HEART
oftho
SUNSET
r&? REX BEACrt
Huthor of4 4 The Spoilers, ” “ The Iron Trail/
“The Silver Horde,** Etc.
¥ *•-*- » J
5
SYNOPSIS.
!
CHAPTER I—Set afoot and alone by an
acc ident in the desert near the Uio Grande
Mrs. Alaire Austin, mistress of Gas Pal
Bias and I.a Feria ranches, meets Dave
Law, Texas Ranger, at a water hole and
is compelled to spend the night there with
hint, as he is in ambush for a murderer
and cannot leave his post.
CHAPTER II—Next day at evening the
murderer appears with a companion.
CHAPTER III—I.aw captures the mur
derer but is compelled to kill his compan
ion. Panfllo Sanchez, who happens to be
a cousin of Mrs. Austin's horsebreaker,
Jose Sanchez.
CHAPTER IV—At Las Palmas Alaire
tells her husband, Ed, that his carousals
and inebriety must stop. Her cattle
at l.a Feria, the Mexican ranch, are con
fiscated by laingorio, Mexican federal
general, and she finds that it is because
Ed has been helping the rebel Junta.
CHAPTER VI—Entertained at their
home by Blaze Jones and his daughter
Paloma, Dave hears something about the
Tad Lewis outfit, which is suspected of
cattle stealing. With Ricardo Guzman and
his boys Dave and Blaze go on a scout
after cattle thieves.
CHAPTER VII—Law catches two of the
Lewis outfit branding a stolen calf and in
a light kills one and has his horse shot
under him. He trails the other thief to
Las Palmas, where lie 1b Insulted by Ed
Austin, whom he knows to be very friend
ly with the Lewis outfit.
CHAPTER VIII— Law follows up the
trail of Urbina, the escaped thief, to no
purpose except to confirm Austin's con
nection with the Lewis outfit.
CHAPTER IX—On her homeward Jour
ney Alaire again meets Longorlo, who
openly makes love to her. She obtains
the release of Juan Garcia from prison.
CHAPTER X—Jose Sanchez swears to
And out the truth about the slaying of
Panflio. Dave gets further Information
about the Lewis outfit. Ricardo Guzman
goes to Mexico to sell horses to the fed
erals.
"You do~ speak their lanpuHRe,”
Alaire gald, aftpr she had watched
them for a few minutes. “You aave ;
bewitched the creature.” Dave nod*
CHAPTER XX—Pave and Alalre attend
the l^as Palmas rodeo. She presents Dave
with a horse to replace the one killed by
the cattle thieves. They discuss the kill
inc of Panfliu.
Alalre’s caller remained at ease, and
appeared to welcome tills chance of
meeting Austin. Luis Longorlo whs
the sort of man who enjoys a strained
situation, and one who shows to the
best advantage under adverse condi
tions. Accordingly, Ed’s arrival, in
stead of hastening his departure, hiere
ly served to prolong his slay.
It was growing late now, and Palo
ma was frantic. Profiting by her first
opportunity, she whispered to Alalre,
“For God's sake, send him away.”
Atnlre’s eyes were dark with excite
ment. “Yes," suid she. “Talk to him,
and give me a chance to have a word
alone with Ed.”
The opportunity came when Austin
went into the dining room for a drink.
Alalre excused herself to follow him.
"What's That Greaser Doing Here?”
When they were out of sight and hear
ing, her husband turned upon her with
an ugly frown.
“What’s that greaser doing here?"
he asked roughly.
“He called to pay his respects. You
must get him away.”
“I must?” Ed glowered at her.
“Why don’t you? You got him here
in my absence. Now that I’m home,
you want me to get rid of him, eh?
What’s the idea?”
“Don't be silly. 1 didn’t know he
was coming and—hit must be crazy to
risk such a thing.”
