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Show (miGory W' COPYRIGHT J " "THAT I LOVE YOU" Synopats-Qcnor Antonio da la Querra, a flno old Spaniard living on his miceatrnl estato on the American side of the Mexican border, bor-der, Is Informed by -his American lawyer, Dcmpton, that there Is a technical error In hli will. lie thereupon stem a new will, without with-out reading It. "Ijs Americanos on the ono hand, Mexlcanos on tho other," said the old Spaniard to hlmtelf, "Sangra do Dloil I muat take Tercslta away from thorn." CHAPTER II Continued. 2 "Mnko me some pretty speeches, Scnor Billy," she laughed softly. "They Hoot tip to mo hero through tho moonlight moon-light llko tho pcrf urrio f rom red roses I" She had drawn her mnntllln closely nhout her for no other reason In tho world hut to tnnlnllzo tho man below her by hiding herself from him, nnd thero was only her voice nnd tho vnguo outline of her young body through tho vines to tell him that sho was there. Hut to her his face, uplifted In tho moonlight, Hushed nnd eager, was unhidden. un-hidden. "You nro n flirt!" ho cried, seeking to moko his volco snvngo nnd nngry, and succeeding admirably In filling It with' adoration. "But no," sho nnswered him from tho dusk about her. "Thnt Is to -bo cruel. And I I nm so soft-hearted that to moko ono suffer would distress Jie." "If you roll your r's nt mo llko thnt ngaln," Slnnwny told her very positively, posi-tively, "I nm going right In nnd tell tho old gentleman that I nm going to marry youl" Sho laughed gayly at his Impetuous declaration. "It would ho llko n play," sho wild nftcr n little as though she wore thinking think-ing seriously of, what ho had snld ho would do. "It would Interest mo to boo. Pnpn grnndo would bo very po-llto po-llto nnd would nsk Scnor Billy to huvo n glass of wine nnd n clgnrltn. "And then" tho Inughtcr welling up ngaln In tho eyes ho could not see, trilling In tho volco which dropped down to him "ho would call Pedro and old Juan to tako you outsldo nnd shoot you with their guns I" "And you find thnt funny?" demanded demand-ed Htunwny. "Is It not? It la llko tho opera I" "You nro dying for an opcrntl; scene?" Ills volco still rang with tho eagerness within him, his hand was upon tho vines which clambered about her balcony. "Let mo climb up to you" "You must not I" cho cried quickly. And then, seeing that ho hesitated, nho added lightly, again settling herself her-self comfortably upon her cushioned scat. "Thnt would bo only mimical comedy. And I should havo to' go In-sldo In-sldo und shut my window nnd run downstairs to pupa grande. And Shi" Ho could mako out tho gesturo as sho laid her fingers across her red lips, could seo thnt sho turned toward the ope'n window behind her. "Qulen es?" sho called carelessly. "Yo, Pedro," enmo Pedro's answering answer-ing voice. "Senor Dempton has gone. , Tho roaster sayti that In half nn hour ho will bo glad to sco tho Scnorltn Teresa." "Bueno," ho answered lightly. "I hear, Pedro." And then when sho also heard Pedro's light tread on tho stair-wuy, stair-wuy, descending, sho turned again toward tho roan below 'her. "I roust go," sho said softly. "Papa grande wishes roe." "Not for half an hour," ho said quickly. "I heard that." "But," as though sho wero hesitating, hesitat-ing, "I should go now. It Is very un-maidenly un-maidenly of mo to bo hero with you. If I had known that you wero coming I should certainly not liavo come out to look at my stars." "You uro n littlo'humbug, Teresltn," ho laughed ut her. "You did know that I would bo here, and you wero glad of 't, and you camo out just to sco me." "To seo you?" And ho could Imng-Ino Imng-Ino tho arching of tho brows above her grcnt eyes. "And to tcaso me. But look her! M "I am looking, senor. Mama mlr., but you nro handsome in tho moonlight. moon-light. More so' than by day I" "I did not coma hero tonight to