The Washington herald., 1920-11-16
lWONlANS AFFAIPS: WASHING ON AID ELSEWHERE
An O. Henry Story
Hearts and Crosses

addendum TO the conversation that
had begun ten miles away.
You remember. yourself, Baldy.
that there was q time when Santa
wasn't quite 80 Independent You
remember the days when old Meal
lister was keepin' Us apart. and
how she used to send me the sign
that she wanted TO see met OLD
man Mac promised to make me look
gun-shot OF the ranch. You remem-
Der the sign she used to send Baldy
the heart with a cross inside OF
H?"
''Me?" cried Baldy. with intoxi-
Gated archness.
You old susar-stealing coyote.
Don't ] remember! Why. you dad
blamed old long-horned turtle-dove.
the boys in camp was all cogno-
scious about them hiroglyphs The
'gizzard-and-c we used 70
call e. We used TO see 'em on
truck that was sent out from the
ranch They was marked in char
coal on the sacks of -four and in
lesd-pencil on the newspapers ! see
one Of 'em once chalked on the back
Of a new cook that old man Meal
lister sent out from the ranch
DANCED IL I didn't"
Santa's father" explained Webb
Re' rot , er TO promise that she
wouldn't write TO me or send me any
word That heart-and-cross sign
was her scheme. whenever she
wanted TO see me in particular she
managed TO put that mark on some
thin at the ranch that she knew ID
see- And ] never laid eyes on Il but
what l burnt the wind for the ranch
TIE same night fused 20 see her IN
that coma mott back Of the little
horse-corral."
I'VE knowed it." chanted Bald
but we never let on. We was ali
Tor you We knowed why you al
ways kept that fast paint in camp.
And when we see that gizLsrd-and-
crossbones figured out on the truck
from the ranch we knowed old
Pinto was goin' to eat up miles thai
night instead OF grass. You renem-
Der Scurry - that educated horse
wrangler we had-the college fe,-
low that tangle-foot drove TO tho
ranger Whenever Scurry saw thar
come meet your honey brand on
anything from the ranch, he'd Nsv,
his hand like that. aud say, Our
friend Lee Andrews will again swim
the Hell's point tonight
The last time Santa sent me the
sign" said Webb. was once u-hen
she was sick. noticed il as soor
as hit camp. and I gaIloped Pinto
forty mile that night. She wasn't
al the coma mott. ] went TO the
mouse, and old McAllister met me a.
the door. Did you come here To-
get killedT saws he: III disoblic.
you for once. ] just started a Mexi-
can TO bring you. Santa wants you.
20 IN that room and see her. And
then come out here and see me-
Santa was lyin' in bed pretty
SICK But she gives out a kind Of
4 smile, and her hand and mine lock
horns. and / sets down BY the beo
mud and spurs and chaps and
all. I've heard you ridin' across
the grass for hours Webb she
says. I was sure you'd come. You
saw the sign% she whispers. The
minute i hit camp says /. Twas
marked on the bag Of potatoes aud
onions. They're always together,
says she. soft like-'alwsys togeth-
er In life They so well together
i says. in stew ! mean hearts
and crosses says Santa. our sign
to love and to suffer-thars what
they mean
And there was old Doc Mus
grove emusin' himself with whisky
and Ialrn-leaf fan. And by and by
Santa goes to sleep: and Doc feels
her forehead; and he says TO me
You're not such a bad febrifugc.
But you'd better slide out now: for
the diagnosis don't call for you in
regular doses. The little ladyu be
all right when she wakes up'
i seen old McAllister outside
She's sleepin,' says l. And now
YOU can start in with colander-
work. Take your time: for ! lolt
my gun on my saddlc-horn.'
'Old Mac laughs. and he says L.
me: PUmpin' lead into the boy-
ranch-boss in West Texas dom
seem 20 be good business police
l don't know where I could get ~
good a one. Its the sou-in-law
idea. webb. that makes ne admire
TO use you as a target. You ain't
my idea for a member OF the family.
But ] can use you on the NopalIto
II you'll keep outside Of radlus
with the ranch house in the middl.
OF IL You can Eo upstairs and IA.
down on a cot and when you get
O. SoIllt slGtp We ~ Adlh II tNNls
Baldv Woods pulled down his hat
and uncurled his leg from his sac
dle-horn. Webb shortened his rein.
and his ponv danced. anxious to be
OF. The two men shook hands with
Western ceremony.
"Adios. BaIdy.' said webb. I'm
glad ! seen you and had this talk"
with a pounding rush that sound
ed like the rise of a covey OF quail.
the riders sped away toward dit
ferent points OF the compass. A
hundred yards on his route Baldy
refined in on the top Of a bare knoll
ana emitted a yell. He swsyed on
his horse; had he been on foot, the
earth would have risen and swal-
lowed him: but in the saddle he
was n master Of equilibrium. and
laughed at whisky. and despised the
center Of gravity.
Webb turned in his saddle at the
signal.
III / was you" came Baldy's stri-
dent and perverting tones, I'd be
king!"
At o'clock on the following
morning Bud Turner rolled from
his saddle in front OF the Nopalito
ranch-house, and stumbled with
whiLzing rowels toward the gallery.
Bud was in charge OF the bunch Of
beef-cattle that was to strike the
trail that morning for San Antonio.