“Crazy?” Ed’s lip curled. “He isn’t
crazy. I suppose he couldn’t stay away
any longer. By heaven, Alalre—”
Alaire checked this outburst with
a sharp exclamation: “Don't make a
scene! Don’t you understand he holds
over fifty thousand dollars’ worth of
La Feria cattle? Don’t you understand
we can’t antagonist? him?”
“Is that what ht? came to see you
about ?’’
“Yes.” She bit her lip. “I’ll explain
■everything, but—you must help me
send him back, right away.” Glancing
at the clock, Alaire saw that it was
drawing on toward midnight; with
quick ■decision Sire seizor *Vei* TihshaTitl
by (lit* arm, explaining feverishly:
"There is something big going on to
niglit, Ed! Longorio brought a guard
of soldiers with him, and left them at
our pumphouse. Well, it so happens
that Blaze Jones and Mr. I.aw have
gone to the Romero cemetery to get
Ricardo Guzman’s body.”
“What?” Austin's red face paled,
his eyes bulged.
“Yes. That's why Paloma is here.
They crossed at our pumping station,
and they’ll be back at any time, now.
If they encounter Longorio*s men—
You understand?”
“Ricardo Guzman’s body!” Austin
wet his lips and swallowed with difti
eulty. “Why—do they want his body?”
"To prove that he is really dead
and—to prove who killed him.” .Vot
ing the effect of these words, Alai re
cried sharply, “What’s the matter.
Ed?”
But Austin momentarily was beyond
speech. The decanter from which he
was trying to pour himself a drink
played a musical tattoo upon his glass;
his fuce had become ashen and pusty.
“How many men has he got?” Aus
tin nodded in the direction of the front
room.
“1 don’t know. Probably four or five.
What ails you?”
Something in her husband’s inexpli
cable agitation, something in the hunt
ed, desperate way in which his eyes
were running over the room, alarmed
Alaire.
Ed utterly disregarded her question.
Catching sight of the telephone, which
stood upon a stand in the far corner
of the room, he ran to it, and, snatch
ing the receiver, violently oscillated
the hook.
Don t do that! Alnire cried, fol
lowing him. “Wait! It mustn’t get
out.”
“Hello! Give me the Lewis ranch—
giuick—I’ve forgotten the number."
With his free hand Ed held his wife
at a distance, muttering harshly: “Get
away now! I know what I’m doing.
Get away—d-n you!” He dung
Alaire from him as she tried to snatch
the instrument out of his hands.
“Ed!" she cried. “Are you out of
your mind? You mustn’t—”
Their voices were raised now, heed
less of the two people In the adjoining
room.
“Keep your hands off, I tell you.
Hello! Is that you, Tad?" Again Aus
tin thrust his wife violently aside.
“Hello! Is That You, Tad?"
“Listen! J've just learned that Dave
Law and old man Jones have crossed
! over to dig up Ricardo’s body. Tes,
tonight! They’re over there now—b<
buck inside of an hour.”
Alaire leaned weakly against the
table, her frightened eyes fixed upon
■ the speaker.
“Yes! They aim to discover how he
| was killed and all about it. They
crossed at my pumping plant, and
they’ll be back tonight, if they haven’t
already—” The speaker’s voice broke,
his hand was slinking so that he could
scarcely retain ids hold upon the tele
phone. “How do I know?” he chat
tered. “It's up to you. You’ve got a
machine—”
“Ed!” cried the wife. .She went
: toward him on weak, unsteady feet,
j but she halted as the voice of Longa
! rlo cut in sharply:
“What’s tills I hear? Ricardo Guz
, man's body?” Husband and wife
I turned. The open double door to the
living room framed the tall figure of
the Mexican general.
CHAPTER XIII.
Rangers.
Longorio stared first at the hu Idled,
perspiring man beside the telephone,
and then at the frightened woman. “Is
that the truth?” he demanded harshly.
“Yes,” Austin answered. “They are
bringing the body to this side. You
know what that means.”
