HEART
aftho
SUNSET
r&? REX BEACI\
Author of * ‘ The Spoilers, "" The Iron Trail*
"The Silver Horde," Etc.
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I—Set afoot and alone bv an
am blent in the desert near the Kio Grande
Mrs. Alaire Austin, mistress of l.a.s Pal
»ias and la Feria ranches, meets Have
Law. Texas Ranker, at a water hole and I
Is compelled to spend the night there with j
him, 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. Pantile Sanchez, who happens to he
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 la Feria, the Mexican ranch, are con
fiscated by Longorio, Mexican federal
general, and site 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 tlie
Tad Lewis outfit, which is suspected of
cattle stealing. With Ricardo Guzman and
his boys Dave and Blaze go on a scout j
after cattle thieves.
l.nw "Hesitated as he was about to
spur out of the yard. "My the way." j
he ventured, “you needn't mention ihis
to Mrs. Austin.”
“She Is not here.” Gonzalez told him.
“She has gone to I.a Feria to see about
her affairs. She would not permit of
tills occurrence if she were tit home.
She is a very tine lady."
"Yes. Good night. Menifo.”
“Good night, senor."
When the Katiger had gone. Gonza
lez walked slowly toward his house,
with his head bowed thoughtfully.
“It Is very strange,” he muttered.
“How could l>on Eduardo have met
this Garza at noon when, with my own
eyes, T saw him ride away from Las
l’almas at three o'clock in the .after
noon? It Is very strange.”
CHAPTER VIII.
Following Up the Trail.
Pnve was glad thut he had swal
lowed "Young Ed’s" incivility, not only
for his own sake, but for the sake of
Alalre. After all, he argued, it wu<
barely possible that Ed had spoken the
truth. There wort' many sorrel horses;
the evidence of those rain-washed hoof
prints wljs far front conclusive; even
the fact that Urbina belonged to the
Tad Lewis outfit was no more than a
suspicious circumstance. And yet, ear
nestly as he strove to convince himself
of these possibilities, the Hanger could
not down the conviction that the ranch
er had lied and that he himself was on
the right track.
It was late when lie arrived at his
destination, but Lewis’ house was dark,
and it required some cITort to awaken
the owner. When Tad at last ap
peared, clad in undershirt and trou
sers, he greeted tile Hanger with it lev
eled rltle; but when Dave had
made known Ids identity, he invited
him In, though with surly reluctance.
Lewis was a snndy-cotnplexioned
man of about forty, with colorless
brows and a mean, shifty eye. For
merly a cowboy, he had by the exer
cise of some natural ability acquired a
good property—and a had reputation.
.Mist how or why he had prospered
was a mystery which his neighbors
never tired of discussing.
Tad, it seemed, resented any inter
ruption of his rest, and showed the
fact plainly.
Yes, he employed a fellow named
Urbina. What was wanted of him?
Law explained briefly.
“Why, he’s one of my best men!"
laughed the rancher, ‘lie wouldn’t
steal nothing.”
"Well, I had to shoot another good
man of yours,” Dave said quietly.
Lewis fell back it step. "Which one?
Who?” lii* inquire] quickly.
“Pino Garza.” Dave told of tie*
meeting at the branding tire and its
outcome. He was aware, meanwhile,
that Lewis’ family were listening, for
behind a half-open bedroom door he
could hear an excited whispering.
“Killed the first shot, eh?” Tad was
dumfounded. “Now, l never thought
Pino was that bad. But you never can
tell about these Greasers, can yon?
They’ll all steal if they get a chance.
1 let Pino go, 'bout a week back; but
he's been bangin' around, aimin’ to
"visit some of his relatives up in the
brush country. It was probably one
of them old Guzman saw. Anyhow, it
couldn’t of been Adolfo Urbina; lie
was over to Las Palmas all the after
noon.”
i “Did you send him there?”
| “Sure. Ed Austin can tell you.”
“Where is Urbina now?”
“1 reckon he’s asleep somewhere.
We’ll dig him up and talk to him. if
you say so.”
| But Adolfo Urbina was nowhere to
|be found. No one bad seen him since
about seven o'clock, nor could it be dis
covered where he was spending the
eight. Dave remembered that it had
been about seven when lie left Las Pal
mas, and ascertained. Indirect I v, that
Tad bad a telephone. On bis way from
^Austiu's Law hud stopped at a rancho
'or a bite to enl but li<“ con id forgive ;
himself for the delay if. as lie sur
mised, | rhinst had boon \v:irued by
wire of tii< coming.
