The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-06-19
FEATURES. FICTION \
An 9. Henry Story
ROSES OF TONLA.


n International Railroad The
"A south bound from San Antonio
was cut on for the next forty-eight
hours On that train was Tonia
weaver,s Easter hat.
4, Espirition, the Mexican. who had
been sent forty miles in a buck
board from the Espinosa Ranch TO
fetch II, returned with a struggling
shoulder and hands empty, except
for a cigarette. At the small sta
tion. Nopal, he had learned Of the
delayed train, and. having no COM
mands to wait, turned his ponies
toward the ranch again
Now, if one supposes that Easter
the goddess OF spring. cares any
more for the after-church parade on
Fifth avenue than she does for her
loyal outfit of subjects that assem-
BILE at the meeting house at Cactus
Tex a mistake has been made. The
wives and daughters of the ranch
men of the Frio country put forth
Easter blossoms of new hats and
gowns as faithfully as Is done any
where, and the Southwest is. for
one day. a minsling of prickly pear,
Paris and paradise. And now II was
Good Friday. and Tonia Viewers
Easter hat blushed unseen in the
desert air of an impotent express
car. beyond the burned trestle. On
Saturday noon the Rogers girls,
from the Shoestring Ranch. and Ella
Reeves. from the Anchor-O. and
Mrs. Bennett and Ida, from Green
Valley. would convene at the Es-
pinosa and pick up Tonia. With
their Easter hats and frocks care
fully wrapped and bundled against
E.N- =
then merrily jog the ten miles to
Cactus, where on the morrow they
would array themselves. subJugate
man do homage to Easter. and
cause Jealous agitation among the
lilies OF the field.
Tonia sat on the steps OF the
Espinosa ranch house Ticking
gloomf1y with a quirt at a tuft OF
curly mesquite. She displayed a
frovn-and a contumelious lip, and
endeavored to radiate an aura Of
disagreeableness and tragedy.
7 hate railroads" she announced
positively. And men. Men pretend
TO run them Can you give any ex-
cuse why a trestle should burn,
Ida Benefits hat is to De trimmed
with yiolets. / shall not 60 one
step toward Cactus without a new
hat II 1 were a man 1 would
get one
Two men listened uneasily to this
disparagement of their kind One
was wells Pearson. foreman OF the
Mucho Calor cattle ranch. The
other was Thompson Burrows, the
prosperous sheepman from the
QuIntana Valley. Both thought
Weaver. adorable, especially when
she rallied at railroads and men
aced men Either would have given
up his epidermis to make for her
an Easter hat more cheerfully than
the ostrich gives up his tip or the
aigrette lays down It's life. Neither
possessed the ingenuity to cUn-
Ceive a means of supplying the sad
deficiency against the coming Sab
bath. Parsons deep brown face
and sunburned light hair gave him
the appearance OF schoolboy
seized by one OF youths profound
and insolvable melancholies. Tomas
plight -grieved him through anu
through. Thompson Burrows was
the more skilled and pliable. He
hailed from somewhere in the East
originally: and he wore neckties
and shoes and was not made dumb
by women's presence
Creek" said Pearson. scarcely hop
that last rain"
"oh, Was it?~ said Tonia sharp
". Thank you for the informa-
ton suppose a new hat is nothing
to you. Mr.. Pearson. I suppose you
think a woman sought to wear an
old Stetson FIVE years without a
change, as you do. II your old
water-hole could have put out the
FIRE on that trestle you might have
some reason to talk about it."
7 am deeply sorry." said Bur-
rows warned by Parsons fate,
that you failed to receive your hat,
Miss Weaver-deeply sorry. indeed.
II there was anything 1 could
do
Don't bother" interrupted TonIa,
with sweet sarcasm. IF there was
anything you could do. you'd be do
ing IT. of course. There isn't"
Tonia paused. A sudden sparkle
Of hope had come into her eye. Her
frown smoothed away. She had an
Inspiration.
There's a store over at Lone Elm
Crossing on the Nueces," she said.
"that keeps hats. Eva Rogers got
latest style. They might have some
left But it's twenty-eight miles to
Lone Elm"
The spurs OF two men who hastily
arose jingled; and Tonia almost
smiled. The Knights. then, were not
all turned to dust; nor were Their
rowels rust.
"Of course" said Tonia, looking
thoughtfully at a white gulf cloud
sailing across the cerulean dome.
nobody could ride. to Lone Elm
and back by the time the girls call
for me tomorrow. So I reckon I'll
have to stay at home this Easter
Sunday"
And then she smiled
well Miss Tonia." said Pearson.
reaching for his hat, as guTleful
rs . sleeping babe. Il reckon I'll
ee trotting along back to Mucho
Caor. There's some cutting out to
be done on Dry Branch frst thing
IN the morning; and me and Road
Runner has got to be on hand. It's
too bad your hat got sidetracked-
Maybe they'll get that trestle mend
ed yet IN time for Easter
7 must be riding. too, Miss To-
MIA announced Burrows, looking
ut his watch II declare, it's neaSly
o'clock! I must be out at my
hsmbing camp in time to help pen
those crazy ewes"
Tomas suitors seemed to have
been smitten with a need for haste.
They bade her a ceremonious fare
well. and then shook each others
hands with the elaborate and SOL
emn courtesy OF the Southwesterner.