"Did you know tills?" The general
turned, upon Alaire. uf the four he
was the least excited.
From the background Pnlomn qua
vered: “You told us Ricardo was not
dead, so—it is nil right. There is no—
harm done. ’
A brief silence ensued, then Longo
rio shrugged. “Who knows'/ Let in
hope that he suffered no harm on Mex
ican soil. That would be serious, in
deed ; .vps, very serious, for I have
given my word to your government.
This—David Law”—he pronounced the
name carefully, but with a strange for
eign accent—“he is a reckless person
to defy the border regulations. It is
a grave matter to invade foreign ter
ritory on sucli a mission." Lougorio
again bent his brilliant eyes ujion
Alaire. “I see that you are concerned
for his safety. You would not desire
him to come to trouble, eh? He has
done you favors; he is your friend,
as I am. Vv’ell”—a mirthless smile ex
posed ids splendid white teeth—"we
must think of that. Now I will bid
you good night.”
“Where are you going?” demanded
Miss Jones.
|t “To the river, and then to Romero.
I may be needed, for those men of
mine are stupid fellows, and there is
danger of a misunderstanding. In the
dark anything may happen. I should
like to meet this David Law; he is
a man of my own kind.” Turning to
“Young Ed,” he said: “There is rea
son for haste, and a horse moves slow
ly. Would you do me the favor, if you
have an automobile—”
“No! I won’t!” Ed declared. “T
don't want to see the Rio Grande to
night. I won’t be involved—”
“But you are already involved.
Come! There is no time to waste, and
I have something to say to you. You
will drive me to the river, and my
horse will remnin here until I return
for him.”
There was no mistaking the com
mand in Longorio’s tone; the master
of Las Palmas rose ns if under com
pulsion. He took his hat, and the two
men left the room.
“Oh. Mrs. Austin !” Paloma gasped.
“They'll be in time, and so will the
Lewis gang." »
Quick ; Ed will take liis runabout—
wp’ll follow in my car.” Alaire fled
to make herself ready. A few moments
later she looked out from her window
and saw the headlights of Ed's run
about flash down the driveway to the
raid: then she and Paloma rushed to
the garage where the touring car stood.
"The nioon is rising.” Pnloma half
sobbed. “They’ll he sure to see us.
Do you think we’re ahead of Tad
Lewis?"
“Oh. yes. ITe hasn't had time to get
here yet. but—he’ll come fast when he
starts. This Is the only plan I can
think of."
Alaire drove as swiftly as she dared,
following the blurred streak of gray
that was the road, and taking the
humps with utter recklessness. Ahead
loomed the dark ridge of the river
thickets, a dense rampart of mesquite.
But even before they were sheltered
from the moonlight Pnloma saw the
lights of another automobile approach
ing along the main-traveled highway
behind them—the lights, evidently, of
Tad Lewis’ machine. A moment later
Alaire’s car drove into the black shad
ows. It had been a short, swift, exeit- |
ing ride. “Young Ed’s” runabout could
not be many minutes ahead of them.
The women got out, then breasted
the high grass and brambles between
their hiding place and the pumphouse
road. A hundred yards away they
could now see tile ghostly Rio Grande,
its saffron surface faintly silvered by
the low moon; lights gleamed from the
windows of Morales’ house. In the
distance the vague outlines of the Mex
ican shore were resolving themselves,
and far beyond twinkled the evidence
that some belated citizens of Romero
were still awake.
Paloma had brought with her the
long-barreled rifle, and this she
clutched nervously as she and Alaire
stood whispering. Conditions were fa
vorable for an approach to the pump
house Itself. They had nearly reached
their goal when out Into the clearing
behind them, with metallic rattle and
clang, burst another automobile, and
| Paloma whispered excitedly.
lucres me i.,ewis ouuu hi ihst.
In the Lewis cnr were several men.