“Thais too bad, ain't it?'’ Lewis
said. “But lie'll tie around again in the :
rooming, and I'll get him for you. You
leave it to roe.”
There was plainly nothing to do but
a reopt this offer, since it could avail
nothing to wait here for lrrl»ina’s re
turn. Unless the fellow gave himself
up, he probably could not be found,
now that the alarm was given, without
a considerable search — in view of
which Dave finally remounted ills bor
rowed horse and rode away in the di
rection of Janesville.
It was after daylight when he dis
mounted stiffly at Blaze's gate. lie
was wet to the skin and bespattered
witlr loud: lie had been almost con
stantly in tlic saddle for twenty-four
hours, and Hon Uieardo’s cow pony
was almost exhausted.
Blaze and Balonia. of course, were
tremendously Interested in his story.
“Say. now. that's quick work.” the
latter exclaimed, heartily. “You're
some thief-buster. Dave, and if you’ll
lust stay around here little calves can
grow up with some comfort."
When Dave rode to .Tonesvi’le, after
breakfast, lie found that the body of
his victim had-been brought in during
tin* night, and that the town was til
ready buzzing with news of the encoun
ter. During the forenoon Don Uicardo
and his sons arrived, bringing addi
tional information, which they prompt
ly imparted to the Banger. The Guz
mans were people of action. All three
of them had spent the night on horse
back. and 1’edro had made a discovery.
<>n the day previous Garza had been
seen riding In company with a 111:111
•'stride a sorrel pony, and this man
had been recognized as Adolfo Urbina.
Pedro's witness would swear it.
Their distance from Las I’almas at
the time when they had been seen to
: aether proved beyond question that un
I less Urbina had flown he could not
have arrived at the place In question
by noon, thf hour Ed Austin had fixed.
This significant bit of Information,
however. I>avc advised the Guzmans
not to make public for the time being.
Toward midday Tad Lewis and three
of his men arrived with the news that
Urbina had left for Pueblo before they
could intercept him.
“He's got a girl up there, and lie’s
gone to get married,” Tad explained.
“I'm sure sorry we missed him.”
Dave smiled grimly at the speaker.
“Are you sure he didn't cross to the
other side?” he asked. '
Lewis retorted warmly: “Adolfo’s an
'ill-right hombre, and I’ll back him.
So’II Ed Austin. 1 guess me an' Ed
are responsible, ain’t we?” Some
skeptical expression in his hearer's
face prompted him to inquire, brusque
ly, “Do you believe what I'm telling
you about bis goin’ to Pueblo?”
“I guess he’s gone -somewhere.”
Tad uttered an angry exclamation.
“Looks to me like you'd made up your
mind to saddle tills thing onto him
whether he done it or not. Well, lie's
fi poor Mexican, but I won’t stand to
see him railroaded, and neither will
‘Young Ed.'”
“No?”
“You heard me! Ed will alibi him
complete.”
Law answered sharply: “You fell Ed
j Austin to go slow on his alibis. And
vou take this for what it's worth to
you: I’m going to get all the cattle
rustlers in this county—all of them,
understand?”
Lewis flushed redly and sputtered:
I “If you make this stick with Adolfo.
■ nobody’ll be safe. 1 reckon Urbina's
| word is as good as old Ricardo's. Ev
erybody knows what he is."
Later when Dave met the Guzmans.
Ricardo told him. excitedly. “That
! horse Tad Lewis is riding is ihe one I
saw yesterday.”
“Are you sure?'
“Listen, senor. Men in eilies retnem
Ler the faces they see; 1 lmve lived
ail my life among horses, and to me
; they are like men. I seldom forget."
“Very well. Tad says t'rhina lias
gone to I’uebio to get married, so I in
going to follow him, and 1 shall he
there when he arrives.”
“Bueno! Anothei matter"—Bicarlo
hesitated—“your honita—the pretty
mare. She is burled deep.”
“I’m glad,” said Dave. “I think I
shall sleep better for knowing tin t.”
Since the* recent rain had rendered j
the black valley roads impassable for ‘
automobiles, Dave decided to go to |
Pueblo by rail, even though It was a
roundabout way, and that afternoon
found him Jolting over the leisur ly
miles between Jonesville and the main
line. He was looking forward to a
good night’s sleep when he arrived at
the junction; but on boarding th *
north bound through train he eucoun
tered Judge Ellsworth, who had be
heard of the (ianra killing, and o
course was eager for details. The.two
men s;it in the observation car talking
until a late hour.
