Evening star., 1940-05-09
CHAPTER XVII.

OUT OF Town. WIN F1xle on C[le SdQ.
die In front of him. She did not
like to see him go, for she felt
there was no safety on the road
for him. Usually he travelled at
night. but today he was in hurry
to get back to the ranch. He had
promised her, as soon as he was a
few miles out of town, to cut into
the hills and follow little travelled
trail. This did not relieve her
anxiety greatly, and when an hour
or two later she met Rufe Jelks
she discovered he was as worried
as she was, through he tried to con-
ceal it from Anne.
II was up town when he come for
his horse and didn't get back till
right now," he explained. II sure
wouldn't have let him go off alone
If I'd been here. He's the most
reckless guy I ever did see. Why
couldn't he have waited till after
dark, anyhow? Doggone his hide,
he certainly gives his friends plenty
OF worrying to do. Not but what
he's all right Red can look after
himself. You don't need to be
scared about that" He added after
moment, I'D ride after him If
I thought could catch up before
he got home"
Anne thought he did not make
very good business of reassuring
her.
They're going to get him, Rufe,"
she said hopelessly. IF not today,
next week or next month. They
killed my uncle, and they didn't
hate him half so much as they do
jim"
Rufe Reassures Anne.
The boss of the wagonyard leaned
an elbow on the fence, trying to
find an answer. Finally he said,
miss Eliot, you ought to know by
this time that Red, for all he's
reckless, can look after himself"
He look at his watch. Five
minutes to twelve. I reckon we
had better mosey along to Ma
Russell's and see if she made that
apple pie she promised me-"
After dinner Anne went back to
the Office of the Sentinel. She
tried to concentrate on work, but
her mind wandered. Pictures
jumped to it of lean brown man
on horseback winding his way into
the hills, of sinister figures crouched
among the rocks waiting for their
prey, of the crack of a rifle break
ing the stiffness.
She picked up letter from her
desk and reread it. The stage
had brought 1t from Santa Fe.
The writer had gone to school with
her, had married a young army
officer, and was stationed in New
Mexico. The letter urged Anne to
pay her visit. Anne's mind
fingered on one paragraph.
The streets of Santa Fe are so
narrow and quaint. My dear, it is
like being in foreign country.
Our house is fine old adobe one
with a lovely patio inside. It used
to belong to an old Spanish family
named Ganadara. None of them
live here now, am told. The man
who built 1t was Don Jose Gandara,
II you please. Rumaging in the
attic the other day, I found an
old leather trunk bound with steel
at the corners. 1t is the dearest
thing you ever laid eyes on. I am
going to have it busted off and
brought downstairs. There are
a lot OF papers in it-letters in
Spanish, documents of one kind
and another, I suppose. I'll make
q bonefire of these"
Anne Decides to Go.
Maybe it would be a good thing
for her to go to Santa Fe and for
, get her worries for a few days.
Henrietta promised her plenty of
dances and horseback rides and
young army officers to pay her at
tention. 1t would be good fun to
have gay time and forget that
she was a married woman, at least
In name, and that she was editing
a struggling newspaper, besides
worrying for fear her friends would
be sniped at by hired killers. She
could be a courted young lady in
stead of just a harassed woman.
She could get Jim Silcott to run
the paper while she was away. This
would keep him in town, where he
would be safer than out in the hill
country.
Anne decided to go. When Jim
came in next week she would take
of. 1t would be partly a business
trip, since she wanted to make ar
rangements with a bank there for
credit with which to buy paper.
The Blanco bank was controlled by
Russell Mosely, and she did not
want to be dependent on him In
an emergency.
She dropped into the Office of the
stage company to reserve seat
for the next Tuesday. but before
she could say word the agent,
Hilary Benson, blurted a question
at her.
"Have you heard about Red Sill
colts horse coming in to town
alone?"
The blood drained from her face.
sWhat do you mean-alone?"
without him. It showed up
ten minutes ago at Rufe Jelks'
corral"
Anne stared at him. He was ex-
cited. But she did not see that.
Her whole being knew only one
dreadful certainty. Jim was dead.
They had killed him.
Benson thought she was going
to faint. He ran to the pail and
brought back a dipper OF water.
The young woman pushed 1t away.
I'm going down to the Long
horn Corral" she said in q low
voice.
''Ill go with you," he said.
She did not object. She did not
care whether he went or not. All
she knew was that the bottom had
dropped out of her life. She moved
In sort of numb dead vacuum.
Rufe was busy saddling horse.