Show 0 0 jim tiie conqueror conow 0 0 0 0 my y peter fetter IM 0 0 0 40 0 0 copyright by rater pater B D eni 0 0 CHAPTER VI continued 9 why should he he came off see sec bed rid best he be lie ile was drunk at t the time and my father was antola caled otherwise there would have 1 been 1 een two funerals F father was heartbroken when he sobered up and sent his lawyer to your uncle bill to apol so BO your uncle bill accepted the apology and sent back one ot of his own when 1 I 1 was a very small boy your uncle sold out his ranch to old man 11 hobart obart whose so son p kenneth Is now by general manager does uncle bill treat you with civility and decency of course he does lies iles adorable iles hes a love very well then ill not kill him you tou must agree though that I 1 did you a real service in bumping off old uncle 1 tom uncle bill says you did roberta admitted but then hes biased 11 1 sly my father always declared that lu uncle acle bill was all wool and a yard vide V ide dinners ready thank god cod that stout saddle colored female who appeared in the door just now says wed better come and get it ashell or shell throw it out what an extremely old fashioned young man you are don jaime please do not call me don jaime balme the don Is really a title of respect find and Is used by ones employees or social inferiors rather like having a pullman porter address you as cju judge dge or colonel you may call me mr air Ilig glins mr james jimmy or jaime very well sir mr the girl murmured in a very small voice then hold everything Overy thIng mine host I 1 must run to my room for a liand her chief I 1 forgot to fetch one don jaime gazed after her there was no doubt but that lie he approved of lier her mightily when his gaze shifted it met mrs Canby Gan bys ls now how does she impress you she queried miss antrim la Is physically beautiful and mentally alert yes ashes as smart a young woman as you and I 1 will ever meet well raised well spelled ed haughty aware of 0 her power over men and just loves to use it sound bound at heart though I 1 think will she be here long don jaime 1 I do not know in all probability she will not be here long iong enough to please me in fact if I 1 run that bill dingle scalawag down the road she be here now sites a new note in life to me but im not going to let her know she Is CHAPTER VII robbie nobble ills his pale face glowing from his recent ablutions arrived with roberta and the four went in to dinner the table had been set in tile the gallery don jaime explaining that during the summer eummer they always ate ata outside roberta appraised the table with the eye of an expert it was covered a white linen cloth short stern stemmed med red roses peeped from a jade green bowl in the center the service was of sterling silver and very old and beautiful on closer inspection she saw caw that it carried a coat of arms my y great creat great great grandmothers silver don jaime explained fellow ellow in new york once heard I 1 had it and sent his secretary down to buy it lie ile offered me nn an unbelievably high price for the service and seem to believe me when I 1 told him it was not for sale lie ile just kept tilting the ante end and seem to see he was annoying me some people are like that they think money Is the beginning end and the end of everything perhaps you would also sir air niguenes it if you sou had ever been poor roberta noberta suggested ive paid 32 12 per cent for rented money he retorted ive had the ranch mortgaged in had bad years and banks anks carried my father half ills his lifetime only those who iho are poor in spirit aho vho ft ho lack courage can be really poor do you not find life a little lonely here A busy man mail Is seldom lonely my father spent ills his life in bondage to tile the irrigation system you probably ob ed en route here but after his death I 1 completed it and transformed a semiarid sem larid valley into alfalfa and cotton fields I 1 got rid of the scrubby long iong horned cattle that were built for speed and substituted Here herefords fords which are built for beef all this has been a considerable task and fell to my hands when I 1 was eighteen that was ten years ago after I 1 was de mobilized in the spring of 1010 1 I really started to put this ranch on a paying basis I 1 cleaned up on cotton in 1010 1910 and 10 20 0 and cattle prices were unbelievably high I 1 had a feeling however that such buch a wartime prosperity last so BO I 1 sold all my cattle in the fall all of 1020 and in 1021 1 I plant any cotton well the market smashed on en both and lucky jim have any I 1 instead I 1 raised alfalfa and stacked it then I 1 bought cattle for a song ahen the banks and the governmental loan agencies foreclosed cheap cat ue ile and cheap feed you know I 1 had my iny moments of panic the road was rough and rocky in spots although that oi of course made bade tt it all the more interesting the victory nil all the more delightful I 1 think that when one has had to fight bior for his land and his people he learns to love both no matter how bow un unlovely I 1 ove I 1 y or uninteresting they may appear to those whose lives have been spent in shelter and without effort sly aly life has been spent that way I 1 must admit roberta confessed and I 1 like it she added why not youve never tried any other