Knowing the judge for a man of
honor and discretion, Dave unburdened
himself with the utmost freedom re
garding his suspicions of Ed Austin.
Ellsworth nodded. “Yes, Ed has
thrown in with the rebel junta in San
Antone, and Tad Lewis is the man they
use to run arms and supplies in this
neighborhood. That's why ho and Ed
are so friendly. Erhina is probably
your cattle thief, but lie has a hold
over Ed. and so lie rode to Las Palmas
when he was pursued knowing that no
jury would convict him over Ed Aus
tin's testimony.”
“Do you think Ed would perjure
himself?” Dave asked.
"lie hits gone clean to the bad late
ly: there’s no telling what he'll do. I’d
hate to see you crowd him, Dave.”
“They call you the best lawyer in
this county because you settle so many
cases out of court.” The judge siune ;
at this. “Well, here’s a chance for you
to do the county a good turn and keep
Ed Austin out of trouble.”
“iiow?”
“Th* prosecuting attorney Is a new
man, ami he wants to make a reputa
tion by breaking up the Lewis gang.”
‘Well?”
“He intends to cinch Urbina, on Iti
cardo’s and my testimony. You’re a
"Do You Think Ed Would Perjure
Himself?" Dave Asked.
friend of Austin's; you'd better tip liim
to set his wateh ahead a few hours and
save himself a lot of trouble. The
prosecuting attorney don’t like Ed any
too well. Understand?”
The judge pondered this suggestion
for a moment. “ ‘Young Ed’ is a queer
fellow. Once In a while he gets his
neck bowed.”
“So do I,” Law declared quietly. “He
treated be like a hobo—sent me to the
kitchen for a hand-out. That sticks.
If I hadn’t tamed down considerably
these late years. I’d have—wound him
up. right there.”
From beneath his dropping lids
Ellsworth regarded the Ranger curi
ously. “You have a bad temper, haven’t
you?”
"Rotten !”
“I know. You were a violent boy.
I’ve often wondered how you were get
ting along. How do you feel when
you're—that way?”
It was the younger man’s turn to
hesitate. “Well. I don't feel anything
when I'm mail,” he confessed. ‘Tin
plumb crazy. I gupss. But I feel plenty
bad afterwards.”
There was a flicker of the judge’s
eyelids.
Have went on musingly: “I dare say
it's inherited. They tell me tuy father
was the same. Me was—if killer.”
“Yes. He was all of that.”
Have lifted an abstracted gaze from
the l’ullman carpet. “I hardly know
what I mean, judge. But you’ve had
hunches, haven't you? Didn’t you
ever know that something you thought
was true wasn’t true at all? Well, 1
never felt as if I had bad blood in
me. My mother was Mexican—”
“Spanish.”
"All right. Am T Spanish? Have 1
any Spanish blood in me?”
“She didn't look Spanish. Sho was
light-eomplexioned, for one tiling. Wo
both know plenty of people with a 1
Latin strain in them who look like
Anglo-Saxons. Y<m were edneated in
the North, and your boyhood was spent i
at sehool and college, away from ev
erything Mexican.”
“That probably accounts for it,” Law
agreed; then his face lit with a slow j
smile. “By the way. don’t tell Mrs. j
Austin that I'm a sort of college per
son. She thinks I'm a red-neck, and
she sends me books."
Kllsworth laughed silently. “Your
talk is to blame. I'nve. Has she sent
you ‘The Swiss Family Robinson?’”
“No. Mostly good, sad romances
with an uplift—stories full of lances
at rest, and Willie-hoys in tin sweaters.
The good women were always beau
tiful. too. and the villains never had
a redeeming trait. It’s a shame how
human nature has got mixed up since
then, isn’t it?"
“Alalre Austin’s romance is sadder
than any of those novels.”
l>ave nodded. “But she doesn't cry j
about it." Then lie asked gravely;
“Why didn't she pick a real fellow
who'd kneel and kiss the hem of her
dress and make a man of himself?"
"What's the matter with you?” quer
ied the judge. “Are you smitten with
that girl?"
Have laughed. “Maybe! Who
wouldn't lie? Why doesn’t she divorce
that bum- she could do it easy enough
—an I then marry a chap who could
run Las Palmas for her?"
"A t an about six feet three or
toUfw tp'idlX suggested yhe judge. _
“That's the picture I have In mind.”
