The Huttig news., 1917-04-28
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| Ill WdS nurI, 1nQlgnant. With some stiffness he explained the danger of interrupting a seance of this sort, but Law remained obdurate.
 "You can put over that second tight stuff with the greasers" he declared sharply, but not with me. So, Jose Sanchez has been to see you and you want to warn me. Is that it?" "I don't know any such party" Strange protested. He eyed his caller for a moment; then with an abrupt change of manner he complained : Say, Bo Whats the matter with you? I've got 2 reputation to protect and l do things giy own way. I'm get. ting set to slip p,u something, and you try to make ns look like d sucker Is that any way to act?"
 'I prefer to talk to you when your eyes are open. l know all about"
 You don't know nothing about any. thing" snapped the other. "Jose's got it in for Mrs. Austin"
 You said you didn't know him."
 ''Well, l don't. He's never been to SSC hiS III HIS IlS Uut=lllS SNeeluedFt has. Rosa Morales comes regular"
 Rosa Jose's sweetheart '"
 'Yes. Her and Jose have joined out together since you shot Panfilo, and they're framing something"
 What, for instance?'
 The fortune-teller hesitated. 'I only wish I knew ae said slowly. 'It looks to be like q Killing
 Dave nodded. 'probably Is. Jose would like to g$t ie. and of course the girl"
 "oh. they doE't aim to get you. You ain't the one they're after."
 "No? Who, then?"
 q 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 earv- ing no epitaph for you. From what I've dug out of Rosa. he's acting for a third party-somebody with pull and lot of coin-but who it is I don't know. Anyhow, he's cooking trouble for the Austins, and 1 want to stand from under"
 Now that the speaker had dropped all pretense, he answered Dave's ques- tions without evasion and told what he knew. It was not much, to Dave's 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
 
 telligence on this subject that came his way.
 On the following day Dave's 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 Stranges words. he decided that, before going. he ought to advise Alaire of the fel- 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 well 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 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.
 Aiaire had gone to her favorite after dinner refuge, a nook on one of the side galleries, where there was a wide swinging wicker couch and there in restful ohscurity fragrant with flow. CTS, she had prepared to spend the evening with her dreams.
 She did not hear Daves 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 1 stepped forth full-clad.
 She rose and met him, smiling "How did you know I wanted to see you| she inquired.
 Dave took her hand and looked down at her, framing commonplace reply. But for some reason the words lay un- SDOken mon his tongue AIaire'S in-