Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Copyright b T Ptt*r B. Km*. WNU Service. - CHAPTER VX?Continued ?'How dare you presume to address Roberta cut in Icily. "I am not aware that I bare the dubious honor of your acquaintance, sir, although I . believe you are my uncle's slayer, Jim jj&V/jJlgglns." He stared at her without rancor, nor did the pleasant smile that bad crinkled his undeniably good-looking countenance fade the slightest. Ro berta made swift appraisal of him. Be waa about six feet tall, strongly ^^uilt, lithe and graceful. His com ^Blexlon waa a reddish brown, a most ^^greeable color-scheme when taken In ?Y ' conjunction with crinkly jet-black hair and large, black, snappy eyes. "Black Irish," Roberta reflected, noting his ^ thick, almost snubby nose, the broad * upper lip and the square Jowls. "The ?ery worst kind of Irish I" ;v., MYes, I am Jim HIgglns," Don Jaime admitted, without a particle of shame or embarrassment, and from the In ' flection of his voice, from a certain faint clipped manner of slurring his . consonants, Roberta knew that Span ish was this man's tongue. "It was my misfortune to be the instrument of an inscrutable fate that wafted ; >#your delectable uncle to his mansion in the skies." "Has anybody ever told you what m cool scoundrel you are, Mr. HIg glns? Do you enjoy killing men?" "Oh, no I Not even in self-defense." Roberta had a feeling that she was not going to make much progress In the face of the man's debonair Indif ference. "What do you mean by trying to ahoot my foreman?" "Why, it's the open season on sheep herders. We're allowed one a day, and old Dingle Bell Is the first I've flushed In a week." "He'll be the last you'll flush In many years if there Is such a thing fc"*as law and Justice In Texas." "Oh, we're very law-abiding, in deed! Very few of us on this side of the Rid Grande kill for pleasure or profit. You're going to have me ar ???*' rested, I presume." "I certainly am." ? "Well, when the warrant Is Issued the sheriff will telephone me about it and tell me to come In nnd talk It over; By the way, what are you do ing around, here, anyway? Is It your Intention to camp all night on this platform or were you expecting some body to call for you? Is It possible that in a moment of exuberance I frightened Dingle Bell away and thus deprived you of* your transportation?" "No, I'll excuse you of leaving U9 atranded. Mr. Dingle would have do V- parted In a little while, but not so precipitately. I do not mind telling you that we are walling for Don Jaime Miguel Hlguenes to send a car over for us. I)o you know Don Jaime?" ! v ^I've known him all my llf^." ??What sort of man Is he?" *'We-ell, average, I'd call him. Just % a fair sample of a greaser. Folks In this Country don't seem to mind hav ing him around. Are you certain Don , Jaime knew you were due hero to day?" ^ "Why, I wrote him a week ago." "Well, the hair must have slipped ? * somewhere or he'd hhve had a car here to meet you? yes, and n light mo tor truck for your baggage. One thing Hlguenes prides himself on is his punctuality and hospitality. I'm very much afraid, Mees ? I mean Miss ? An . trim, that unless I get word to Don Jaime that you're here, the station LosAlgot\o "Mow Oar* You Protumo to Address MoT" Roberta Out In tolly* natter will have to take you In. And X know he isn't equipped for com p*?y " . . Roberta's troubled ga *e met the young man'* with )ust a hint of toler* ?nee new. "1 suppose you have your humane moments, Mr. HlgRlns. Re member, however, I nm certainly go* tag to proaeeute you for the attempted murder of Mr. Dingle, so don't tangle yourself op In rash promises to ren der flrnt aid. ; You may send word to Renor Hlgttenes if you wish, but all It will avail you Is my thanks." - "Ton may even omit the thanks," be Japltea brightly. "I am delighted to > ' at* ? ? ? ?' Mi have an opportunity to, withdraw from your peppery presence, so with your permission, senorlta, I shall ride swift ly to the humble abode of this fellow Hlguenes and tell htm to beat It over here like the devil with his car." Again his hat swept .the platform, before he climbed down and limped to his horse, spoke a few words to the boy who was waiting there for him, and set off down the road at a smart gallop. "There goes the handsomest, moat cultured, most interesting ruffian any woman will ever meet," Roberta de clared. "I do hope his lameness will not be permanent." "He's marvelous, gorgeous," breathed Mlgnon. "I wonder why he doesn't go In the movies." "Mr. Hlgglns "ought to get along beautifully In that profession.