New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-04-18

II did not know 1t until we got
here. There was a message from Mac
Lean at the desk, waiting"
MacLean was not there, either!
"We are all ready" she cried
MRS. Hatfield and Mr.. Richard cannot
come" Not for worlds would she give
In to her desire to call the whole
grim affair off; let them think she
was disappointed, not she. Though
the world blew away, she would 20.
She found herself distributing slips
of mangled quotations. The white
slips went to the women; the green
bits of pastebOard to the men. She
held Il certain green card in her
glove: Leads on to fortune" Rick
ard might come dnshing in at the last
moment, the ideal mans way; a spe-
cial, perhaps; it did not seem credible
that he would deliberately stay away
without sending her word.
In a burst Of laughter, the com.
pany discovered then that the guest
Of honor vas also absent. Mrs.
Hardin hurried them out to the wait
Ing buggies.
Drearlly, they drove down the fly
ing street. The wind was at their
backs, but it tore at their hats, pulled
at their tempcrs. Their eyes were
full of street dust.
A flash Of light as they were leav-
ing town frightened the thick dust
clouds. "What was tlIat?" cried Gerty.
She was ready for any calamity now.
Not ~lightning? Again, the queer
light flashed across the obscured sky.
Tom rOused himself to grOwl that he
hadn't seen anything. And the dreary
farce went on.
lnnes' partner was young Sutcliffe,
the English zanjero. He was in the
q%uicksand of Il comparison between
English and American women, Innes
mischievOusly coaxing him into deeper
waters, when there was II blockade
of buggies ahead of them.
"The A b G ranch" cried lines,
peering through the veil of dust at
the queer unreal outlines Of fences
and trees. "It's our first stop"
"Oh, l say, that's too bad" began
Sutcliffe. lines was already on the
road, her skirts whipped by the wind
into clinging drapery.
Gerty's party found itself disorgan-
lied. Partners We're trying to find
or lose each other. Get in here"
lines heard the voice of Estrada be-
hind her. He had a top buggy. She
hailed a refuge.
splendid! |" she cried. "What a
relief" Climbing in, she said: II
hope this isn't upsetting Gerty's ar
%rangement."
Arrangement! Look at them! |"
The women were Fastening out Of the
dust swirl into any haven that Of
Tered. With little creams of dismay,
they ran like rabbits to cover.
Gerty found herself with Blinn. At
The next stop there was a block of
Duggies. "NO use changing again :"
She acknowledged herself beaten.
Let's go on. What are they stopping
Dismal farce it all was!
She was pushing back her disheart-
,ned curls when the beat of horses
loOfs back of them brought the blood
back into her wind-chilled cheeks.
'Rickard!" she thought. "He must
come in a special" TIE gloom
suddenly ~disgorged MacLenn.
Hardin Where is hc?"
"What's up?" yelled Ninn. "IA 1t
he riverY' MacLcan's face answered
lin. His ranch secured again-"God
Almighty"
THE river!" screamed the women.
The men were surrounding MucLean,
whose horse was pranclng as if with
he Importance of having carried a
revere. "The levee!" called Mac.
4ean. "Where's HardinY He spurred
lis mare toward Hardin, who was
than Napoleon at Austerlitz.
you're needed. They're all need
d." The other voices broke in, the
pressing up. This threatened
hem all. Blinn's ranch lay in the
avaged sixth district. Nothing would
ave him. YOungberg belonged to
company number one; their
itches would go. HOLSTER and vii.
on of the PalO Verde saw ruin ahead
f them. Each man was visualizing
he mad onward sweep of that de-
power. Like ghosts, the
omen huddled In the dust-blowr
Dad.
"Where is 1t now?" demanded Blinn.
"It's here, right on us. You're all F,
eeded at the l%evee," bawled Mac
can.
The levee! There was a dash for
uggies. a scraping of wheels, the
hinnying of frightened horses. Some
ne recalled the flashes of light they
ad seen on leaving town. ."What
ere those lights-signals?"
"FrOm the water-tower." MacLean's
Dice split the wind. 1.-The wires are
down between the Crossing and the |
WINS. COrOnel was on the tower-he
1t the signal from the Heading-he's =,
zen there each night for a week 7" ]
was a great night-fOr his chief,
:
Gerry Hardin caught the thrill of
8 hero-worshlp. How splendid, how
lines found herself in her brothers
lggy. His horse, under the whip, |
lshed forward. Suddenly he pulled t
back on its launches, narrowly 6
a jam. where's Mac c
+
The boy rode back. who's call b
g met" r