The Coolidge examiner., 1933-02-03

sion will cause him to bestir him
self"
Roberta laughed again-softly,
suddenly, for again she had a swift
vision Of Glenn Hackett and COM
pared the activities of his law office
with the somnOlent status of DOn
Prudencio's legal mill
Il feel like Alice in Wonderland"
she declared suddenly.
Speaking Of bees and birds and
sealing wax, and cabbages and
kings" said Don Jaime, Il am sin
cerely delighted to have sold Prudy
to yOn. He's so slow. so deliberate;
! know he'll Just lengthen out your
visit TO the Rancho Vale Verde un.
til you get 10 like the country. just
now you think my cOuntrys bare
and lonely and desolate, but-it will
grow on You. To one accustomed To
wide horizons there is born. in Tex
as, feeling that one is lost. But
presently one discovers that out of
all this loneliness and vastness a
surprising number of go0d-natured
and contented people come; they're
friendly and they do not talk too
much, although they do talk to the
point. III miss my guess a mile
If you find yourself without a seri-
Gus interest in Texas. Mees-I
mean NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
He's secretly excited and dis
turbed," Roberta thought. PRO
nouncing i as 'e' wish dinner
were over"
Providentially. II was not a long
course dinner, such as Roberta had
expected would be served and which
she had looked forward to with
dread. a soup, a salad. a roast. two
vegetables. light dessert and black
coffee. That was 'all.
"He runs his household like a SEN
sible man. at any rate" the girl re-
fected.
She watched humming bird fit
ting from flower to flower. saw a
quail come forth and bear away
crust tossed him by Don Jaime
Then. as the shadows heightened.
the mocking birds. replete with food
and happy. perched in a lime tree
and paid for their meal In melody.
Roberta had never heard a Spanish
mocker before and was delighted
with the beauty and variety of their
extensive repertoire
"You are fond OF muslc?" Don
Jaime queried.
Roberta nodded and he tossed n
quick order in Spanish TO one Of his
dusky maids.
From behind the climbing passion
vines on the gallery across the patio
n guitar was strummed: Roberta
heard the mellow notes Of a harp
as unseen fingers ran the scale.
Then girls without much
volume. but wondrously sweet and
sympathetic--com to sing
la Golondrina."
"When am unhappy" Don Jaime
explained. they sing that sad song
to me and make me unhappier."
why don't you have them sing
something joyful?"
"My dear Miss Antrim. no Hig-
gins ever wants TO be made happy
when he's unhappy. It's like enjoy
ing poor health. We must feed our
racial melancholy"
'You incorrigibIe Celt Are these
professional entertainers brought
out from Los AlgodonesT
NO. they're part of the ranch as
sets. The harp has been In our
family since the first Higgins emi-
grated to Madrid Hello. bub. you
getting sleepy? Tired after your
long ride today. eh?"
Robbie had left his chair and
climbed up into Don .Iaime's lap:
his thin little arm was around the
brown. powerful neck his head
cuddled under the big square chin
Don Jaime held him close with his
left arm. and Roberta noticed that
with his right hand he gently mas
saged the atrOphied muscles of the
boys left leg.
The purple shadows crept over
the patio. the music sObbed and
monrned behind the passion vines.
Presently Don Jaime shook Rob
bic gently. "COme. son." he said
softly. "Say your prayers-in Span
ish. as have taught yon. Nuestro
padre"
The sleepy voice spoke halting-
ly the unfamiliar words, the man
prompting from time to time. When
the prayer was finished he rose and.
with the boy in his arms. stopped
over Mrs. Candy that she might kiss
her son good night. Then he passed
around the table to Roberta's chair.
"Innocence and helplessness." Ro
herta heard him murmur. who
could not love it 7" He stopped over
her and lowered the boy until the
childish lips brushed her cheek:
then he bore the lad off to bed.
The two women exchanged
glances. the mothers eyes were
moist. THAT is the Latin in him.