They descended hurriedly, and when
one of them ran around the front of
the ear to turn off its lights, both wom
en saw that he carried a ritle. Evi
dently Tad Lewis had come prepared
for despernte measures.
A smnll door gave entrance to the
pumphouse, and into the lock of this
Mrs. Austin fitted a key; the next mo
ment she and Paloma were safely in
side. Dusty, cobwebbed windows let
| in a faint ghost-plow of moonlight, but
prevented clear observation of any
thing outside; Alalre’s fumbling fin
gers found the latch and began to
lift a window, when someone spoke,
just outside the building.
“What did you discover?” inquired
a voice which neither woman recog
nized. I’aloma clutched blindly for her
companion; the two eavesdroppers
stood rooted in their tracks. The
pounding of their hearts sounded loud
ly. Since the building was little more
than a wooden shell, they could plainly
bear the answer:
“The house is full of greasers. I
can’t tell who they are.”
A third man spoke, this time in
Spnnlsh. “That was Tnd Lewis who
just came, senor.”
There followed some whispered
| words indistinguishable to the listen
ers, then a rustle of bodies moving
through the tall grass and weeds.
I'aloma placed her lips close to
Alaire's ear. “Who are those people?”
she breathed.
"I don’t know. They must he the
ones who cuine in thut strange auto
mobile.”
Palorna chattered viciously: “Every
body in Texas is here. I wish we’d
thought to scatter tacks behind us.”
Cautiously they swung the door back
and looked out. The open space along
the river bank was leveled by the
moonlight; from Morales’ house, tf
their right, came the sound of voires.
The women waited.
A few moments, then a number of
men appeared. Palorna Judged there
were at least a dozen, but she was
too excited to count them. As they
came straggling toward the pumphi jse
one of them called back:
“Morales! Put out your lights.”
Both women recognized Tad Lewis as
the speaker.
Aluire had stubbornly refused to
charge her husband with any active
share in this evil business, but her
faith in Ed suddenly vanished when
she heard him say:
“Hush! You’re making too much
noise. You’d better scatter out, too.
for there’s no telling where they'll
land.” Alaire leaned weakly against
the door. “Pm going to leave, and let
yon-all attend to the rest.” he was
saying. But Tad Lewis halted him as
he turned from the group.
“Where are you going, Ed? You left
your car hack yonder by the road. 1
almost ran into it.”
"Eli? What are you tnlking about?
My car is over by Morales’ house.”
“Senor Austin is in a great hurry,”
sneered someone in Spanish. "Once
more lie leaves all of the fighting to
his friends.”
“That’s Adolfo Urbina,” panted Pn
loina. "I know him.” Stung by this
open charge of cowardice, Austin be
gan a voluble defense, but in the midst
of it General Longorio addressed him
sharply.
“You will stay here, senor. Nobody
leaves this place.”
• i tom you i woman r ne n parry to
flip business.” Ed declared hotly. “Ton
forced me to come In the first place—”
“Yes! And now I force you to stay.”
Longorlo’s stand appeared to please
Lewis, who chimed in with the words:
“That’s right, Ed. You’ve got to stick,
for once in your life.”
“What do you mean, you nearly ran
into my car back yonder?” Austin
asked after a moment.
“Ain’t that your machine yonder by
the thicket?” inquired Lewis. “If it
ain't, whose is it?” As no one an
swered. he started in the direction he
had indicated; but at that moment a
man came running from the river bank,
crying softly:
“Look out! They come.”
A man passed swiftly by the crack
of the half-open door and scarcely ten
feet beyond. He was followed by three
others.
The first of the newcomers, acting
as spokesman for his party, stepped
out into the moonlight and cried loud
ly : “Hello, men! What’s goin’ on
here?” It was an American voice; it
had a broad, slow Texas drawl.
The group of plotters turned; there
was a startled murmur, then Tad
Lewis answered:
“Hello! Who are you! What do
you want?”
