The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-07-12

polntment as she knew that he was In
town attending court. Yet she told
herself that II was brave of him to
obey her injunctions so literally and to
leave her unembarrassed by his pres
ence mt this particular time. II in
spired her to be equally brave and to
wait patiently for the day when she
could welcome him with clean hands
and n soul ~unashamcd.
In the midst Of Alaire's uncertainty
OF mind Il gratified her to realize thar
Dave alone would know Of her where
abouts. She wondered II he would
come 10 see her. He was n reckless,
headstrong lover. and his desires were
all too likely to overcome his DELHI
crate resolves. She rather hoped that
II spite OF his promise he would ven
ture TO cross the border SO hat she
could see and be near him, II only for
Il day or for an hour. The possibility
frightened and yet pleased her. The
conventional woman within her
frowned. but her outlaw heart beat
fast ut the thought.
Alaire did not explain her plans eve
to Dolores. but when her preparations
were complete she tool the Mexican
woman with her, and during Eos alb
sence slipped away from the ranch.
Boarding the train ut Jonesville, she
was In Pueblo that night.
IL seemed at last that war with
Mexico was imminent. After months
of uncertainty the question had come
to issue. and that lowering cloud which
had hung above the horizon took omi-
nous shape and size. Ellsworth awoke
one morning to learn that an ultima
tum had gone forth to President Po-
tosi that the Atlantic fleet had been
ordered south and that marines were
being rushed aboard transports pend
ing n general army mobilization. II
looked as If the United States had
finally risen In wrath. nnl us If moth
ing less than n miracle could now avert
the lo~ng-expected conflict.
Blaze Jones took the San Antonio
paper out upon the porch and com-
posed himself In the hammock to read
the latest war news. Invasion Troops !!
The Stars and Stripes. Those were
words that stirred Jones deeply and
caused him to neglect his work. Now
that his country had fully awakened
TO the necessity OF Il war with Mexico
IA necessity he had long felt-he VAS
fired with the ~loftiest patriotism and II
youthful eagerness to enlist. Blaze
realized that he was old and fat and
near-sighted; but what of that? He
could fight. Fighting, in fact, had
been one OF his earliest accomplish
ments, and he prided himself upon
knowing as much about II as any
man could learn. He believed In fight
Ing both as n principle and as an ex-
e%rcise; in fact, he attributed his good
health To his various ~neighborly "un-
pleasantnesses," and he had more than
once argued that no great fighter ever
died of n sluggish liver or of any one
of the other ills that beset %sedentary,
peace-iovlng people. Nations were
like mcn-too much Ease made them
lubby. And Blaze had his w ideas
Of strategy, too. So during the perusnl
Of his paper he bemoaned the mis-
takes his government was making,
' Why waste time with ultlmatumsi lac
argued to himself. He had never done
=. 50. Experience had taught him that
the way 10 win u hattie was to beat
the other fellow to the draw hence
this diplomatic prOcrastination filled
him with Impotence. 1t seemed al.
most reasonable to one Of Blaze's In
tense patriotism.
He was engaged in laying out n plar
Of campaign for the United State,
when he became conscious Of voices
behind him, and realized that for sonit
time Paloma had been entertaining {
caller in the front room, Their con
%yersatlon had not disturbed him a
first, but now an occasional word OI
sentence forced its meaning through
his preoccupation, and he found him
self listening.
' Pnloma's visitor was a woman, AM
, as Blaze hardened to her voice, he fel
his heart sink. II was Mrs. Strange
She was here again. With difficult,
u Blaze conquered m impulse to flee
= for she was rccounting u story all to-
familiar to him.
"Why IL seemed as II the whole cit.
u of Galveston was there, and yet nc
body offered to help us" tho dress
MAKER was saying. "Phll was a per
feet hero, for the rufian was twlc
his size. Oh, II was an awful fight
l hate to think of It,"
- what made him pinch youf
- Paloma inquired.
Heaven only knows. Some men ar
- dreadful that way. Why, he left
black-and-blue mark !"
a Blaze broke into a cold sweat an
"a cursed feebly under his breath.
M "He wasn't drunk, either. He wa
re just naturally d%epraved. You coul
see II In his face"
How did you escapeT"
IN swell, I'll tell you. We chased hi
re up across the boulevard and In anon
nd the tents. and then" Mrs. Stranl
a lowered her voice until only a mu
w muir reached the listening man. A m,