The Coolidge examiner., 1933-02-10

apolOgetically TO the table and he
appeared to forget Roberta to be-
come absorbed in the dogs, feeding
them strips of bacon and little
pieces of bread STEPPED in bacon
grease, talking affectionately to
them the while as if they were hu-
man. Roberta reminded herself
that Don Jaime was the first young
man who had ever neglected her
to curry favor with a pair of Eng
lish settlers, and was interested to
discover that she did not resent his
action.
"What are you going to do about
Robbie?" she inquired presently.
"Oh, Robbie. Nothing very much
wrong with him., | suspected the
| fix he was in and, in order to yeri-
fy my suspicious, had Mrs. Can
by bring him here. He's been kept
! in the house because his mother,
| despite the fact that she is
trained nurse, mother-likc cOnsid-
cred him too delicate to he allowed
out very much. She had to make
a living for the two of them, so
necessarily she has been forced to
neglect the boy"
"He adOres you, Jimmy"
"Well, if children and dogs do
not like man that's a sign he had
better begin to take stock of him
self. like Robbie. | like all chill
dren, even terrible children. I'm
godfather TO one hundred and
eighty-seven and after mass this
morning I'll take on the one hun
dred and eighty eighth"
"Why are you so popular, jim
my"
For two reasons. If I'm god
father to the child of one of my
people then, while an Higuenes
lives at Vale Verde, that child will
always dwell under the mantle of
the Higuenes philanthropy. He
can't be fred off the ranch, If he's
a male, and he'll get something in
the way of hope chest If he's n
female"
You strange mani OF course as
godfather you have to promise
that if the parents neglect to give
their child a religious upbringing
you will attend to the matter"
Haven't | built a little church
and haven't padre on my pay
roll? Imported him from Mexico.
The archbishop of this diocese
doesn't know he exists, so the old
boys as free as air. I'm strong
for freedom myself"
rs that why you have never
married? Or have your
81 haven't. When an Higuenes
marries it takes. And | haven't
married because you've been such
a long time showing up at my
| ranch"
''Why, JimmyI !"
II thought for a while I'd surely
have to go to Hillcrest, Dobbs Fer
ry. Westchester county, New York,
and point out to you the error of
your way, but thanks to your
Uncle Tom | was spared that ex-
penSive journey. Then, too, | prob
ably wouldn't have showed to such
good advantage in your country,
because of the competition. | loathe
competition. 1t makes me just a
little bit jealous"
For the life of her Roberta
couldn't help laughing. She had a
habit of laughing at men when they
were proposing to her or on the brink
of it. She was at ease now, no
longer inhibited by some quality in
this man which she had never met
! in any other. If he was in love
with her she had him foul-where-
| fore she laughed.
To her chagrin he laughed with
her, and instantly horrible sus-
picion crossed her mind. Was this
Texas longhorn merely indulging in
a mild Irritation with her? hot
rage swelled in Roberta's heart
and her laughter ceased abruptly
"This is very sudden. Jimmy"
Her voice was cool
THAT habit of being sudden is
a trait that runs in the Hignenes
blood. My father was very sud
den man. When he made up his
mind to marry my mother, he ap
peared at her fathers house and
said to the old man: I've come to
marry your daughter. What have
you got to say about it? Why, moth
ing at all Here's the license and
the priests outside. Where's the
brideY"
"Well, if | had been the bride
your respectable parent would have
received the jolt of his career"
"FiddleSticks !" Don Jaime re
tOrted sharply. "A woman worth
having is a woman worth stealing
My father always declared women
seldom know what they want
They think they want a lot of rO-
nance. when what they're looking
for is a husband who'll organize
the show and run it with firm
hand"
"What do you know about WON
on -,