"f reckon we must have got off the
road,” announced the stranger. Then
he peered out across the river. “Say!
Ain’t that a skiff yonder?” he inquired.
“Well, it don’t look like a steam
boat.” Lewis laughed disagreeably.
“Hello, Men! What’s Going on Here?"
“We’re havin’ a little party of our ow n.
I reckon you fellows had better beat
it. Understand?”
The outposts that had been sent to
cover the bank in both directions were
now coming in. Through the stilkiess
of the night there sounded the thump
of oarlocks. Seeing that the stranger
did not seem to take his hint, Lewis
raised Ills voice menacingly:
"That’s your road back yonder. It’s
a right good road, and I'd advise you
to travel fast.”
But this suggestion was also Ignored ;
in fact, it appeared to amuse the man
addressed, for he, too, laughed. He
turned, and the women noticed that he
carried a short saddle gun. They saw.
also, that at least one of the men at
his back was similarly armed.
“Now, what's the hurry?” The
stranger was chuckling. Suddenly he
raised his voice and called loudly:
“Hello, Dave! Is that you-nll?”
The answer floated promptly back:
"Hello, Cap! Sure it’s us.”
"Have you got him?”
It was Blaze Jones' voice which an
swered this time: “You bet!"
I’aloma Jones was trembling now.
She clung to Alairo, crying, tliunktuily^
I 1 _ __
‘‘It’s the Hangers! The Rangers!"
Then she broke away and ran out into
the moonlight, trailing her absurd fire
arm nfter her.
“Now. hoys,” the Hanger eaptain was
saying, “I Know ’most every one of you,
and we ain’t going to have the least
b*t of trouble over this thing, are we?
T reckon you-all nre iriends of Ricardo
Guzman, nnu you just couldn’t wmt
to find out about him, eh?”
Alnire, who had followed Paloma.
’.vas close enough now to recognize the
two Guzman boys as members of the
Hanger party. Lewis and his men had
drawn together at the first alarm; Lon
gorio’s Mexicans had gathered about
their leader. The entire situation had
changed in a moment, and the Ranger
captain was in control of it.
Soon Dave Law and Blaze Jones
came up over the river bank; they
paused, stricken with surprise at find
ing a score of people where they had
expected no more than four.
Blaze was the first to speak. “What’s
all this?” he cried. 4Ie peered near
sightedly from one to the other; then
his huge bulk shook with laughter:
“Say, do my glasses magnify, or is
this an open lodge meetin’?"
“Dud! Oh, dad!” Paloma scurried
to him and flung herself into his arms.
“What you doin’ here, kid?” the father
exclaimed. “Why, you’d ought to be
home and abed, long ago. You'll catch
your death of cold. Is that gun loaded?”
Dave Law was even more amazed
than his companion. Recovering from
his first surprise, he took a position
beside his superior officer. Captain
Evans did not seem at all troubled by
the disparity in numbers. One Ranger,
or two at the mont, hud always heen
sufficient to quell a Texan disturbance;
now that there were three of them,
he felt equal to an invasion of Mexi
can soil, if necessary. In consequence,
he relaxed his watchful vigilance, and
to Dave he drawled:
“We’ve got most of the leading citi
zens of the county, and I reckon some
body in the outfit will be able to iden
tify Guzman.”
i neros no irounie annul mat, sir.
We found him. Pedro and Raoul can
make sure." The sons of Ricardo Guz
man stepped forward promptly, and
Law waved them toward the boat land
ing, where the two helpers were wait
ing with Ricardo’s remains.
Despite the Ranger captain’s easy
assumption of command, the strain
of the situation had not subsided, and
Longorlo drew swift attention to him
self when he said:
“It is fortunate that I chanced to
learn of this mntter. You have done
me a grent service, Senor Law, for I
cnme to Romero purposely to examine
I into the death of this unfortunate man.
I But I could learn nothing; nobody
. knew anything whatever about the
matter, and so I became convinced that
It amounted to little. Now—behold !
