The Washington times., 1934-12-18

kuIS XII WIN SdG UClOIC uIIIls
Without a word he dropped
beside her, and raising her
hand, touched it to his lips.
you're darling to do all this"
he said gently.
Think you deserve new cur
tains and swept floors after
leaving us for six months?"
There was laughter in her voice
but it was softer than before.
Have they been long, Nora?"
Her eyes looked out at the
Sloping rays of the morning
sun and a little breeze rippled
the brown, thickly clustered
hair.
"They passed." she answered
simply.
Did they bring any change?"
She refused to understand
him. "You saw how Verde's
changed"
Single Purpose
II wasn't thinking of Verde"
Their eyes met and held, then
after a moment the girl leaned
her head back against the rail-
ing and through long lashes re-
garded him thoughtfully. Per
hapS I'm to reach the comfort
Ing conclusion that you're think
ing of me-"
"Mindreader!"
She smiled, and reaching for
ward, rumpled his hair. mo, I
haven't changed. Not even a lit
tie bit" Her tone had altered
just a shade. Have you?"
But his own eyes were no
longer smiling. II WONDER" he
said at last. Perhaps I have.
Father once said that life to me
was just an adventure, lark.
Maybe he was right. Certainly
nothing seemed important
enough to greatly bother about.
Nobody ever seemed greatly to
matter except my two pals
you and Bruce"
His face hardened. Then
they got Bruce. That changed
me. And when I became certain
that Bruce's death was linked
up with Sari's game I realized
that for me life holds one pur-
pose-to rid the border of Nick
Sari and all his vermin." Rising,
he flicked his cigarette into the
path and smiled. That's enough
for the serious part of life-I
still can stand the sober side of
the world only in moderately
small doses"
For a long moment he looked
at her then out at the flaming
desert where wavering heat
waves were already rising. "It'S
great" he exclaimed at last, and
his, strong hands raised in
gesture of sheer felicity. "It's
great to be back. Whether
Verde's changed or not they
can't ever change the old desert
on u.s.
He laughed at a sudden recol-
lection. Il was just thinking of
days like this when I used to
pull you up by your pigtails and
take you on my horse to make
mudpies at Azure Lake. Remem-
ber?"
"As if I could forget! You
bossed me unmercifully even
then" Her slanting, mocking
eyes were smiling and eager.
"Let's ride over to the Lake
now!"
Dick looked down at his tat
tered garb. Like this?"
mo! I'd be terrified every
step of the way you wouldn't
hold together. But you have
enough clothes inside to outfit
a regiment"
"A change is guaranteed
within five minutes" he
laughed, and swinging through
the door, made for the inner
room.
On Guard
Everything was there as be.
fore-boots, gauntlets, his old
chaps still dusty with alkali, the
flannel shirt and battered stet-
son of ranching days. Quickly
he tore off the Secrape and
flung it into a far corner.
Through the door the girl heard
him kicking off his sandals, and
a few moments later he emerged,
once more a vaquero of the
desert country, looking very tall
and slender in the high-heeled
cowboy boots.
you're a perfect darling" he
called from the door. Every
thing so neat-it's sad to think
what all this will look like after
ten days of bachelor treatment"
1--WE taken care of that, too,
for your majesty. Remember
Lolita Valdez and her mother
they had the big foothill ranch
on the Mexican Side?"