Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-06-30
CHAPTER 40


ON THIS Satul day afternoon
ipeople started eating support
was not called dinner-as early as
five o'clock; and some, apparently
some OF the same ones, were eat
ang on up to midnight. But at 8
%. m. practically everybody was
sitting cross lie 8 ged outside,
munching fresh not barbecue. or
fresh and hotter chilli con carne
and tamales. or any of the dozen
or so other dishes that had been
prepared.
The air was clean and clear with
Just enough early evening chill to
make small campfres feel pleas
ant. There Is zesr about thus
eating outdoors before an open
fire that the swankiest restaurants
cannot offer.
You can stick your bread on a
switch broken from the nearest
shrub and toast it as you eat. 1t
your meat gets cold, you can re-
warm 1t between bites. Your TIN
cup Of coffee can be set smack onto
a glowing coal while you pause be-
tween sips to crack Joke or laugh
at one OF your friends or applaud
some gay merrymakerS song. You
can gaze at the vaulted celilng OF
blue and watch the earliest stars
come out, and see the highly the
|atrical effect that your campfire
Iblaze and sparks and illuminated
smoke create against the twilight
immensely. You can see faces
Ihlgh-hghted with warmth and
happiness. New pictures, such as
Ito defy any artist, greet you at
every turn. The very trees and
mountains seem to be SOciable
then. 1t is all something that can
not be duplicated at any price on,
SAY, the roof garden Of the best
hotel.
In the approximate center of this
Ibig open area before Ellen's Casa
tHermosa, dozen Mexican musl-
cians were playing soft supper
music. Ellen herself sat with a
bunch OF Hollywood girls, two
Indians, three or four shy ranch
women, and Pamela Montoya. They
had ceased to talk, for the moment.
l''Ta-tum, ta-tum ta-tum-ta-tum-
ltun," they hummed it, following
the orchestra In La Paloma",
Il think this is just SIMPLY mar
lvelOuS" one of the Californians de-
iclaxsd, and meant it. ELLEN, /
have learned during this fiesta why
you built your home away out
here" =
Ellen smiled her acknowledge
ment, and said nothing. She felt
a spiritual warmth. She knew that
soon the final nights dancing ana
hilarity would begin, but for the
moment she was enjoying an inf
mite peace. Except that she won
dered. every few minutes, where
Bill was. She wished he would
come and sit with her, and tell her
guests some Of the western yarns
he told so well. But then-she
couldn't complain, or be selfish;
certainly he had taken the burden
Of the fiesta off her shoulders, had
been for her d marvellous host. She
left the. blanket On which she had
been sitting, and walked around a
bit lOOl<ii.C for Bill
She needn't have looked. Bill
Baron at that moment was no
where on the DID ranch.
When ne had driven away an
hour and half before, he had gone
speeding straight to Nogales, try
ing to think as he rolled along. He
went directly to the office of Mr..
Mcintyre, border patrol chief, and
explained exactly what had devel-
oped at the DID fiesta.
why, this is the most brazen
thing they've ever done!" Mcintyre
exclaimed, when Bill had told him.
"Its-it's an affront to the United
States, Baron!"
"Sure!" agreed Bill. But right
now l am not worried about Uncle
Sans dignity. I'm concerned with
arresting those men and still keep
ing Ellen's fiesta undisturbed. 3
Naturally. R'it---i hardly need