I discover that I was deceived. Or—
I perhaps there still may be a mistake.”
■ Blaze Jones thrust his daughter
! aside and advanced toward the spenk
j er. “There’s no mistake,” he declared
| belligerently. “I don’t make mistakes
I when I go grave-robbin’. Don Ricardo
was shot by your men. He had five
thousand dollars on him, or he should
have had, and he was an American citi
zen. Your Colonel Blunco covered the
body, but he’ll have a h—1 of a Job
coverin’ the facts. It’s time we came
to a showdown with your murderin’
outfit, and I aim to see if you’ve got a
government in your country.”
“Heaven guided my hand,” devoutly
breathed the general. “It is regret
table that you used this means when a
word to me would have served the
purpose, for—it is no trivial mntter to
desecrate a Mexican graveyard. Mv
country, it has a government. An
officer of the state of'Texas, under
arms, hns crossed the Rio Grande.
VVhnt does that mean?”
< apiain r.vuus nuu n sense oi im
nior; Longorio's ominous words amused
him. "Say, general, it ain’t the first
time," he chortled. “And you’re on offi
cer, too. ain’t you? You're in Texns
at tlds minute, and I’ll bet if I frisked
you I’d find that you was under arms.”
The Mexican understood English suffi
ciently well to grasp the significance
of these words. After a moment’s con
sideration, therefore, he modified his
threatening tone.
“But my mission was friendly. I had
no criminal purpose,” he said mildly.
"However—perhaps one offense con
dones the other. At any rate, we must
have no international complications.
There is a more practical side to the
matter: If Don Ricardo Guzman met
his death in Mexico, there will be a
rigid Investigation, I assure you.”
Evans agreed. “That's fair! Anti
I’ll make a bargain with you: you
keep still and so’ll we. We never
aimed for this affair to get out, any
how. I reckon these men”—he Indi
cated Lewis anti his followers—"ain’t
liable to talk much.”
The two Guzman hoys, grently
moved, returned to announce that
they had identified their father’s body,
and Longorio could not well refuse to
accept their evidence.
“Very well,” said he. “I am Indebted
to you. Since there is nothing more
to be said, apparently, I will return
tf> Romero." With a bow to Mrs. Aus
lin, who had silently watched the play
of these opposing motives, he turned
away, and Tad Lewis followed him.
Rut Dave Law had recognized Adolfo
Urbina in the crowd, and, stepping for
ward, disarmed him, saying:
“Adolfo, there's a wnrrant for you,
so I'll just take you in."
For a moment Adolfo was inclined
to resist, but, thinking better of It, he
yielded with bad grace, bitterly re
gretting the curiosity which had
prompted him to remain to the end of
this interesting affair.
Tad Lewis gave him some comfort.
"Never iuupL Adolfo.’ he said. “They
can't prove anything oli you, and I'll
go your ball. Ed Austin knows where
you was the day that stock was stole.”
He and his two remaining men moved
toward their automobile, and a moment
later the vehicle went clattering away
up the thicket road.
So ended the attempt to foil the re
turn of Ricardo Guzman's body^ to
Texas soil.
When Alnlre came to look for her
husband, he was gone.
CHARTER XIV.
,v
Superstitions and Certainties.
The .sensation caused by Ricardo
Guzman's disappearance was as noth
ing to that which followed the recovery
of his body. Whatever the facta of
the rescue, It was generally recognized
that the result had been to bring on
a crisis in the nffalrs of the two na
tions. Strong influences, however,
were at work to prevent that very out
come for which the people of Texas
prayed. During the delay there arose
a report that Ricardo Guzman had
borne an evil reputation, and that he
had been so actively associated with
the rebel cause as tp warrant punish
ment by the federal government. More
over, a legal question us to his Anieri
?an citizenship was raised—a question
which seemed to have Important bear
ing upon the case.
