Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1936-02-28

Once in the midst OF an account
of very narrow escape, he was a
mazed to see her look away and ner-
vously tuck her lower lip between her
teeth, as though reminded of some
unpleasant fact; but so enraptured
was he that he swept on regardless.
$50 you've never had time for much
education, have your" she inquired
when he had finished.
~ can read, he said proudly, "and
l can write and figger some; my
folks was killed by the Cherokees
when 1 was knee high to burro and
fightin' Injuns and killing buff'lers
uses up a mighty lot of time-It's
my business, you know"
care you satisfied with it," Bright
eyes sought Ken's.
81 reckon they'se fair livin' in it, y
he returned and noted how very soft
her cheek looked. 1t wasn't far
away either.
Suddenly, he realized Lucia was
looking at him, very searchingly and
an indescribable tension seemed to
blend them into complete self-ab-
sorption that excluded the warm glow
ing stars, the rugged hills, the lights
of Novedad and Mescalero Ted. To
Ken all the world was becoming black
and indistinct, serving only as back
o.rot1Y1d fn1. In faoIn.. Of .o1c
face.
She suddenly seemed to be coming
closer to him, or was he going closer
to her? He could not have told. Dir
zied, he beheld her eyes become half
yelled, her lips part little and then
he swept her irresistibly into his
arms, aware of the velvet warmness
of her mouth pressed to his.
The embrace might have lasted two
seconds or ten minutes, for all that
Ken knew. Time, danger, realities
none of them mattered, he was too
busy realizing that of all the women
in the world, only Lucia NOVEL; could
evoke such surge of glorious, delic-
ious emotion.
"I-I'm glad you kissed me-" he
heard her voice murmuring softly.
Gwen though I don't know if I love
you. Somehow tit seemed to be all
right"
at is right" broke out fiercely i'm
petuous. IL"
Gently the girl placed her hands on
the cold, hard bead work of his best
buckskin shirt and pushed him away,
then mechanically smoothed her hair
and pushed the great Spanish comb
more securely into place.
"Why-why-?" Abashed and
amazed, Ken Strengthened. When a
girl kissed man like that he had al
ways thought that promises and 9TH
er kisses must follow. But he had yet
to learn that Of her sex, Lucia NOVEL;
was in many senses unique.
"No," she said pleasantly, but with
a definiteness that filled him with
a yearning to hear those soft notes in
her voice again, 81 don't want you to
kiss me again, Ken Now that I know
you better-I-Ill have to think about
you for a while"
"But, Lucia" he whispered hoarse-
ly, recapturing her hands-"you shore
ly amt"
"I'm not anything" she returned,
and, disengaging her hands, fell to
gravely plating some long blades of
grass which she plucked from the hill
side. "Some day may learn to like
no, to love you very much; some
day I may hate you-only time will
tell. And now" she got to her feet
swiftly and gracefully while he looked
up at her in amazement. 81 must
have time to think little. Pm going
back to Novedad."
"You amt going alone" Ken stated
as his transported senses gradually
returned to normal.
"No. Please, 1 want you to fol-
low me, keep me in sight, but I do
want to walk home alone" Her cool
fingers brushed his cheeks in fare
we'll flash of puzzling coquetry.
There, now, you must not be hurt.
1t isn't that l don't want your COM
pany, Ken, far from it; but with you
near me l can't think properly and
and" she added with hint of des-
peration. T-Ive got to think"
Half pleased, he nodded. go. K,
I'll mosey along your trail and keep
you in sight"
She held out her hand and this time
his hard, brown fist closed over it
gently, but with that latent power
which had tanned many an unbroken
mustang.