life have you roberta noticed that her host was much more at his ease now that their conversation had veered into new channels it occurred to the girl too that don jaime miguel had lived more in five minutes of his colorful life than hat hafl the last three generations of and the Ilac ketts were a long lived race what gainful occupation if any does mr air latham practice now don jaime asked roberta ite ile plays the stock market with success I 1 hope ile he has always been very successful until recently when lie he lost practically everything he hail had or at least he would have lost it without thle the aid of some people who love him we anticipate a reverse in the market w which aich will pull pill him out it if not with a profit at least without ter terrific rifle loss 11 my father loved your uncle rill bill even if he did shoot him in the lice heel 1 and disagree with him politically I 1 would he be glad to give my fat liers friend a leg up you live with your uncle bill 1 I tal tally it ive been his ward an and d a member of his household since my tenth birthday I 1 have never known a wish he hastened to gratify at whatever cost so you see now that lies hes old and liable to suffer financial reverses it Is my duty to take care of him and for that reason my uncle ancla toros toms estate comes to me somewhat in the nature of a godsend 11 one more reason why I 1 should be dealt with charitably in the matter of your deceased avuncular relative rein tive the young man suggested humorously well well pull you out all right on the sheep 1 I understand the estate Is boarding on you mr air Higue higueres nes don jaime shrugged Es nada he replied that Is the grass they consume amount to that and lie he snapped his fingers the knowledge that I 1 am serving a distressed lady Is a rich rach rev reward vard 11 two maids removed the empty soup plates and set the roast down in front of don fatme A wild turkey he informed roberta then lie he sharpened his carving knife on the steel and attacked the bird dissecting it in a very neat and manner tm inner can you cook miss antrim heavens no nol 11 1 I had heard it was a lost art with ali the rising generation im a rattling rat tiling good cook myself if I 1 do say so most latin males are you know I 1 enjoy cooking fish and game how about boxing great sport I 1 have three who are paid five dollars a month extra to box with me that I 1 suppose said roberta dryly appeals to your irish blood are you of a religious mind well I 1 built a church in my pueblo and I 1 support a padre for my people I 1 play the organ in my church and ive rehearsed the choir until its really rather good you must come to mass with me tomorrow and listen to it why were you armed today do you always carry that arsenal no he replied soberly 1 I do not but of late I 1 have felt that discretion might be the better part of valor you see I 1 have been unfortunate enough to make some new enemies recently the last time I 1 went abroad unarmed I 1 was carried home on a stretcher 1 I fear the girl suggested that the antrim sheep are proving to be a source of embarrassment to you oh not at aill my enemies never embarrass me I 1 assure you ile he said it so simply so earnestly so absolutely without brag or bounce that roberta laughed aloud you are a new note in life she declared mrs ganby canby do you not find don jaime a source of profound amusement don jaime I 1 must admit Is different mrs airs ganby replied guardedly im sure of it mrs airs ganby canby ile he a bit religious but he la is very charitable so charitable in fact that I 1 am certain he Is obliging me in the matter of those sheep at considerable loss and nuisance and inconvenience to himself not at all her host protested 1 I expect to collect from the antrim estate a reasonable reason atile tee fee for my services to reimburse me tor for my outlay or inconvenience roberta had a feeling of helplessness in this mans presence for he was a new experience with her she had never met a man who remotely resembled him so ruthless forceful and dominating not knowing what to say she he waa silent and attached attack ed her meal when presently her glance met don jaimes Ja lines again he was smiling at her whereupon she itched ditched with a desire to pull ills his undoubtedly celtic nose ile he has all the audacity and assurance of the irish and all ot tile the ego of the latin she thought what an indolent semi insolent glance he hasl and he good looking at all still he be bad look ing iles hes just masculine and knows it all of ills his life he has been accustomed to being high and low justice on this ranch because these peons geons of his kotow to him he thinks lie he can get away with murder lies just a mex ilex lean feudal baron who has established his feudal sway just far enough north of the border to make good with it Is it possible tor for one to send a telegram from your ranch mr she asked certainly after dinner you can telephone your message to the office at los algodones Alg and charge it to my account occo 1 I suppose I 1 should go to los algo dones in a day or two to consult with my attorney well the longer you delay your visit isit v miss antrim the more agreeable it will be to alviso krudys Pr udys almost a full blooded spaniard about one thirty second aztec or yaqui but enough