The Washington times., 1923-03-05

with that Ortiz chap coming y
in-after hours? 1t won't do.
He isn't-one of our family, ~
smiled Ralph Lacy protectingly: y
found myself liking this and
yet bristling In defiance of it.
'I won't be alone said,
Mabel Storrs is coming
Then I realized that must pre-
vent Mabel coming. Only my
tiredness and the rush WITH
which event and been following IS
event had permitted this blunderaissss
The last thing could afford to
permit was that Mabel and young
Ortiz should meet in my office 80
today-and during discussion of :
the very matter Rosa didn't want i
Mabel to know about. Indeed. 4
the whole program for the eve i
ming must be changed or else Z
Rosa-and with good cause ac-4ie
cording to her lights-could ac-
| cuse me of bad faith. -
Then in walked Mabel. q
Hello, dear. I'm afraid I've let
you in for a bad quarter of an :
hour?" I cried. .'Manuelo Ortiz 4
will be here any minute. And q
Ralph Lacy's coming back-prob-l 4
ably bringing Park. Do you want =
to run away or hide in the inner
office or do anything else pleas
antly meIodramatic."
I'll stay and face the guns.
said Mabel grimly. eff there's q
any firing maybe Payne Parkin- 4
son. third. will be a nice, chival.
rous lad and protect me. If his :
friendship can't stand up under
Manuelo's malice I might as well
know it,
You're funny" / replied dryly. Hr
| thinking how little Mabel sus- 80.
pected the potentialities OF just :
the situation she was sketching.
/ And then Manuelo Ortiz ap.
peared in the doorway. saw at -
once that his manner was guarded -
and cautious. He was mystified
in my sending for him and didn't
purpose to let me get any advan.
tage that would displease Rosa.
In one moment he conveyed this.
In the next he caught sight of
Mabel. Then he froze into hard -
immobility. Only his eyes glinted
maIiciously as he cried with seem 2
ing nonchalance: Il
Here am I, Mrs Harrison. Sos.g
fast 1 come like the wind, and so ~
quick again blow me out after it III
is that I do whatever it is yousa
say"
"Mr. Ortiz" I replied at once, I
I'm puzzled over the motive this !
to put you in touch with Dick =
4 West. Do you think it was just e
blunder-or was there some :
thing back of it?''
''Oh, it was just nothing" re-
piled young Ortiz lightly, snap
ping his fingers carelessly.
Gould you arrange to have me
meet this Senior Mateixa and qt1es- =
ton him?' I asked.
"Fancho does not speak the >
American replied young Ortiz
sullenly.
Are you convinced that he had ,
no motive?'I persisted. .'It all
seems so useless unless there was
an idea back of it, Why should
he suggest your meeting Dick
West? Why bring some one along
you might be fooled into accept.
ing"
"Fooled-that is it" interrupted
young Ortiz eagerly. sit is to
have some of the horseplay with >
me that Pancho does this. And I
turn on him the saddle when I
know it isn't Senior West he
brings. See? We are both young
and we like to make OF each
other monkeys. Pancho and I.
At home Pancho is not mucr, and
here he thinks to make with me
intimacy by bringing to me the
somebody who shall for me pry
off the lid from the town? That
| 10 ~. N4OES ! tLdFC IlOt~ 10 say
to you! And now l go. Buenas
noches, Senora-Senorlta," he
added venemously, and departed.
| Mabel sat silent for a moment.
Then she arose. tiptoed across r
the room. opened the door very
cautiously and peered into the
shadows of the hall. There was
something almost serie In her
manner when she returned.
"I should say Paneho Mateixa :
wasn't In the Ortiz social set!'
she cried. '"rhere's a feud be- :
tween the two families, The =
Ortiz bunch received the Ma
texas. Paneho would never speak /. :
to Manuele without a purpose. !:
! wonder IL the purpose concerns -
only them-or II it has to do =
with us9" -
To BE Continued Tomorrow. -