“You think you could run Las Pal
mas?”
“I wouldn't inlr.d trying.” ^
“You must never marry.” firmly de
clared the older man. “Y'ou'd make
a had husband. Dave.”
“She ought to know how to get along
with a had husband, by this time.”
The judge's face broadened in a
smile. “Thunk heaven ‘Young Ed’ has
the insides of a steel range, and so m.v
pet client is sale from your mercenary
schemes for some years.”
CHAPTER IX.
Longorio Makes Bold.
At T.a Kerin Alaire discovered that
the federal depredations hail been even
greater than she had feared. Not only
had the soldiers taken a great many
I mad of cnttle, imt they (tail practically
cleared the ranch of horses, leaving
scarcely enough with which to carry
on the work.
Life in the roomy, fortresslike adobe
house was pleasant enough. Alaire
welcomed the change in her daily life.
Everything about La Keria was rest
fully un-American, from the house it
self, with its Imre walls and floors, its
brilliantly flowering patio, anil its
primitive kitchen arrangements, to the
black-shawled, barefooted Indian wom
en and tln ir naked children rolling in
the dust. Even the timberless moun
tains that rose sheer from the west
ward plain into ti tumbling purple
shadowed rampart were Mexican. La
Keria was several miles from the rail
road; therefore it could not have been,
more foreign had it lain in 4he very
heart of Mexico rather than near the
northern boundary.
In such surroundings, and in spite of
faint misgivings, it was not strange*
that, after a few days, Alaire’s unhap
piness assumed a vaguely impersonal
quality and that her life, for the mo
ment, seemed not to he her own. Even
the thought of tier husband, Ed Austin,
became indistinct and unreal. Then
all too soon she realized that the pur
pose of tier visit was accomplished,
and that she had no excuse for re
maining longer. She was now armed
with sufficient facts to make a definite
demand upon the federal government.
The homeward journey was a rep
etition of the journey out. Jose, as
before, was newsgutherer. Hour after
hour they crept toward the border, un
til at last they were again laid out on
a siding for an indefinite wait.
1 lie occasion tor tins was made plain
when an engine drawing a single ca
boose appeared. Even before it had
come to a pause, a tall iigure In spot
less uniform leaped to the ground and
strode to the waiting coaches. It was
Luis Longorio. He waved a signal to
the conductor, then swung aboard the
north-bound train.
The general was all smiles ns he
onine down the aisle, and bowed low
over Alaire’s hand.
Dolores gasped and stiffened in her
seat like a woman of stone.
“Heaven he praised! You are safe
and well!” said the newcomer. "1
have blamed myself for allowing you
to take this abominable journey! 1
have been in torment lest something
befall you. Every night 1 have prajed
that you might he spared all harm.
When 1 received word that you were
coming, I made all speed to meet you."
- “Dolores and I are greatly in your
debt,” Alaire told him.
“But you stayed so long!”
“There was more work than I
thought. General, you have ruined mo."
Longorio was pained; his face be
came ineffably sad. “Please! 1 heg
of you,” he entreated. “1 have ar
ranged for reparation of that miser
able mistake. I shall see Wiaff you re
ceive justice. If the government will
not pay, I will. All I possess would
he too little to buy your happiness.”
“You embarrass me. I'm afraid you
don’t realize wlmt you say.” Alaire re
mained cool under the man’s protesta
tions. "1 have lost more than a thou
sand head of cattle.”
“We shall say two, three thousand,
and the government will pay,” Longo
rio asserted brazenly. “1 will vouch
for your figures, and no one will ques
tion them, for I am a man of honor."
“No! All I want—”
“It is done. Let us say no more
about the affair. Sonora. 1 have thought
of you every hour; the duties that held
me in Nuevo Pueblo were like irksome
chains. 1 was in madness. 1 would
have flown to La Feria, but—I could
not.”
“My husband will thank you for your
great courtesy to me,” Alaire managed
to say.
Mill tho mention of husbands was
not agreeable to one of Longorio’s sen
sitiveness, and his face betrayed a
bint of impatience.
“Yes. yes.” he agreed carelessly.
"Seiior Austin and I must know each
other better and become friends.”
“That is hardly possible at present.
When the war is over—”
“Mali! This war is nothing. I go
when* I please. Yc«i would tie sur
prised to greet me at Las l’altnas some
day soon, eh? When you tell your
husband what a friend I mn, he would
lit* glad to see me, would he not?”
