The Raymer enterprise., 1923-08-16
CHAPTER XVI
IS
Bonita.

OsssNS esh NV
-1s-
Bonita.
Having exhausted all the resources
d the mountain. such that had interest
Tor them. Madelii.e's guests settled
quietly down for a rest, which Made
line knew would soon end in q desire
Tor civilized comforts. They were al.
most tired Of roughlng 1t. Helen's dis-
content manifested itself In her re-
mark, Il guess nothing is going to hap
pen. after ALL"
Madeline awaited their pleasure In
regard to the breaking Of camp; and
meanwhile, a. none Of them cared for
more exertion, she took her walks
without them, sometimes accompanied
b one Of the cowboys always By the
stag-houndA One day. while walking
alone, before she realized II she had
gone a long way down 4 dim trail
winding among the rocks. It was the
middle Of summer afternoon. and all
about her were shadows of the crags
crossing the sunlit patches. The quiet
was undlsturbed She went on and on,
not blind to the fact that she was per.
haps going too far from camp, but
riskins 1t because she was sure Of her
way back, and enjoying the, Wild,
eraggy Fecesses that were new to her.
Finally she came out upon bank that
broke abruptly into 4 beautiful little
glade. Here she sat down to rest be-
fore undertaking the return trip.
. Suddenly Russ. the keener Of the
'stag-hounds, raised his head and
growled. Madeline feared he might
have scented 4 mountain-lion or wild
cat. She quieted him and carefully
looked around. The little glade was
open and grassy. with here pine tree.
there boulder. The outlet seemed to
10 down into Z wilderness Of canyons
and ridges. Looking In this direction
Madeline saw the slight, dark figure Of
. woman coming stealthily along un-
der the pines. Madeline was amazed,
then a little frightened, for that
stealthy walk from tree to tree was
sugsestive Of secrecy. II nothing worse.
Presently the woman was Joined by
. tall man who carried q package,
which he gave to her. They came on
up the glade and appeared to be talk.
Ing earnestly. In another moment
Madeline recognized Stewart. She had
no greater feeling Of surprise than had
1t first been hers. But for the next
moment she scarcely thought at all
merely watched the couple approach.
Ing. In fash came back her former
curiosity as to Stewards strange abb
sences from camp, and then with the
return Of her doubt Of him the recog.
nition Of the woman. The small, dark
head, the brown face, the big eyes
Madeline now saw distinctly-be-
tonged to the Mexican girl Bonita.
Stewart had met her there. This was
the secret Of his lonely trips, taken
sver since he had come to work for
Madeline. This secluded glade was 4
rendezvous. He had her hidden there.
Quietly Madeline arose. with a ges-
ture to the dogs, and went back along
the trail toward camp. Succeeding her
surprise was a feeling Of sorrow that
stewart's regeneration had not been
complete. Sorrow gave place to in.
sufferable distrust that while she had
been romancing abeut this cowboy,
Dreaming Of her good influence over
him, he had been merely base. Some
how 1t stung her. Stewart had been
nothing to her, she thought, yet she
had been proud Of him. She tried to
revolve the thing, to be fair to him,
when every instructive tendency was
to expel him, and all pertaining to him,
from her thoughts. And her effort at
sympathy, at extenuation, failed utter.
ly before her pride. Exerting her will.
power, she dismissed Stewart from her
mind.
Madeline did not think Of him again
Ill late that afternoon, when, as she
~as leaving her tent to Join several Of
her guests. Stewart appeared suddenly
In her path.
miss Hammond, saw your tracks
DOWN the trail" he began, eagerly. but
srne was easy and natural. "T'm
tHl-sIhg-weli, maybe you sure got
4he idea"
" do not wish for an explanation" I"
interrupted Madeline.
Stewart gave a slight start. His
manner had a setnblance Of the old.
cool audacity. As he looked down at
her 1t subtly changed.
What effrontery, Madeline thought,
to face her before her guests with an
explanation Of his conduct! Suddenly
she felt an inward flash Of fire that
was pain. 20 strange. so Incompetent
sible, that her mind whlrled. Then an.
ger possessed her. not at Stewart, but
At herself. that anything could rouse
IN her a raw emotion. he stood there,
outwardly cool. serene, with level,
naughty eyes upon Stewart; but In.
wardly she was burning with rage and
shame. r
"Tm sure not going to have you
think" He began passionately, but
he broke of. and slow. dull crimson
blotted over the healthy red-brown Of
his neck and cheeks.
what you do or think. Stewart, Is