New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-05-23
CHAPTER xxvII-Continued.

*
The night was bright with stars
bright as day, isn't itf" Because hel
voice vas curt. and she had not USED
his name. the rising infection helped
little! Hateful, to stumble over {
rut in the road! OF course, he'd make
her take his arm OF course!
Itickard grasped her elbow. She
walked along, her head high. hei
cheeks flaming. anger surging through
her ut his touch.
Stupid to press this cOm~panionshlp
this awkward silence on her. If ne
thought she was going to entertain
him, AS Gerry did, with her swift chat
ter, he'd be surprised! ANY other two
people would fail into easy give-and-
take, but what could she, lines Har-
din, find to chatter about with this
man stalking along. gyimly grasping
her arm? Close as they were, his touch
reminding her every minute, between
them walked her brother and her
brothers wife-and there was the
MeXican-hateful memory OF curse
she could not be casual. And she
would not force IL. He had brought
this about. Let him talk. then!
Oppressive that silence. Then 1t
came to her that she would ask him
the question that his coming had abort
cd. \ glance mt his face found him
smiling. lie found it amusing? Not
for worlds, then, would she speak. And
they Stalked along. Unconsciously she
had pulled herself away from him. He
took her hand and put ii in the crotch
Of his arm. That's better" he said.
She wondered if he were still smiling.
Their pa:h led by his tent. Neither
of them E0tioaa a subdued light
through the canvas walls. AS they
reached the place a figure darted from
the door.
'Oh, senior, | thought you would
never come II was the wife of NAL
donado. Her expression was lost on
Times. The face was quivering with
tcrror.
"AIr. Richard" lines words like
s%ciclcs, IL will leave you here. 1t is
quite UNNECESSARY to come farther"
QU>~ unveiled her meaning!
1t came 50 1"ickly that he was not
ready nor indeed had Gerty's innuen-
doet yet reached him. But the situation
was uncomfortable. He turned sharp
iy TO the Mexican.
Gene ia" he took her roughly by
Che arm. She would wake up the camp
with her crying. lie put her in n chair.
"NoW tell your story" The woman
had got to be Il Nuisance. He couldn't
have her coming around like tins. He
had seen that kpot ;r SO girls eyes
"Murder,'l?' Ma did you say was
dlurderedt'
She lifted a face, frightened into
haggardness. "Maldonado and the
girl"
The night was stripped to the trag-
edy. "You found them?"
Her face was lifted implorlngly to
him. "Oh, senior, 1t was not |. BY the
Mother of Christ, it was not l."
Richard was not sure. Her fear
made him suspect her. "Who was it,
you thihk?"
"Felipe." she gasped. "IIe got away
from the rurales-he came back. He
went home-there was no one there.
Some one told him where she had
gone. lie came TO M~aldOnado's. Lu.
crezia, the eldest, opened the gate. He
was terrible, she said. lie rushed past
her. And when he came out his hands
were red. The children heard cries.
They were afraid to 20 in. ! got there
last night. ] vent in. They were not
quite cold was afraid to stay. Ii
would look like me, senior. VIII they
take me. senor?" She was u wreck
terror.
mot If what you tell me is true.
Now, get to bed. I'll give you some
thing that will make you sleep" lie
her u and prepared the
draught.
He wondered as he got into bed as
60 the truth of her story. Disgusting,
such animal terror, Awkward hole.
that. Fate seemed possessed to queer
him with those Hardins.