San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-17

I binary in that Lightnin' horse" as hi:
master had said zee.
Now, at his riders call he caught 6
great breath into his lungs, dropped hi:
| slim belly down to mother carth-an6
simply ran away from Dollar. the best
horse in the range country hitherto.
Far out ahead he poked his nose
under the wire-and came down from
his speed as quickly as he could, a gen.
tleman always.
The crowds were yelling and Va
wiped a hand across her misty eyes.
"Siff." she said unsteadily, I'VE
don't want Redstar to run! Not ever
Lightning's good enough for us, J"
With tingling delight the girl watch.
ed the other heats of the rest OF the
races, and when the great day was
over Dawnlight was in disgrace for
ever. the younglings had won name
by finishing two heats out of three
nose and nose with Silkskin, while
nothing in the entries had kept in
sight of Lightning .
Its been a great day" she said
happily as she walked through the
dust with Stiff down to the corrals to
talk it all over with the boys, and to
pet the shining beauties, one by one.
"Dawnlight. poor girl" she said
pityingly. ''why is 1t that you are
cursed with such vile temper:"
But Briston took them all, victor
and vanauished alike, into the shelter
of his wise care and dusk found them
blanketed and close-herded in their
corral. their names. and John Han
mons on the lips of all the rangeland.
Once more hal the Boss Of Para
disc proved his passion for 1.-THE best
in its line"
With the coming Of twilight Val
vanished from Perly's watchful eyes
into the recesses of the Hudson House
to prink and preen with the girl from
up north. to emerge with the first
stunning of the fiddles across the
road at Hunnewell's. sweet as a dark
flower in her white dress with the red
sash, the Spanish shoes. the rose be-
hind her ear-which same big bud
had ridden wr: ped in wet cotton in a
little wooden box in the bundle--and
with the red feather fan hung to her
brown wrist by ribbon.
In the middle of the bunch from
Paradise-all save Dirk whose first
watch it was at the corrals-she en-
tered the great room the store where
everything movable-sav@ and except
the bar-had been removed. and she
was proud as any queen riding be-
tween her loyal subjects-proud with
the pride of Paradise.
CHAPTER VIII
A Rustier's Hand.
Hunnewelrs store had been cleaned
and decorated for the occasion. The
erstwhile dim windows shone clear.
the worn floor had been swept and
smoothed with sand and water. while
from the smoky rafters hung yards and
yards of Snc:cnt bunting which had
seen many Fourth.
In the northeast corner platform
had been erected and on it sat two
men. their fiddlcs pressed to their
shoulders. or held on their knees while
they frightened and picked judicially
at the whanging strings.
There was a surge of cowboys across
the floor. great bowling. rustic %
rising women. and the voice OF the
caller cutting high above the music.
Git yore partners
HunneweH's was a large structure.
On the cleared floor four sets could
dance with ease at once.
A garden of butterflies. n close of
variegated flowers. web of color. was
Hunncwell's floor that night. Cow
boys in gay silk shirts. studded belts.
corduroys and soft ''store" shoes. led
out girls and women in all tints OF the
rainbow.
"S'lute yer pardner."
The web sank and rose in pillows
with the bowling heads.
Lead tn lady an shun tn gent :"
Hands reached for hands like scut-
tering leaves in wind.
Back to tn place from whar yc
VENT
The web broke and moved. swift.
scintillant. gay. mass of swishing
skirts, of slipping feet. of happy eyes
of laughter and of light. and the dance
was in full swing.
In the thick of it moved Val Han
non. sweet. smiling. her dark checks
flushed like the sunsets on the meSas.
her dark eyes sparkling like harbor
lights. Opposite her danced Briston.
whose place and honor it was to
have the first dance by reason of his
standing at Paradise. The foreman