mnko you pretty speeches," said Stan-way Stan-way stubbornly nfter his way. "I camo to tell you" "Yes?" expectantly. Sho clasped her hanils und leaned a llttlo farther -aut-oviir-lilm. nllowlng him u glimpse of her laughing face, of white nrms and throat fium which tho mantilla was slipping. ' That I love you" "QUI" Sho seemed to loso Interest, but again her face wus hidden. "And thnt I actually and positively tnenn what I sny when I toll you that I am going to mnrry you." Ho could not sco tho flush which crept Into her checks, nor tho light In her eyes, but went on swiftly, unguardedly, unguard-edly, his voico'nlmost etcrh with tho emotion upon him: "Tho border Is unsafe. Mexico Is going to ho torn to pieces this time beforo temporary truco comes ngnln. You need somcono to tako caro of you." "You forget pnpn grnndc," sho reminded re-minded him gnyly. "You seem to havo n habit of forgetting him." "Your grandfather," ho snld In the same quiet tone, "Is not tho rann to protect you now, for thrco.vcry good reasons: Ho Is too near tho border nnd too rich to go unmolested by the rebel bands, who hnvo ulrcady made moro than ono raid Into American territory ter-ritory under cover of night. "And ho Is too Spanish, no was born In Spain his fnther kept lilm there until ho wns of age. Ho Is n Spanish nnd not nn American citizen." "How kind nnd thoughtful you nro, Scnor Stnnwny," she mocked lilm. "Do you find It necessary, every tlmo you conio across a young woman who needs protection, to mnrry her?" His mood did not soften with hers this time. In Billy Stanway's own words, "ho meant business." "Your grandfather tins nlrcndy lost cnttlo to tho raiders," ho told her. "It Is known nil over this end of tho stnto thnt ho Is his own hanker that ho always has n largo amount of gold nnd silver In the house. "Some night ho is going to bo called upon for something moro thun just cows to feed tho hungry rebels. And then" "Then I should bo protected?" sho murmured demurely. "I should ho mnrrled to nn American whoso mighty nation Is feared by the Mexican? "I Mutt Go," She Said 8oftly. That Is it, no? Bueno. Docs Scnor Stnnwny know my klnsmnn, Eduardo Bunion Torre? Ho Is n Spaniard, of bluc-blood old of Castle, scnor. And ho Is u naturalized American citizen. He" "Is n d d young puppy I" snapped Stanwny irritably. "With us," said Miss Teresa stiffly, "ono docs not swear In the- presence of a lady. Nor doos ho Insult her through her kinsmen." "I beg pardon honestly I do, Tero-8lta," Tero-8lta," Stanway hastened to say, "But you shouldn't mention the young reprobate's rep-robate's name If you don't want roe to swear, and you know It. Now I'm coming up " His hand was again among tho vines seeking n hold somewhero and being mocked by the smooth adobe wall. Teresa do la Gucrra, alarmed, was upon her feet protesting. And then: "Sh I" sho called, down to him. "It Is papa grande. I heard him call. Another An-other time, Senor Billy, Soma other night roaybo tomorrow, who knows and I shall steal out for a llttlo walk with you. I must go now. Buenns noches, ScnoriBllly." It was softly sMd, nnd there was tho caress of tho soft southern speech. "I um coming, too," ho called up to her. And she knew that ho meant what he snld. "I shall como around to tho pat'" and so to tho front door, I am point; to talk vjtliyojnrund "father tonlgfit, Teresa minor A laugh floated out nnd down to lilm, u rose fell, striking ngnlnst his cheek, thero was tho glimmer nnd flutter flut-ter of n mantilla among the vines, nnd tho girl had stepped bach through the window, closing It behind her. Sho stood a moment) hesitant, hor' check n llttlo pale. Then tho thought that even now Stnnwny was on bis way around the great house to tho pntlo drove her. In hasto llrst to her mirror und tho rcnrnihglng of her liulr the roso vino bad disturbed, then to n quick descent of tho broad stairway to tho main