The Washington times., 1934-12-20

04!eA1C4y LICK IlpCoed up the
porch, and standing just inside
the door, called to her, "Que
linda, chica mia!"
The song stopped. The girl
raised her head, and with a glad
little cry ran to him. Over the
olive skin a deeper flush had
crept and for a breathless mo-
ment she stood hesitant before
him.
"Dios!" The voice was trem.
ulous. How glad 1 am"
Very gently Dick laid his hand
on the thick, blue-black hair.
Little Lolita" he said softly.
and for a time his eyes dwelt
strangely on the quiet, hushed
melancholy beauty of her face.
"Ycu have heard nothing?"
he asked at length.
Nothing"
"Paciencia."
CHAPTER IA
He unfastened his spurs and
dropped them outside the door,
What of the little one?" Voice
lowered, he spoke now in the
lsping Spanish of the border.
Proudly and very softly she
answered, HE grows. He is with
the people of my sister,"
mo one knows?"
"NN NY7o hJ1t Yyo11 n~l 10
STOPPING. Dick took her face
between his hands and kissed
her. "Esta bien," he murmured.
Again the color mounted to
her cheeks and after a moments
silence she said, my mother is
happy that she may watch over
your hacienda. I go to tell her
you are back. She has caused
to be made for you all those
dishes you like best on this night
OF your returning"
Prophetic Symbol
Quickly the girl passed from
the room, while Lowell's eyes
followed her, then, seized with a
sudden impulse, he walked to a
locked closet and taking a key
from his pocket, opened it.
Reaching to the upper shelf he
found a box of cartridges living
beside a holster heavy with a
:38 automatic. and carrying
them to the center table, he
cleaned the weapon with more
than usual care. Slipping each
cartridge, testing each one to be
sure it entered the barrel
smoothly.
Minutes passed. So intent was
he on this task that a light foot
step on the porch fell unheeded,
and not until a long shadow fell
within the room did Lowell raise
his head to find himself gazing
into the steady eyes of Nick
Sari. Behind him, just outside,
leaning against the door, stood
the man that the border
ranchers knew and hated as
Bull Pablo.
Neither stirred. Motionless
and tense they waited while that
long, grotesque shadow cast by
the setting sun lay like a pro-
phetic symbol between them
and only the ticking of a clock
above the fireplace filled the
silent room.
Surging within Dicks heart
raced the fierce exultation of
impending conflict. Once his
glance passed to the dark, ma.
lignant face of Pablo, then
slowly returned to Nick. "You
lose little time. amigo" he said
evenly, at last.
II came by plane"
Dick smiled. positively touch
ing to know you couldn't en-
dure my absence more than a
week."
Why not-we've been so in
innate for the past months.
The voices of both men had
altered ominously. 1t was as
if for the first time the thin,
strained veil of neutrality had
been torn aside, and now the
implacable enmity between
these two stood nakedly revealed.
Sari's eyes dropped to the black,
shining weapon on the table,
and a look of amusement
crossed his features.
Going hunting?"
Swapping the magazine into
place, Lowell returned the auto
matte to its holster. THAT de-
pends. I might. I'm impulSive
sbout those things. You know,
gun-toting seems to be suddenly
popular around Verde"
Beneath sari's short NOUS
tache his white teeth cleaned