Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-07

"Senorita, 1 die for heen. My father
she's die for heem One day We have
beeg fight on the Rio Grande. Those
bandits from Mexico come for steal the
COWS of Don Jaime. Do he steal 1t?
toll you he don't get the chance. Don
Jaime weeth his men cut heem of
from the reever and there IS fight,
and my father he is shoot through the
belly. You know how he die? / tot
you He Gle In the arm of Don Jaime
Higuenes and Don Jaime he weep for
see my father die. But my father she
don care, because she know Don Jaime
theenk so much of her. My father she
know Don Jaime not goin' to see
family of Julio Ortiz to starve. And he
funeral and maybe sometime on the
roundup Don Jaime she sit by the fire
weeth his boys and they get to talk old
times and Don Jaime weel say: Well,
Julio Ortiz was good man."
As the boy spoke he painted picture,
and to the imaginative Roberta every
detail stood forth in bold relief. She
felt her heart swell as the simple peon
told his simple tale; she was impatient
to see Don Jaime Miguel Higueness for
whom men died SO gladly, solaced at the
last with the knowledge that they were
his children and hence. beloved by him.
She gaZed across the lovely valley and
thought:
"An those poor, simple people are
sheltered under the mantle of his
philanthropy. He is the master the
feudal baron. Works with his men.
Sits around campflres at night with
his vaqueros, adjusting himself to COM
radeship with simple, primitive men
and. doubtless, not finding it at all
troublesome. Roberta, you're trembling
on the brink of great adventure"
The car rolled across wooden bridges
over irrigation canals; and on the Dor
ders of a distant field Roberta saw
long queue of teams drawing mowers
down wind. to her. Dozens of hay
wagons were loading and stacking the
nsw-cut alfalfa hav: perhaps hun
dred men were raking and piling it,
The fragrance of the harvest came
pleasantly to the girls senses and it
occurred to her that this valley had
once been dry and barren until meta
morphosed into vast garden by men
of vision. courage and faith. To her
it seemed big, worthwhile thing to
have done-something Homeric. There
was drama in it-poetry, too. She knew
no little man had done this, and that
none but a big man could carry on
with it. And her impatience to meet
Don Jaime Miguel Higuenes increased.
They swept up through the Indian
pueblo and wsre barked at and pursued
by incalcu'able numbers of dogs of
assorted breeds. IF Glenn Hackett
were the overload here he would Danish
those ours Roberta thought, 'tand
justify his act on the ground of eff
ficiency and sanitation, But these
peones must have thir dogs and
doubtless Don Jaime realizes that Let
them have dogs-millions of them.
What affair is it of his? I dare say
he has dogs of his own
Assorted brown children, in varying
degrees of nudity, stared and shouted
at them; fat brown women, seated on
doorsteps or hanging over fences In
homely GOSSIP bowed or curtsied; then
they were through the pueblo and,
rushing up gentle slope, through an
avenue OF oleanderg, past great white
barns and onto thu ancestral home of
Don Jaime Miguel Higuenes. The dusky
, driver sounded his siren long and with
primitive enjoyment in its harsh
disSonanoe: a voice cried within the
high adobe wall that surrounded the
| hacienda and great wrought ron gates
were flung wide to admit them. They
| halted under a red-tiled porte -cochere,
and Mrs. Candy came out to welcome
them.
Don Jaime begged me to present
his excuses for his failure to meet you,
Miss Antrim" she explained. He has
been working cattle with his men the
past two days-they're shipping from
Vale Verde station-and Don Jane
has only just gotten home and is busy
making himself pretty. And this young
lady with you is
MY maid, Mignon, Mrs. Candy"
you are fortunate TO have brought
her with you Don Jaime has Mexican
or Indian maid5--I don't know which
to care for the houge but until /
came he had nobody to train them and
everyth ng has been at SKIES and sew
ems. I've been here about six weeks
and am gradually getting order out OF
chaos. The guests at Vale Verde
Rancho never exceed the guest rooms,
so your maid may have a room next
yours. Do you speak Spanish, Miss
Antrim?"
Unfortunately, no."
""The servants understand nothing
else. am studying the language ana
am beginning to make myself under
stood. You have modern bath with
hot and cold water Dinner Is at g."
Does Don Jaime dress fer dinner"
"He puts on his coat, even when
we haven't got company" Mrs. CANDY
laughed. In this part OF Texas men
readily acquire the comfortable shirt
sleeve habit"
what lovely room!" Roberta ex-
claimed. as she entered. 1t was
large rocm-twice as large as an or
dinarily large New York chamber-and
furnished In an old-world elegance.
In fact, Roberta, who knew something
about such things, was satisfied that
every article of furniture in the room
had come from Spain and was at least
800 years old. The huge. high four
poster bed, with its black and scarlet
mol, s0tN hnN
bed of some forgotten Castilian
princess; there was a chest of drawers
that made her heart ache with the
desire for possession. The windows
opened onto the patio, and the scent
of flowers filled the room. A cluster
OF roses occupied vase on the dress
ing table.
them here himself" Mrs. Candy in
formed her. He was III great dis
tress at having you arrive day earlier
than we expected you ! fear you
didn't figure your time table correctly,
Miss Antrim. Yes, this is the incest
room in the house. 1t was formerly
Don james mothers room"
There were number of family por-
traits hung along the walls, old-fash-
Toned mementos of forgotten line of
Higuenes rancheros and warriors, maids
and dowagers. us there a portrait of
Don Jaime here?" Roberta inquired
II have never met him, you know"
There was one here to6ay-why, it's
gone! Don Jaime must have removed
1t himself Miss Antrim. Well. you'll
meet him at dinner. and dinner will
be served shortly after you have tided
yourself up hit. Don't hurry"
She departed and Roberta settled
down in a rocking-chair while Mignon
removed her shoes, undressed her and
prepared her bath. She chose her
gown very carefully. She wanted to
look her best when she should meet