floor. Tho utter stillness of the drawing room smoto her us she entered. Tho ; candles wero llko shimmering ghosts. , Do In Gucrrn was not In tho room. Immediately sho was dimly con- i sclous of nn unreasonable sense of uneasiness, un-easiness, even beforo she had tho vngucst reason for It. And then tho reason asserted Itself. A chnlr lay overthrown, n little wny from tho chnlr n rug was crumpled nnd thrown back, tho Ink bottln which had been upon tho tabto lay upon tho (loor. As her eyes saw, her brain understood. under-stood. And ns sho stnrcd, beforo her voice lind found Its way to her lips, sho heard a sharp knocking at tho front door. Sho ran to It swiftly, threw It wldo and whispered fearfully: "Scnor Billy, I am frightened. Look I" Ho looked tho wny her pointing fln gcr went, a moment In frowning failure fail-ure to comprehend, then in sudden blnck nngcr. "You mean" he cried sharply. "Yes," she whispered, clinging to his nrm. "A moment ngo I heard him call out. I I was talking with you and did not heed, but thero was anger In his voice. I camo down and look, ho Is gonol Thero was a struggle sco tho chnlr thrown down, tho rug, tho Ink spilled there!" Stnnwuy left her side, striding abruptly ab-ruptly to where tho bottlo lay. Thero wus n dark smear on the carpet car-pet near It. He leaned over It, stooping, stoop-ing, seeing tho candles reflected from the dnrk surface. And his face, too, Vns very whlto as ho straightened up, drawing n deep breath between his teeth. Ho mnnnged to stand between tho girl and tho dnrk smear. "Get Pedro," ho commanded sharply. "Havo him call tho servants, tho vn-qucros, vn-qucros, every man of them. Havo them como armed." Tho girl turned and ran swiftly through tho grcnt rooms, down tho long hallway to do his bidding, n sharp fenr clutching her heart. Stnnwny, when sho had gone, stepped quickly across tho room, snatched up a rug there nnd threw It down upon tho carpet, car-pet, covering the dark spot near tho bottle. Then ho stood still, waiting. As ho waited there came to him from tho sllcnco without a faint drumming drum-ming sound, the nols of horses' hoofs ' In n mad tattoo of flight through tho night. "The rebels,"' ho mattered angrily. "They nro tnklng what I left of hlra back across tho border," He ran to tho window. The curt n In there was torn. Moonlight and candle light showed him where- wood ami plaster wero scratched as in hurried hur-ried exit. Then Teresa had como back to- him, her grcnt eyes wldo with' alurni, nnd tho servants wero nlrcndy trooping in, slocpy-eycd and mystified. CHAPTER III.. Eduardo Ramon Torre--Their master was not hcror: their young mistress' eyes wero turned) with Intent eagerness upon tho young American owner of tho Pointed! Bock ranch, nnd so tho scrvunts, each- of them, turned to Stanway expectantly. Stanway waited In sllcnco n moment until a now set of faces In tho doorway, darker, sun-kissed, bearded faces, told him thnt tho vaqucros had risen to Pedro's clamorous call. Then ho spoko to them nil, swiftly, with rising emphasis, calling upon them by mime, addressing thorn In' mixed Spanish and English, taking tho word which camo first to him- thnt tlioy would grasp. "Gaucho," ho called us a very tall, sinewy, Arab-looking man pushed his wny through tho cluttered door. "Tus vaqucros havo work to do tonight. Are they nil hero todos?" "No, senor," ho answered, simply. "Los otros comln rauy quete." "Listen, then, while they com," ran on Stanway. "It Is tho- Mexicans, I think, who have taken your master. There was tho nolso -of cnbatlos running run-ning back toward the border. They nro not ten minutes abend. How many? Qulen sabe Gaucho? Probably Prob-ably Just a band, of raiders, not many, How many men. with rifles, can you 'get to horso prontor" Enter Eduardo Ramon Torre, who adds new complications com-plications to an alarming situation. (TO UB CONTINUED.) |