“Why—of course. Mut surely you
wouldn't dare—”
“And why not? T have made ine.ul
ries, and they ti'll me Las l’nlmns is
beautiful, heavenly, and that you arc
the one who transformed it. I believe
them. You have the power to trans
form all things, even a man’s heart
and soul. No wonder you are called
‘The Lone Star.’ Mut wait. You "ill
see how constantly I think of you.”
Loiigorio drew from his pocket several
photographs of tiie Austin ranehhouse.
“Where did you get those?" Alairo
asked in astonishment.
- "Ah I. My secret. _Sec^ _ Thoy_nrg
badly worn already. for I keep thorn
next to tny Imisoui."
“Wo entertain very few guests nt
Las Palmas,” she murmured, uncom
fortnldy.
"1 know, t know n great deni.”
"It would scarcely be safe for von
to call; the country is full of (dande
lorisrtiK- -"
■■('attle!" said the officer. with n
careless shrug. ‘‘Hid not that great
(root Byron swim across an ocean to
see a lovely lady? Well, I, too, am a
I'oef. ! have beautiful fancies—soups
of love run through my mitnl. Those
Knglishmen know nothing of passion.
Your American men are cold. Only a
Mexican can love. We have tire in
our veins, senora.”
To these perfervid protest tit Ions Do
lores listened with growing fright; her
eyes were wide, and they were fixed
hypnotically upon the speaker ; she pre
sented much the appearance of a rab
bit charmed by a serpent. But to Lon
gorlo she did not exist ; she was a chat
tel, a servant, and therefore devoid of
soul or Intelligence, or use beyopd that
of serving her mistress.
Thinking to put an end to these
blandishments, Alaire undertook to re
turn the general’s ring, with the pre
tense that she considered it no more
than a talisman loaned her for the time
being. But it was a task to make Lon
goria accept it. He was shocked, of
fended, hurt; lie declared the ring to
be of no value; it was no more than
a trilling evidence of Ills esteem. But
Alaire was firm.
It was an odd, unreal ride, through
the blazing beat of the long afternoon,
l.ongorio cast off all pretense and open
ly laid siege to the red-liaired woman’s
heart—till without offering her the
smallest chance to rebuff him, the
slightest ground for open resentment,
so respectful and guarded were ids
advances. When the train arrived at
i»: destination, his victim was well
nigh exhausted from the struggle.
After a good night’s rest, however, she
Wits aide to smile at yesterday's adven
ture. Longorio did not hulk so large
now; even these few hours had greatly
diminished his importance, so that he
appeared merely as tin Impulsive for
eigner who hud allowed u woman to
turn his head.
Once hack across the river she dis
covered that tiiere were obstacles to
a prompt adjustment of her claim. The
red tape of her own government was
as nothing to that of Mexico. There
were a thousand formalities, a myriad
of maddening details to be observed,
and they called for the services of an
advocate, a notary, a jefe politico, a
jefe de armas—officials without end.
All of these worthies were patient and
polite, hut they displayed a malarial
Indifference to delay, and responsi
bility seemed to rest nowhere. During
the day Alaire became bewildered, al
most lost in the mazes of official pro
cedure, and was twilf minded to tele
graph to Judge Ellsworth.
Longorio by no means shared her
disappointment. On the contrary, he
assured her they were making splen
did progress, and he was delighted
with her grasp of detail and her knowl
edge of business essentials. At his
V
nr
“You Can Never Know What These
Two Days Have Been to Me,” the
General Said.
word nil Nuevo I'ueblo bowed and
scraped to her; he arranged for her
an elaborate luncheon in his quarters.
“You can never know what these two
days have been for me," the general
said as he and Alaire lingered over
their meal. “They will afford me some
thing to think about all my life. It is
a delicious comfort to know that you
trust nfe, that you do not dislike me.
And you do not dislik < me. eh?”
“Why, of course not. I have a great
deal for which to thank you.”
(ienernl l.ongorio lingered his wine
glass and stared into it. “I am not
like other men. 1 am a man of iron—
yes, an invincible soldier—yet I have
a heart, and a woman could rule me.”
“You say you have a heart.” Alaire
studied her vis-a-vis curiously as lie
met her eyes with his mournful gaze
“How is It that I hear such strange
stories about you. general?”
“Lies, all of them!” l.ongorio as
sorted.
"For instance, they tell me that you
shoot your prisoners?"
