dead man
worthy of more than an obituary no.
tlce. Thus In the course of time the
Hu|man incident was in a fair way
or being officially forgotten and for
given.
But there were several persons who
felt intense relief at the course events
had taken. and among these was Alaire
Austin. In the days following thot
midnight expedition she had had annie
,''e IN winch to mediate upon her
husbands actions. 1t seemed probable
mat he had fled to San Antonio, there
10 remain until interest in the Guzman
matter had abated
Alaire telephoned Dave Law, arg11-
ing to herself that she must learn
more about her husbands connection
with the Lewis gang Dave arrived
even sooner than she had expected
ehe made him dine with her, and thew
spent me evening on the dlm-lit GAL
nerE. In the course of their conyer-
S''ioh aialre discovered that Dave, too
ma, hidden side of his nature: tbot
he 4'osSessed an imagination, and with
II quaint, whimsical, exploratory turn
of mind which enabled him to tolk
'l,'ercS'edly of many things and many
places. On this particular evening he
was anything but the man of iron she
had knoWn-until she ventured TO
speak or fGd. Then he closed up like
q trap. lie was almost gruff In his
refusal to say n word about her hus.
band
because Of Eds appropriation Of the
ranch cash, Alaire found It necessary
IL re" Gays later to 60 to the bank
hnd' feeling the need Of exercise, She
rode her horse A1ontrose. When her
errands had been attended to, she sud
denly decided to call on Paloma Jones
1t was years since she had voluntarily
done such a thing; the very impulse
surprised her.
Pnloma, it happened, was undergoing
that peculiar form Of feminine torture
known as 'flttlng;" but insecurelv
basted pinned and tucked as she wos
she came flying down to the gate to
meet her visitor.
Alaire was introduced to Mrs
strange the dressmaker, a large, acid
n'oHs brunette, with mouthful Of
pms; ard then, when Palomu Ind civ.
en- hcrsel1 once more into the scom.
stress hands, the two friends gossiped.
don't know what dad Will sov
when he gets the bill for these
dresses" Paloma confessed.
Your father is mighty oueer
man Mrs. Strange observed. "r
haven't so much as laid eyes on him F."
| Paloma nodded. "Yes. And he's pet-
ting more peculiar all the time T cant
make out what ails him."
where Is he now?" osked A,o,ro