*' Ro berta sighed. "He certainly has ad mirable control of his temper. I couldn't seem to Insult him." In about an hour a handsome sedan appeared, accompanied by a speed 1 wagon. Both were driven by youths of undoubted Aztec ancestry. With out a word they fell upon Roberta's baggage and stowed It In the speed wason, whereupon the driver of the sedan approached, hat In hand and said: ? The senor Hlguenes sends thees car and the compliments of heem to the senorlta. Don Jaime tell to me to say to the senorlta he ees ver' sorry he have make the bonehead play not to come before. Jus' now Don Jaime Is ver' busy weeth wash heemself and make the shave for deener." Roberta smiled at the naive youth's report and entered the car with Mlg non. "I wonder what Davy Crockett saw In Texas," she mused. "He died for it I" As the purty reached the summit of a low range square mile after square mllo of smlllnn green valley lay out spread before them. Evidently their chauffeur was aware of the beauty and comfort of the scene, for he stopped the car to give them oppor tunity to enjoy it. "All thees," he said with a wave of his hand and a proprietary air, "be barns and on to the ancestral home of Don Jaime Miguel tllguenes. They halted under a red-tiled porte-cochere, and Mrs. Gunby came out to welcome them. "Don Jaime begged me to present his excuses for his failure to meet you, Miss Antrim," Bhe explained. "He has been working cattle with his men the past two days ? they're shipping from Valle Verde station ? and Don Jaime has only just gotten home and Is busy making himself pretty. And this young lady with you is ? * "My maid, Mlgnon, Mrs. Oanby." "You are fortunate to have brought her with you. Don Jaime has Mexi can or Indian maids ? 1 don't know which ? to care for the house, but until I came he had nobody to train them and everything has been at sixes and sevens. I've been here about six weeks and am gradually getting order out of chaos. Do you speak Spanish, Miss Antrim?" "Unfortunately, no." "The servants understand nothing else. I am studying the language and am beginning to make myself under stood. You have a modern bath with hot and cold water. Dinner Is at six." "Does Don Jaime dress for dinner?" "He puts on his coat, even when we - haven't got company," Mrs. Oanby laughed. "In this part of Texas men readily acquire the comfortable shirt- - sleeve habit." "What a lovely room I" Roberta ex claimed, as she entered. It was a large room, and furnished in an old world elegance. In fact, Roberta, who knew something about such things, was satisfied that every article of fur niture in the room had come from Spain and was at leust three hundred years old. The windows opened onto the patio, and the scent of flowers filled the room. A cluster of roses occu pied ,a vase on the dressing table. "Ddn Jaime plucked these and placed them here himself," Mrs. Gan by Informed her. "He was In great distress at having you arrive a day earlier than we expected you. I fear you didn't figure your time-table cor rectly. Miss Antrim. Yes, this is the nicest room In the house. It was for call him, and Instantly 1 was Jealous. So I tried to kill Dingle Bell ? accord ing to you ? although what I really tried to do was to puncture his tire. I thought l( I could succeed In fright ening him away before he had an op portunity to tell you too much ? the things I wanted to tell you myself ? I would be proving myself a very smart young man. Well, I succeeded, didn't ir Roberta's face went scarlet. "I'm so terribly ashamed ? so ? embar rassed." "Nonsense. It was a grand joke ? and I assure you grand jokes are few and far between In this part of the world. That rascal Dingle had been talking to you and telling you things that weren't so, and I saw at once that you were perfectly willing to believe the worst of Jim Higglns, while hold ing Jnlme lllguenes in a measure of respect." "I ? I can't believe you're a bad ma.i" Roberta faltered. "I'm not. I'm a lovely young feller, and your cussed uncle did give me a flat tire and make a south-paw out of me for a while. And I did bust him, good and plenty, and have no regret for my action. I'm forgiven, am I not?" Roberta eyed her host coolly. "I'll think It over. I'm sorry you deceived me ? even by such innocent and un doubtedly amusing deceit. Your let ters were so delightfully neighborly It seemed quite all right to permit my self to be under obligation to you. But if I had known that Jaime Hlg uenes and not Jim Higglns had killed my uncle I should not now find myself in the position of scolding my host, of regretting my acceptance of his hospitality." "Sav on, Miss Antrim. I would