Public interest Is short-lived; few
living men can hold it more than asilay
or two, and it reckons no dead ifiun
worthy of more than an obituary no
tice. Thus In the course of time the
Guzman incident wns in a fair way
of being officially forgotten and for
given.
But there were several persons who
felt intense relief at the course events
had taken, und among these was Alaire
Austin. In the days following thnt
niidnight expedition she hud hud ample
time In which to meditate upon her
husband’s actions. It seemed probable
that he had fled to San Antonio, there
to remain until Interest in the Gusman
matter had abated.
Aim re telephoned nave Law, argu
ing to herself that she must learn
more about her husband’s connection
with the Lewis gang. Dnv$ arrived
even sooner than she had expected.
She made hint dine with her, and they
spent the evening on the dim-lit gal
lery. In the course of their conver
sation Allttre discovered that Dave, too,
had a hidden side of his nattiMifc'Thnt
he possessed an imagination, and’witb
It a quaint, whimsical, exploratory turn
of mind which enabled him to talk
Interestedly of many things and many
places. On this particular evening he
was anything hut the man of iron she
had known—tfntfl she ventured to
speak of Ed. Then he closed up like
a trap. He was almost gruff in his
refusal to say a word about her hus
band.
Because of Ed’s appropriation of the
ranch cash, A la Ire found it necessary
a few days later to go to the bank,
and, feeling the need of exercise, she
rode her horse Montrose. When her
errands had been attended to, she sud
denly decided to call on Paloma .Tones.
It was years since she had voluntarily
done such a thing; the very impulse
surprised her.
Paloma, it happened, was undergoing
that peculiar form of feminine torture
known as “flttinglint insecurely
hasted, pinned and tucked as she was.
she came flying down to the gate to
meet her visitor.
Alaire was introduced to Mrs.
Strange, the dressmaker, a large, acid
ulous brunette, with a mouthful of
pins; and then, when Pnlonia had giv
en herself once more into the seam
stress’ hands, the two friends gossiped.
“I don’t know what dad will say
when he gets the bill for these
dresses," Paloma confessed.
“Your father is a mighty queer
man,” Mrs. Strange observed. “I
haven’t so much as laid eyes on him,"
Paloma nodded. “Yes. And he’s get
ting more peculiar all the time; I can’t
make out what nils him.”
“Where Is lie now?” asked Alaire.
Heaven knows! Out In the harre
or under the house." Taking advan
tage of the dressmaker’s momentary
absence front the room. Pnloma con
tinued in a whisper: “I wish you'd talk
to dad and see what you make of him.
ire’s absolutely—queer. Mrs. Strange
seems to have a peculiar effect on him.
Why, it’s almost as if—” •,
“What?"
“Well. I suppose I’m foolish, hut—
I’m beginning to believe in spells. You
know, Mrs. Strange’s husband is a sort
of—n eerom aneer.”
“How silly!"
There was no further opportunity
for words, its the woman reappeared at
that instant; but a little later Aluire
went in search of Blaze, still consid
erably mystified. As she neared the
farm buildings, she glimpsed a man’s
figure hastily disappearing into the
barn. The figure bore a suspicious re
semblance to Blaze Jones, yet wh*fu
she followed, he was nowhere to be
seen. i
“Mr. Jones!” Aiaire called. She re
peated Blaze’s name several times;
then something stirred. The dour of a
harness closet opened cautiously, and
out of the blackness peered Paloma’s
father. He looked more owlish than
ever behind his big, gold-rimmed spec
tacles. “What in the world are yon
doing in there?” she cried.
Blaze emerged, blinking. He was
dusty and perspiring.
“Hello. Mlz Austin!" lje sainted hier
with 8 poor assumption of breeziness.
“I was fixin’ some harness, hut tin
right glad to see you,"
Aiaire regarded him quizzically;.
“What made you hide?” she asked.
“Hide? Who, me?"
(Continued Next Week.)