to make him want to take life easy bo be kind your visit on a business mission will cause him to bestir himself roberta laughed again softly suddenly for again she had a awl swift ft vision of glenn hackett and compared the activities of his law office with the somnolent status of don Pruden cloa clos legal mill 1 I feel like alice in wonderland she declared suddenly speaking of bees and birds and sealing wax and cabbages and aln kings s 11 said don jaime 1 I am sincerely delighted e cited to have sold prudy to you lies iles so BO slow so deliberate I 1 know hell just lengthen out your visit to r 0 2 7 xa just a mexican blex ican feudal baron the rancho valle verde until you get to like the country just now you think my count rys bare and lonely and dw lut but lt it will grow on you to one unaccustomed to wide horizons there Is born in texas a feeling that one Is lost but presently one discovers that out of all this loneliness and vastness a surprising number of good natured and contented peo pel come friendly and they do not talk too much although they do talk to the point ill miss my guess a mile if you find yourself without it a serious interest in texas alees I 1 mean miss Ant reeni antrim 11 lies iles secretly excited and disturbed 11 roberta thought pronouncing T as e I 1 wish dinner were over providentially it was not a long course dinner such as roberta had expected would be served and which she had looked forward to with dread A soup a salad a roast two vegetables a light dessert and black coffee that was all lie he runs ills his household like a sensible man nt at any rate the girl reflected ted she watched a humming hamming bird flitting troa from flower to flower saw a quail come forth and bear away a crust tossed him by don jaime then as the shadows lengthened the mocking birds replete with fool food and happy perched in a lime tree and paid for their meal in melody roberta had never heard a spanish mocker before and was with the beauty and variety of their extensive repertoire you are fond of music don jaime queried roberta nodded and he tossed a quick order in spanish to one of his dusky maids from behind the climbing passion vines on the gallery across the patio a guitar was strummed strummer strum med roberta heard the mellow notes of a harpas unseen fingers ran the scale then a girls voice without mil C h volume but wondrously sweet and sympathetic commenced to sing la golon colon 11 when I 1 am unhappy don jaime explained they sing that sad song to tile me find male make me unhappier why dont you ou have them sing something joyful my dear miss antrim no higgins ever wants to be made happy when lies unhappy its like enjoying poor health we wb must laust feed our racial me melancholy an choly you incorrigible celal are aie these prof entertainers brought out from los algodones Alg Algo dories no NO part of the ranch assets that harp lias has been in our family since the lie first 1119 glis emigrated to madrid hello hub bub you getting sleepy tired after your long ride today eh V robbie had left his chair and climbed up into don jaimes lap ills his thin little arm was around the brown powerful neck ills his head cuddled under the b big ig square chin don jaime held beld him close with ills his left aria arm and roberta noticed that with his right hand he gently massaged the atrophied muscles of the boys left log leg the purple shadows crept over the patio tile the music sobbed find and mourned behind tile the passion vines presently don doi jaime shook robbie gently come son he said softly say your jour prayers in spanish as I 1 have taught you sou nuestro padre the sleepy voice spoke haltingly the unfamiliar cords the man prompting from time to time when the prayer was finished lie he rose and with the boy in ills his arms stooped 01 over er mrs canby that she might kiss her son good night then he be passed around the table to robertas chair innocence and helplessness roberta heard him murmur who could riot not love it I 1 lie he stooped over her and lowered the boy until the childish lips brushed her cheek then lie he bore the lad oft off to bed the two women exchanged glances tile the M mothers 0 eyes were moist tint that Is 13 the latin in him miss antrim iles hes not ashamed to demonstrate ills his affection roberta did not answer she was thinking of a remark that crooked hill I 1 had once made in her presence when children and dogs love a man a woman woma Is usually safe with him S sha h e wondered now if glenn hackett ackett II loved children and dogs and decided presently that he would love his own children it and when he had them but that he would not be interested in logs dogs or human beings beneath him in the social scale lie ile Is a strange man mrs airs ganby she said at last 1 I have never met ills his kind before I 1 do not know what to make of him whether to like him or dislike him to fear him or to trust him ile he killed my uncle and then masquerading under the name of jim higgins he induced me to accept the hospitality of jaime where I 1 come from one do that sort of thing you know now how long have you known him mrs ganby since three days after he killed your uncle I 1 am a trained nurse and I 1 came down here to tend his wounds although he would have recovered without my aid for lie he Is as |