“Of course!” Then, at her shocker
exclamation, he explained: “It is l
necessity of war. Listen, sonom ! We
have twelve million Indians in Mexico
and a few selfish men who incite then
to revo't. To permit the lower class*** !
to rise would result in chaos, black an
areli\ Indescribable outrages against
lift and property. There is but om |
way 'o pacify such people—extermi
na'e irni ! Mexico is a civilized nn
tien; there is no greater in the world
but she must be ruled with nn Irot !
hand We shall drive all the traitors
ijiito the. seat umj Miudco shad havt
peace. Hut I am not n bloodthirsty
man. No, I mu a poet and a lover al
lii'iirt. As great a patriot as I am,
I I'ould lie faithless to my oountry foi
one smile from (lie woman I adore.”
Alaire did not color under the ardent
glnnce that went wl'b this declaration.
Slie deliberately r, aged the subject.
“This morning while we were In the
office of the jefe de artnas,” she said,
“1 saw a poor woman with a baby—
she was scarcely more than a child
herself—whose husband Is In prison.
Every day she comes to plead with the
Jefe de urmas for her husband’s life.
But he will not see her, and the sol
diers only laugh at her tears.”
“A common story! These women
and their babies are very annoying,”
observed the general.
"She says that her husband Is to
be shot.”
“Very likely! Our prisons are full.
Doubtless he is n had man."
“Can’t you do something?”
£
YM.Fm'fJ'*
"We Promise!” Eagerly Cried the Pair.
“Eh?” Longorio lifted hlx hrows in.
fhe frankest inquiry.
“Thai poor girl with her little, bure.
nrown-e.ved baby was pitiful.” Alnire
leaned forward with an earnest nppeat
in her fitee, and her host smiled.
“So? That is how it is, eh? What is
her name?"
“Inez Garcia. The husband's name
Is Juan.”
“Of course. These pelndors are alt
•Tuans. You would like to appear us
nn angel of mercy, eh? Your heart is
touched?”
“Deeply.”
"Iiastante! There is no more to be*
said.” Longorio rose and went into
the next room, where were certuln
members of iiis stuff. After a time lie
returned with a paper in his hand, and
this he laid before Alalre. It was an
order for the release of Juan Garda.
“The salvo conducto which will permit
Tuan and his Inez and their Juanito to*
return to their farm is being made
out,” he explained. “Are vou satis
fied?”
Alaire looked up wonderingly. “I an*
deeply grateful. You overwhelm im\.
You are—a strauge man.”
"Dear lady, I live to serve you. Your
wish is my law. How can I prove it
further?”
The strained, throbbing silence (list
followed Longoria's last, words did
more to frighten Tim woman than had
ids most, ardeut advances. He would
have lingered indefinitely over the*
table, lint Alalre soon rose lo go. ex
plaining :
“I must finish my disagreeable task
now. so that I can go home tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!” her host eriod in dis
may. “No. no! You must wait—”
“Mv hushaud is expecting me.”
Tliis statement was a I.low; ir
seemed to crush T.ongorlo. who rsmld.
only look his keen distress.
As they stepped out Into tlie street
in the gutter stood Inez Garcia with
her baby in her arms, and beside her
the ragged figure of a young man.
evidently her Juan. The fellow v. **•
emaciated. Ids face was gaunt and!
worn and frightened, his feet were*
bare even of sandals, the huge penlcedf
straw hut which lie clutched over Ids:
hreast was tutiered, and yet in Ids eves
there was a light.
They had waited patiently, these*
Garcias, heedful of Longorhrs orders,
and now they hurst into a toms*! of'
thanks. Tltey flung them sol yes to.
their knees and kissed the edge of
Alaire’s dress. General Longorio en
joyed this scene tremendously, and It's
beaming eyes expressed tin- hope (hat
Alaire was fully satisfied with the mo
ment.
“They look very poor.” said .Maty*,,
and opened her purse; hut I,ong<xfo.
would not permit her to give. Extract
ing a large roll of paper money from
his own pocket, lie tossed it. without
counting, to Juan, and then when the>
onlookers applauded, he loudly called
to one of his officers, saying:
“Olga! Give these good friends of
mine two horses, and see that tltey are
well eared for. Now. Juan.' lie ad
dressed the dazed ‘countryman. “I have
one order for yon: Every night of your
life you and your pretty wife musr.l^
a prayer for the safety and happins*Bt
of this beautiful lady who lias ttldtv-dt
me to spare you. I>o you promise?”'
“We promise I" eagerly cried tbe*
pair.
(Continued Next Week.)
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