Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-24


jailer, not husband. So must be
careful"
"Well, when you meet the girl you
truly fall desperately in love with, and
she reciprocates your passion"
"She,' quoth Don Jaime Miguel
Higuenes solemnly, shall be the mother
of my children"
Where? Here?"
Where she will, my friend" Don
Jaime replied with simple sincerity.
Then, Jimmy" said Ken Hobart,
1T hope, for purely selfish reasons,
you'll meet your fate before long and
thai she'll refuse to marry you until
you sell this ranch and move to Hous-
ton or Dallas or San Antoine Or"
THE Higuenes men do not take
orders from women" Don jaime In
terrupted. And this rancho will never
be sold. Four generations of my family
have owned it and fought for 1t. love
it,.
well, If she asks it, you'll buy her
a town house and live there with her
part of the year, will you not?"
Asking is not ordering or delivering
ultimatums---"
Ultimate, Jimmy" the ranger cor
rected him mischievously.
"At any rate" Don Jaime resumed.
declining the argument, lit would be
well, when some girl starts leading
you, you'll need a good manager for
this ranch, Jimmy. I'm growing weary
of the reckless, modestly paid life OF
a ranger at least I could be de-
pended on to keep this range free OF
sheep"
''There are also bandits from below
the border who raid my cattle. The
cemetery of the Rancho Vale Verde
has grown fast of late years"
Border fighting Is right up my alley,
James, old son."
"As a ranger you fight with the law
behind you. You start with moral
victory. But as manager of this ranch,
which God placed too close to the Rio
Grande for comfort, you would have to
be very careful 1t Is better to be the
head of q mouse than the tail Of lion.
However, friend Ken, If the time should
come for me to tie myself to q girls
apron strings shall send for you"
Don Jaime lifted from the floor beside
his chair copy of a pretentious maya
zine devoted to country life in America.
Here is photograph OF girl" ne
said, turning the pages indolently,
whose face and figure would cast q
halo over Texas. Now, If she were as
good and sweet and womanly as she
is beautiful-'Miss Roberta Antrim,
he interrupted himself to read from the
caption, Zone of the enthusiastic men,
bers of the Westchester County Hunt,
mounted on her crack hunter Croppy
Boy Must be an Irish hunter" DON
Jaime opined. Look at that, Ken, and
see If you can work up a cheer or two"
The ranger studied the page casually.
"Well, why don't you pull out for West
chester County, N. Y, secure an intro
duction to her and see If she's too good
to be true or otherwise? At least you'd
start with one advantage. She was still
unmarried when this magazine went 70
press"
zone Antrim at a time, Ken. When
I'VE disposed of Tom 1t will be time to
dream Of having look at Roberta"
"You aren't afraid they're related, are
Don Jaime favored his guest with q
whitening glance. "a man named Jim
Hobart was hanged at Austin last
week." he retorted. "Was he a relative
of yours-this train robber and MUIR
derer?"
"Yes." Ken Hobart answered evenly,
che was my half-brotller. And I
tracked him and captured him. A
black sheep will crop out in the best OF
regulated families, you know" !,
Don james hand caressed that OF
his friend. II did not know, am
sorry, my friend"
Ken Hobart turned bleak eyes upon
his host. "I want to quit the rangers,
Don Jimmy. wasn't testing when I
said I'd Ike to be the manager Of
Rancho Vale Verde, If you should ever
need me-"
"You are the man I have been seek
ing, Ken. When you reach town to-
morrow wire your resignation to the
Governor of Texas, and as soon as you
are released return here"
Hope you'll be here when arrive,
Jimmy. You've got to fight that Antrim
OUTFIT. ind when you do, be careful.
I really want this job"
eff am still here, you will be assist
ant manager. If am not here you will
be general manager and executor OF my
estate. will make q new will tonight.
Your salary will never be less than the
one you enjoy at present. Write your
own ticket" he added, with touch
of the tremendous prodigality OF his
Castilian blood. PRODUCTIVITY developed
to an excess growth doubtless because
of the tremendous inconsequence Of his
rugged environment.
"Thank you. Don jaime" Never
again would Ken Hobart address his
realizing this, offered no protest, since
to him, to the hacienda born. lord of
/ 900 900 acres and 5000 head Of cattle,
this was as it should be.
Il think" said Don Jaime Miguel
Higuenes presently. that I must start
now to pick those figs. The birds are
raising the devil with the ripe ones.
My REORGANIZATION planted those
figs" he added, with just touch of
pride. ''I have been thinking It would
be a very shame If departed this
world leaving none Of my line to care
for them. 4. Well. now that ! shall
be tied to this ranch no longer I sup
pose I must look around. ;"
He. strolled away under the fig
trees. To weary, sleepy Ken Hobart
distance, the f1ute-like tones of Don
waltz that had been composed 500 years
before, inspired by the exit Of the
Moors from Granada.
THAT boy and O gringo fiapper would
get along together as comfortably as
two tom cats tied tail to tail and
thrown over clothes line" the ranger
decided. Guess I'll have time for a
SieSta before Flavio draws my bath.
Hum -rn-m! Strolling around his old
fashioned garden, picking ripe figs and
dreaming of his proud ancestors and
his duty to posterity. And within 48
hours there's at least so per cent
chance he'll de dead! Good ladl He's
one of the last survivors Of fast
race. Guess I'll have
to arrange to be present at the battle
shoot myself out of a good job as
general manager of Rancho Verde.
What's the odds? I'll let the tail go
with the hide Tom Antrin's got