Nogales international., 1935-03-30


before he gave il.
She shiyered under her protecting
coat and went back ils!o the house.
| At the Perch, Martha, engaged Tor
the purpose, waited OH the whims OF
Barry's women guests with suspicious
eyes and an uncompronising jaw.
st amt respectable" she said cross
y to Petry, ''havin' those fancy lookin'
women here, almost the minute Miss
\fne's gone
They sure was fixed up for dinner"
ne admitted
! Martha, hercely pursuing her own
; train Of thought, paid not the slightest
attention to him.
"All this tall: about letters You
needn't tell me Miss Anne ever invited
her up here. And him takin' it all in
like ninny! Oh we'll, I suppose men
can't help bein' simpletons."
Martha slammed her iron down
wrathfully. Cleo had tossed her several
frocks to press, and Martha was doing
it with indignant efficiency.
Cleo was fully aware Of Martha Lar
:abee's artipatiy.
*Disagreeable old thing" she thought
as she caught sight of Martha's ample
form in the distance. Il believe she
knows where Nancy is. -. | wish |
knew the way to that Trails End place
OF hers"
For the present she had to be con-
tent to wait. John Gage had come here
on business On the very night of their
arrival Barry had made his worried
apologies to her, and the next morning
he and Gage had started off early on
horseback.
Already Cleo was bored to suffoca-
ton. All day long with Paula Gage,
and not a man in sight to make life en-
durable for either OF them, except a
Chinese cook and a leathery old man
called Petry. To be sure he had stopped
his work and taken her for ride after
lunch, but in spite of her pointed sug-
gestions they had gone nowhere near
Trails End.
Shortly after dinner Gage had TN
tremendously claimed Barry's atten-
ton, and the two were sitting at the
far end of the room, talking boring
| things. Cleo went outside to find Paula
Gage. Paula was wandering ainlessly
up and down the long veranda.
F.! The next morning Petry drove Gag
over to the county seat to do some
long distance telephoning. Paula went
with him, and Barry was free to devote
| at least part of his day to Cleo.
"How about a rider" he suggested
and Cleo agreed promptly. She looked
| particularly engaging in riding clothes.
| and she knew it, Barry's sober face
frightened as she ran down the steps
to- join him.
He helped her up, and she found
herself mounted on a glistening little
bay;
Barry?'
Anywhere you want to go" he an
| swered unguardedly.
I'D love to see Nancy's little ranch
Trails End, isn't il? Let's go there.
I'm sorry, I'm afraid we can't dc
that. It's-a bad trail"
Nancy rode it! I'll take chance.
But I won't Sorry, Cleo. What's
the next choice?"
He had to watch himself to keep ar
edge out Of his voice. But he could
| not let anybody from Granleigh get
through to that isolated little valley
and find Nancy drudging through the
lays in a shabby old ranch house,
| bleakly alone.
Cleo's eyes were shining. Now she
kne1e that Nancy was there
"Oh, all right. Lead on and l fol
low p
When they returned they still had the
place to themselves.
Cleo came close to him, her fngeri
resting lightly cn his arm.
Barry, | was awfully stupid about
Trails End. I just didn't think"
The guarded look came again.
"I'rn afraid I don't get the IDEA
"Oh. it's all right didn't realize
that it might be-hard for you to &C
there. OF course Id heard things, but
is it really as bad as that?"
| He wondered how the devil things
could have got out that fast, and why
people couldn't be allowed to keer
their own troubles decently to them
| selves.
ITS pretty bad" he admitted jerkily.
I'D rather not talk about it, if you
don't mind"
"Of course we won't. But l just
wanted YOU TO know how badly | feel
about it"
The coaxing fingers moved softly
and then slid away, A dry cough
sounded behind them. The Cages had
returned and must have come in
through the back way. Gage looked at
them with his blunt stare, grunted a
greeting and addressed himself t.
Barry. Cleo decided that she loathcd
| John Gage.
Shadows were lengthening when
Anne heard the sound OF a car, corning
in from the desert side. That would be
dear old Boone She went over to a
window and looked out.
It was not the big grey car. This was
black. ~or had been, and it was much