The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-02-16
CHAPTER vi

II OBERTA shopped for two
weeks, spent another two weeks
on a houseboat party among the
Thousand islands, and departed for
Los Algodones.
"Where shall / address You,
| Bobby? Crooked Bill queried. tat
the Mansion. house, in Los Ago
dones?'' ~ =. 81 =
mo, dear. Address me in care of
Don jaime Miguel Higuenes." II
"What?" Crooked Bill started as
If bee stung. "You going to put up
at the Higuenes hacienda? Why
why, the mans bachelor"
"How do you know?'
"I've been making inquiries about
him." P ~
SWELL, his housekeeper, Mrs.
Candy, has written me, inviting me
to be his guest. Don jaime was. ill
at the time and couldn't write me
personally, but he did write, at the
bottom of Mrs. Ganby's letter, 'Of i-
cial: ]. NJ. H. Mrs. Candy says
they have a lovely place and that
I'll be much more comfortable at
the Rancho Vale Verde than at any
| hotel in the country
Crooked Bill was assailed by the
feeling that, in some inexplicable
way, his well-laid plans were
doomed to, go aft agley. you'll
write me frequently and tell me all
about it, won't you, honey?"
Roberta promised and kissed him
good-by.
/ Five days later she and Mignon,
her maid, with three huge trunks
and five pieces of hand baggage,
were deposited on lonely. sun
warped platform at the little flag
. station of Vale Verde.
A quarter of q mile out on the
i plain, in a compact mass. huge
herd Of white-faceds cattle were
. milling slowly and believing con-
tinuously.
| ''Why, there must be thousands
! of them!" Roberta gasped, and
was grateful that the station plat
form. which was at least five feet
off the ground. appeared to offer
reasonable sanctuary from attack.
From around the corner of the
station a man appeared, hat in
hand. Miss Antrim?" he queried.
Eyes, indeed" said Roberta
gratefully, and waited for him TO
name himself. 1
s'I'm Bill Dingle, your Uncle
Toms general manager. l got your
letter tellin' me you'd arrive today
and instructin' me to meet you at
the Higuenes rancho tomorrow"
"Yes." Roberta murmured. won
dering If she ought to introduce
Mignon to Mr.. Dingle, who was
cycling the maid as a fresh COW In
a pasture eyes dog.
/ $50 l thought I'd meet you here.
miss, and explain to you how come
| it won't be possible for me TO meet
! you there" Mr.. Dingle went on.
his embarrassment increasing at
every word. Its about twenty
mile straight east from here to
! your Uncle Toms ranch. which Is
your ranch now, | reckon, and +
| figgered maybe it'd be better for
all hands If you put up there In,
stead of at the Higuenes rancho
/ Il ~ II lx,sl
be as safe and comfortable there
i rs anywhere"
"That is very kind of yon. Mr..
Dingle." Roberta hesitated. then.
in her usual frank manner. plunged.
"Wly is it impossible for you to
meet me at the Higuenes rancho.
Mr.. Dingle?'
/ Mr.. Dingle scuffed foot along
the station platform and his embar-
rassment increased visibly. swell.
ma'am. in this country. when fel
ler's enemy warns him not to set
/ foot on his ranch again until he's
sent for. unless he wants to he made
a cOlander ont of. it's reasonable
to fgger the warnin's MEANT
"WhO warned your
'Don Jaime Higuenes."
j Indeed. Why. had no idea Don
Jaime Higuenes was such blood.
! thirsty man. Is the trouble he
tween you something that cannot
be rectified? should be happy to
act as peacemaker. Mr.. Dingle.'
Bill Dingle remembering his Of
| lenses. was honest enough to de
clare that the trouble could MOI be
rectified and added something about
the easiest way ont of trouble he
| ing TO 60 around it. Then he was
silent for quite a while. meanwhile
scuffing his toe and gazing bit
helplessly around the horizon
Finally he said: 81 reckon you
didn't think as much of your Uncle
Tom as he used to let on y0n did.
Don't YOU feel no resentment agin
the man that murdered him?'
Not the slightest. From all that
we can learn. officially Uncle Tom
! was NOT murdered II seems no i'm