Part 13 (1/2)

He smiled indulgently.

”A few years perhaps,” he replied. ”Till I'm solid on my feet--till I get going well--we're both young--and then----” He dismissed the matter with a wave of the hand.

But that evening, when Lee and Dave had gone, when Imogene was asleep, when the soft darkness was thickening over the mesa, Ruth walked forth to the edge of the sagebrush.

”I wonder,” she murmured, leaving her thought unfinished.

The hush of the mountains, the silence of the plain, the vastness, the emptiness, the seeming purposelessness of it all, irritated and oppressed her spirit. And she so yearned to be where the world was alive and throbbing!

”I wonder if I really love him enough, or if I made a little fool of myself this afternoon?” she muttered to herself. ”I wonder!”

CHAPTER X

Charlie Menocal's object in calling upon the young ladies at Sarita Creek was merely diversion. He was fond of girls, especially lively ones, and knew a good many here and there within reach of his motor car, including a number of pretty Mexican maidens of humble parentage.

But his serious attentions centred about Louise Graham of whom in secret he was very jealous. Whenever he could find an excuse, and frequently when not, he went to the Graham ranch on Diamond Creek, five miles south of the girls' claims, where his figure was as familiar (and of about as much interest) as the magpies in the pasture. He fully meant to marry Louise, whose beauty and gracious manner even to the smallest bare-legged Mexican boy on the ranch captivated him and stirred in his breast a maddening desire for possession, so that he might cut off the rest of the world from her sweetness, so that it might alone feed his pa.s.sion. Yes, he meant to have Louise.

When he was with her his black eyes would s.h.i.+ne and a ruddy tinge appear in his dusky cheeks that were as soft and smooth as a Mexican girl's, and he would restlessly finger a point of his little, silky, black moustache and feel unutterable agitations proceeding in his heart. Louise Graham did not allow him to declare his adoration, which he would have done every moment they were together; when he tried, she walked away. But Charlie counted on his good looks and his father's wealth to win her in the end. One fear alone lurked in his heart, that some young American might come along who would win her interest; and earlier in the summer he had a decided uneasiness lest Bryant prove to be the man. The scoundrelly engineer, however, had fallen head over heels in love with Ruth Gardner, so that Charlie's mind was relieved on that point. To his knowledge, Louise and Bryant had never met--which was as it should be.

Charlie, having stopped about ten o'clock in the morning at the Graham ranch for a chat with Louise while on his way to Kennard, was considerably surprised and exceedingly nettled at beholding the engineer, with Dave behind him on the horse, presently riding up the lane between the rows of cottonwoods. Young Menocal had persuaded Louise to leave her household duties for the moment to sit on the veranda and talk with him. But now had come this impudent upstart!

Charlie's warning of someone at hand was when Louise ceased to speak and gazed intently along the lane. His annoyance at the interruption changed to a quick jealousy as his companion rose, descended the steps, bade the engineer welcome, and extended her hand in greeting.

Bryant explained that he was dropping Dave here to take the stage for Kennard when it came along after dinner. He himself was riding on.

”He'll eat dinner with us, of course, and I'll put him aboard the stage myself,” she exclaimed, with a pat on the shoulder of the boy who had now dismounted. ”Won't you stop for a moment, Mr. Bryant?

I'll give you a gla.s.s of fresh b.u.t.termilk to speed you on your way; a stirrup cup, we'll call it. The woman has just finished churning.”

Lee declared that he would drink a gla.s.s with very great pleasure. He was thirsty, he said, and in addition was fond of b.u.t.termilk.

Menocal listened and watched him dismount and ground his teeth. Louise knew the thief, after all. Where the devil had they become acquainted?

It was but one more instance of the engineer's pus.h.i.+ng in where he wasn't wanted. And she had not invited him, Charlie, to partake of b.u.t.termilk, though, to be sure, she knew he did not like it. He felt slighted.

When Bryant and Louise ascended the veranda, Dave loitering below, the engineer said nonchalantly, ”h.e.l.lo, Charlie, how are tricks? Anything new up your sleeve?”--in a way that set the other's blood boiling; and when he carelessly added, ”What about that story the stage-driver's telling of you and a senorita going into a ditch with your car at Rosita the other night?” he was quite ready to murder both Bryant and the stage-driver.

So upset was Charlie that he was unable to share in the conversation.

He curtly refused a gla.s.s when Louise brought a pitcher of b.u.t.termilk, then changed his mind, and ended by choking over the wretched stuff.

The situation was intolerable; his pride was smarting; the others talked on with unperturbed countenances, ignoring his silence; and his self-respect required some action in the face of the affront. He abruptly stood up and announced that he was departing.

In Louise's manner at this news there was no repining that he could observe. She did not protest. Her words were impersonally pleasant as ever, but vague; and he perceived that she only half heeded his going; and that her eyes brightened when once more she turned to her visitor.

This was the final stab. With hatred in his heart and a wicked glitter in his eyes, Charlie Menocal went down the steps to his automobile, feeling the need of a victim, preferably the engineer. Bryant had insulted him at the ford; he was attempting to rob him and his father; he had insolently threatened the elder Menocal; he stopped at nothing; and now he was intruding here and deceiving Louise with his arrogant pretentions. He came on Dave, standing beside the car and examining the latch of a door.

”Keep your hands off that!” he snapped. At the same time he gave the boy a cuff that sent him sprawling. ”That will teach you!”

In two bounds Lee Bryant was at the spot. He caught the still-extended hand in an iron grip.

”You miserable coward! Striking a boy!” he said, harshly. ”Feeling that you must vent your spite on someone, you pick on this unoffending lad. If you ever raise so much as a finger against him again----”