be the last mah on earth to use his hos pitality as a gag to free speech." "My Uncle Bill will think it very, very strange of me to accept the hos pitality of my Uncle Tom's ? ah ? re mover. How Bhall 1 explain it to him?" "Don't," Don Jaime suggested meek ly. "I'll do It. Give me Uncle Bill's address and I'll send him a wire to BEGINNING THE STORY, FOR NEW READERS Roberta Antrim, beautiful Eastern society girl, who lives with hor uncle, William B. Latham, known as "Crooked Bill" because of his amuBlng slyness, receives a telegram from Jaime Miguel Hlguenes, owner of the Rancho Valle Verde, In Texas, Informing her her Uncle Tom Antrim has died a violent death. At the advice of Glenn Hackett, who Is In love with her, Roberta plans to go to Texas to protect her Interests, since she Is her uncle's sole heir to thou sands of sheep which Antrim had grazed on land controlled by Don Jaime. Don Jaime, unmarried, half Spanish and half Irish, Is attracted to Roberta's picture In a magazine. Antrim Is warned to tako his sheep off Don Jaime's ranch at once. Antrim ambushes Don Jaime. The young ranch owner Is wounded and Tom Antrim killed. On his body are found Instructions to notify Miss Roberta Antrim In the event of his death. Another Hlguenes' telegram tells Ro berta her uncle was killed by Jim Hlgglns (Don Jaime's anglicized name). I^atham tells her his fortune Is In danger, and she decides to go to Texas to get Antrim's estate, to save It. "Crooked Bill" concocts a schemo he hopes will forward Hackett's courtship. Don Jaime, actuated chiefly by his romantic Interest in the pictured Roberta, allows the Antrim sheep to continue to graze on his ranch. At the station of Valle Verdo Roberta meets Dingle, Tom Antrim's foreman, who points out Don Jaime as her uncle's slayer, then flee3. Roberta, watching "Jim Hlgglns," sees him shoot, she thinks, at Dingle. long to Don Jaline Miguel Hlguenes. Maybeso I theenk two hundred t'ou snbd acrea in all. Mlra, senorlta. On the mesa you see the beeg white ha cienda weeth the red roof. That is the home of Don Jaime. He Is my good boss." "You are very fond of Don Jaime?" Roberta queried. "II ? 1, senorlta, 1 die for heem. My father she's die for heem!" ? Roberta was impatient to see Don Jaime Miguel Hlguenes for whom men died so gladly. She gazed across the lovely valley and thought. "All those poor, simple people are sheltered under the mantle of his philanthropy. He Is the master, the gentle despot whose slightest wish la their law. He is a feudal baron. Ro berta, you're trembling on the brink of a great adventure. How I would enjoy having Glenn Ilackett meet and know a man like Don Jaime Miguel Hlg uenes 1" The car rolled across wooden bridges over irrigation canals; and on the borders of a distant field Roberta saw a long queue of tetoms drawing mow* era. Dozens of hay wagons were load ing and stacking the new-cut alfalfa hay ; perhaps a hundred men were raking and piling It. The fragrance of the harvest came pleasantly to the girl's senses and It occurred to her that this valley had once been dry and barren until metamorphosed Into a vast garden by men of vision, cour age and faith. To her It seemed a big, worth-while thing to have done ? something Homeric. There was drama In It ? poetry, too. She knew no little man had done this, and that none but a big man could carry on with It. And her Impatience to meet Don Jaime Miguel Hlguenes increased. They s wept up through the Indian pueblo and were barked at and pur sued by Incalculable numbers of dogs of assorted breeds. "If Glenn Hackett were the overlord here he would ban-' Ish those Curs," Roberta thought, "and justify his act on the ground of effi ciency and sanitation. But these peones must have their dogs and doubtless Don Jaime realises that. V^t them have dogs? -millions of them. What affair Is It ef his? 1 dare say he has dogs of his own." Assorted brown chlldretCIn varying degrees of nudity, stared and shouted at them; fat brown women, seated on door-steps or hanging over fences In homely gossip, bowed or curtsied ; then they were through the pneblo and rushing up a gentle slope, through an avenue of oleanders, past great white merly Don Jaime's mother's room. Dinner will be served shortly after you have tidied yourself up a bit. Don't hurry." Roberta chose to wear that night the dress, shoes and stockings which had precipitated that unfortunate pro posal on the part of Glenn Hackett, and was unusually critical of the man ner In which MIgnon prepared her bobbed hair. She wanted to look her best when she should meet Don Jaime Miguel niguenes. At last she was ready