The Washington times., 1934-12-29

CdSeS LICK SCeppeQ, anu dS ne
opened the gate to enter the
little garden he heard glad
exclamation of welcome. and
Lolita ran out to greet him.
"You are good to come. I
wanted you so to see him." she
murmured, her little hand on
his sleeve.
Dick looked about him. "Who
is home?" he asked guardedly.
She smiled. mo one-none
but you and I and-one other"
Then taking him by the
hand, she led him inside the
house and closed the door.
But just before that door
closed, had Dick chanced to
look back he might have seen
a slender girl riding down the
same sun-lit road on her way
from Verde. 1t was a favorite
shortcut for Nora, this winding,
neglected road, and now she
rode slowly, stopping for a mo-
ment to chat with the Mexican
women who ran eagerly to their
doorways to wish a friendly
"Buenas tardas" to the we'll
beloved senorita. For scarcely
a woman of the Quarter,
scarcely a naked infant play
ing by the doorway but knew
her and in times past had rea-
son to remember her gifts and
kindness.
So she rode unhurriedly down
the Quarters dusty length, then
happening to look up that
shaded side lane, she saw Dicks
mare standing outside the little
cottage, and with a smile Of
pleased surprise, Nora reined in
her own horse and dismounted.
Noiselessly she walked up the
grassy path, flanked with wav"
ing tamarisk, but directly be-
fore the open window she
stopped. frozen to sudden i'm
mobility.
There, plainly seen through
the window, Dick was standing
in the center of the room. one
arm circling Lolita and holding
in the other a little child.
Even in that partial obscurity
the unmistakeable resemblance
between man and child struck
a chill to the girls heart as
she stood watching. Something
about the eyes, that same high
arched Lowell nose. And all
the while Dick smiled at the
boy, until at last Nora heard
the words. you and I will
make caballero of him, Lo-
lita."
The answering voice was con-
fident and very proud. Isl.
Already he looks as you do
just as you look at times when
you are stern"
A Secret
For another silent second the
man held him, then STOPPING
down, Dick laid the child in her
arms and raising her face to
his, he kissed her. From his
pocket he drew a roll of bills.
and. laughing, placed them
within the child's chubby
hands.
you will have use for these"
he said to Lolita. "And when
you need more, tell me-"
But Nora heard no more.
Blindly fleeing down that
grassy. sun-flecked path, she
stumbled through the gate and
out to her horse. Once in the
saddle she lashed the aston
ished animal to a gallop. caus-
ing the watching children of
the Quarter to look up in mild
wonder as she flashed unheed-
ing past and then out toward
the desert. Yet no matter how
swiftly she rode. the memory
of that kiss and that child bore
her black company, while
through it all there came agin
the memory of Solon Lowell'S
strange words that day they
stood in the little cemetery be-
yond the town.
"We LowellS," the words
stabbed back at her now pro-
phetically, I'VE Lowells bring
no happiness to any woman
for long" And again, through
a mist Of unshed tears. she saw
those sad, foreboding eyes of
Dicks father and felt again the
weight of unspoken thought he
would not utter.
Ito be COntinued)
Gl-.-.l.-L.A L. I.