and made her way down the corridor hall. Mrs. Ganby led her Into Don Jaime's spa cious living room. At a small sideboard, his back toward her, stood her host. He was arrayed in flannel trousers and white bucksktn shoes, a soft white silk flhirt, a black silk bow tie, and a blue serge coat. Roberta was Impressed by the extreme youthfulness of his figure, for she had anticipated a very much older man and, for a reason she had no ground for entertaining, she had expected him to be short and portly. Mrs. Ganby spoke: "Don Jaime 1" Ho turned. "This young lady Is Miss Antrim, Don Jaime." Don Jaime bowed. "You are wel come to my poor house, Mees Antrim," he said evenly, and advanced to take her hand. "Jim Hlgglnsi" she crled^furlously. "Tf you Insist upon applying the lit eral translation of my monicker, James Michael Hlgglns Is as correct as Jaime Miguel Hlguenes. Dear me, can't you see the map of Erin on my face, Miss Antrim?" Her eyes blazed at him. "You're a posltlvo devil," she whispered ns she reluctantly surrendered her hsnd to his. "Why did you deceive me at the station to day?" "Dear Mees Antrim, I did not de ceive you. You asked me If I were Jlra Hlgglns and 1 admitted It. Then you started to work on me and I had a great curiosity to see how far yoM would go." "If I had known you were Jaime Miguel Hlguenes I would have had Dingle take me over to my late uncle's ranch." "I feared the son of a gun was planning to take you there. You and your maid are the first women to get Off at that station In a year, and when from a distance I observed you, I sus pected your Identity, suspected that for some reason you had arrived a day earlier than that named In your let ter* So I started across to Interview you? and then I saw Dingle Bell, as I night. That will give him an oppor tunity to register his kick tomorrow. If It seems to you then that you ought to leave Valle Verde my car will be at your disposal." He called Sirs. Oanby and when she entered Bobble was holding to her hand. "I rode all the way home with Ken, Jimmy," he shouted, "and I'm not tired." Then he saw Roberta and removed his hat. Don Jaime formally presented the boy, then snapped his fingers at Hobble and the little chap limped over to him. "Well, old hosB," Don Jaime greeted him, and scooped the boy up In his great left arm. "We had a fine ride today, didn't we? But you disobeyed orders, Robbie. I told you to ride home with the cook In the chuck wagon and lead your pony behind. You've overdone It, son. What are we going to do about that, eh?" , Robbie looked distressed. "But I felt so good, Jimmy-*" he began. Don Jaime shook him and set him down. "I put you on the payroll at ten dollars a month. At the end of the month you'll collect nine. You are fined a dollar for disobedience of or ders." ' The boy threw his arms around Don Jaime's waist and looked up at him almost tearfully. "Are you angry with me, Jimmy?" - "Of course not. Do you think I'm a short sport? But an order's an or der and given to be obeyed. You promised to obey me, son, and you must learn that a promise must be kept. Understand? No matter what hap pens, a man must keep his promises. It's costing you a dollar to learn that, and the lesson would be cheap at double the money. Run along now and wash ymir faco and hands and get ready for dinner." Roberta caught the boy's mother's glance fixed oh Don Jaime with a sort of maternal adoration. "That boy requires manhandling," Don Jaime assured her. "That atrophied leg must he built up with exer^'se, but we must proceed slowly. Good little lad, Robbie, but his doting ma has given him an Imperfect notion of the sacred ness of a contractual relation. I fined him a dollar, and that's mighty hard on Robbie, but" ? he looked down at Mrs. Gajjby with his kindly grin ? "I have a wire-haired fox terrier pup coming for him tomorrow. If Robbie should ever lose confidence In me I'd be out of luck." He poured cocktails and served them. "Ladles ! To your beautiful "I ? I Can't Believe You're a Bad Man," Roberta Faltered. eyes." he toasted, and added to Ro berta. -'And confusion to your old Uncle Bill!" "Idiot!" Roberta grtsped, and stran gled with laughter. She had suddenly visualized Cilenn Hackett standing be side Don Jaime Miguel Illguenes and the comparison was ? well, Roberta laughed ! To be called an Idiot by one's guest Is not exactly a compliment, neverthe less It bucked Don Jaime Miguel Illg uenes up considerably. "I've never been called an Idiot before," he re torted gravely. "Yet, for some Btrange reason, I feel pleased." "I didn't mean you, of course, Don Jaime," Roberta hastened to assure him. "I was thinking of somebody else Just then." "An Idiot?" "On the contrary a very Intellectual, splendid gentleman of my acquaint ance." "Well, I'm glad you've pigeonholed him at last, whoever he Is. I don't like him. And I "agree with you that he'd never do for Texas. Not flex ible enough. What sort of fellow Is your Uncle Bill?" "Oh, Uncle Bll's human ? very. He was born and raised in Texas. Spent most of his early life In this state, In fact." "In what" line of endeavor?" "Cows." "On a large scale?" "Oh yes 1" "I Rhould know him or of him, then. What's his last name?" "Latham. William B. Latham." Don Jaime Miguel Illguenes set down his glass and stared at her. "Is Uncle Bill slightly lamo In his off hind leg ? Just n suspicion of a limp?" "Yes. Do you really know my Un cle Bill?" "No, I do not. But my late father knew him very well. They got Into an argument once as to which was the best for the country ? the gold stand ard or Bryan's slxteen-to-one sliver Iden. Your Uncle Bill was an outcast In Texas, fjt the time being a Repub lican. My father, of course, was a Democrat. In their argument they waxed personal, and finally your Un cle Bill called my father a d ? d an archistic greaser. So my father yelled: 'Hurrool Faugh a ballagh !' and hit your Uncle Bill on the none and canted It five degrees to the south east. My parent then ran to his horn* to get his gun, which he wore In a pommel holster, and on his way there your Uncle Bill shot his hnt off. This was getting personal, so my father re taliated by shooting your Uncle BUI in the heel." "Why, Uncle Bill never told me about that, Don Jalmo!" ?to nn CONTINUKD.) Many Square Miles of "Liquid" United States The firm land urea of the United Btatea In about 8,000,000 square mtloa ; tta water area, not counting the Great Lateen, amounts to more than 50,000 square mites? better than one mile of surface you'd have to nwim serosa for every 00 you could walk aver. Some of our states have far more water areA than #e1aware or Rhode Inland has land area. The District of Columbia haa one square mile of water for every eight of land. Connecticut has nearly 100,000 acres of water to beautify It* 3.000,000 of land. Minnesota, with 2,500,000 acre* of water, leads alt the states In water area, while If you count the 40,000 square mile* of ttreat Lakes surface, over which Michigan claims sover eignty, she has almost as much water aa land area. ? W. B. Courtney In Col lier's. Conscience rtnd slumber are akin. Miserable with Backache? ItMay"Hfern of Kidney or Bladder Irregularities A persistent backache, with bladder irregularities and a tired, nervous, depressed feeling may warn of some dis ordered kidney or bladder con dition. Users everywhere rely en Doan'j Pills. Praised for more than 50 years by grateful users the country over. Sold by all druggists. A Diuretic for th? Kidneys Bad Manner* Jimmle Imd watched with interest the process of making strawberry "sun preserves" at the next door neighbor's. One afternoon the neigh bor found Jimmle In the net of dip ping a chubby hand Into her almost finished preserves. "Why, Jimmle IJ.," she exclaimed, "you know better than to do tlmt." "Yes," Jimmle agreed. "I ought to have a spoon, oughtn't I?" "Splitfinq" Headaches //?,#// she learned why ehe was always ?/#?#/# miserable ? ana found out about NR Tablets (Nature's Remedy). Now she gets along fine with everybody. This safe, depend able, all-vegetable laxativo brought quick relief and quiet nerves because it cleared ner system of poisonous .wastes ? made bowel action easy and regular. Thousands take NK daily. It's such a sure, pleasant corrective. Mila* non-habit- form- 1 inc. No bad after effects. At your | druggist's ? 25c. "Tl IMC" Quick relief for acid indieeo I UfVlJ tion, heartburn. Only IQk. Operating Rooms in Black IIo8pitals in Russia are to have op erating rooms entirely in black. All operating table linen and garments worn by the surgeon and bis assist ants are to be made of black cloth. Soviet surgeons say that with careful lighting delicate >^ork can be done with the minimum of eye strain. Didn't Count Wife (hearing husband arrive home after hours) ? Who Is that? Husband ? Er ? hardly anybody, dear. ? Stray Stories. AT THE FIRST SNEEZE H?r Only Clianc* "Did you marry the man of your choice?" n?ke<l the Inquisitive one. "No," bIkI?c(1 the other one, "it wn? IfohBon'H choice." Try Lytfta 6. Wnkh?m'? VtgttabW Compound Flying Into a Tempe r Touch jr , . . irrittblet Everything OMet* her. She oeedi Lr<ll?K. PJnkhtm ? Vege table Compound to soothe her nerve* *04 boiid tip her health by it* tonic action.