Heart of the Sunset

pic in its mildness. The days are long and bright and breezy, while night brings a drenching dew that keeps the grasses green. Of late years there have

f the hill country, but near its estuary winds quietly through a low coastal plain which the very impurities of tha

ur Eastern states which hear the sound of iron wheels only on their boundaries. To travel from Brownsville north along the international line one must, for several hundred miles, avail oneself of horses, mules, or motor-cars, since rail

e Rio Grande much of it remained a forbidden land. Even to-day it is alien. It is a part of our Southland, but a South different to any other that we have. Within it there ar

er Rio Grande, and among these "Old Ed" Austin was a pioneer. Out of the unmapped prairie he had hewed a

n of some, more stubborn than the rest, who refused to feed the Austin greed for land, and who remained on their farms to feed the buzzards instead. Those were crude old days; the pioneers who pushed their herds into the far pastures were lawless fellows, ruthless, acquisitive, mastered by the empire-builder's u

when he handed Las Palmas to his son, "Young Ed," as a wedding gift, the ranch still remained a property to be proud of, and one that was known far and wide for its size and richness. Leaving his boy to work out of it a fortune for himself and his bride, the father retired to San Antonio, whither the friends and cronies of his early days were drifting. There he settled down and proceeded to finish his all

g signature to the deed. It was a different ranch now to what the old man had known

water-hole, and she felt a thrill of pride at the acres of sprouting corn, the dense green fields of alfalfa so

went to her room. Alaire had ridden far. Part of the night had been spent at the Balli goat-ranch, the remainder of t

ning accompaniment of chatter concerned with household affairs. Dolores, indeed, was superior to the ordinary servant; she was a woman of some managerial ability, and she combined the duties of personal maid with those

r own house, even though her home-coming gave her no especial joy. She made it a religious practice to dress for dinner, regardless of Ed's presence, though often for weeks at a time she sat in solitary state, presiding over an empty table. Nevertheless, she kept to her custom, for not only did the formality help her

ight, for Ed was at home. It was with a grave preo

and straightway launched herself into

re in that way he is whirling his riata and jumping through it. Useless capers! He ropes the dog, he ropes the rose-bushes, he ropes fat Victoria, the cook, carrying a huge bowl of hot water to scald the ants' nest. Victoria's stomach is boiled red altogether, and so painf

in been here

es

e-drun

on. He is on the gallery

s I am a

old

e she asked: "Has Benito finished bran

Mile. José Sanchez will have completed the rodeo by

u know José's c

S

e leave La

t her mistress turned upon he

stin ordered it. Suddenly, without warning, he sent him away, t

ed? Come! What ails y

nd my ears, too. I am no foo

s,

, that man; not above selling his own flesh and blood, and the girl is no better. She thinks about nothing except men, and she attends

engaged, we

rstand why-he was sent away." Dolores's sharp eyes narrowed meaningly. "Se?or E

some time, her face fixed, her eyes unseeing; but later, when she met he

le to remove his hands from his pockets. As he seated himself heavily at t

intended. Um-m-you were go

she and Ed had drifted. She looked at him curiously for an instant, wondering if he

mi-formal dress, he was unkempt-unshaven and soiled. He wore spurred boots and a soft shirt; his nails were grimy. When in the city he contrived to garb himself immaculately; he was in fact something of a dandy; but at home he was a sloven, and

n as errant as his habits. Ed boasted, in his clubs, that he was an outdoor man, and he was wont to tell his friends that the rough life was the life for him; but as a matter of fact he spent much more time in San Antonio than he did at home, and each of his sojourns at Las Palmas was devoted principally to sobering up

aguely: "Let's see, … Wh

look over that

ow did you

sing. It needs

t way since I was a boy

find some place for

where they are, until the rebels take tha

nd too well-so well that I want to get my stock

sly. "Suit yourself

husband indulged his thirst freely. Alaire told him about the accident

Who was this Ranger? Never heard of the fellow," he commented

Alaire described how expeditiously Law had made his ar

?" said he, "Who

lo San

strange! They must h

lared. Why did yo

eyes fixed upon him, and dropped his own. "I knew you were short-handed at La Feria."

ed what y

ned him of her suspicion; therefore he took refuge behind an assumption of anger. "My God! Don't

the reins to Las Palmas so that I'd have something to do, something to live for and think about, except-your actions. The ranch has doubl

and flung it from him; with a scowl

because I was sick. Dad thought I was all shot to pieces

d it will stand. If your father wer

and; and his plump face was apoplectic with rage. "The

ou are still enough of a man to keep your word, I be

ver welched. But I won't be treated as an incompetent

AVE we

n frowned b

our appetite coming on, and you promis

el

you do

said I'd cut out t

ur carousals a

ly. "Other men have go

ou have been seen with-women, in a g

re's noth

or other large cities, although of course I have ears and I can't help hearing about them; but these border towns are home to us, a

don't you end it? Why don't you divorce me? God knows I never see anything of you. You have your part of the house and

No, Ed, we're going to live out our agreement, and these Brownsville episodes are

you mean

lo because he was grow

sa

d Lord! There's no harm in a little

lay on the table-cloth, were tightly clenched. "She's your tenant-almos

unpleasant laughter had been succeeded by a still more unpleasa

stop goi

please. Rosa and I never spent a

of a whip. She rose and faced her husband,

ke to have a look at this David Law, this gunman, this Handsome Harry who waits at water-holes for ladies in distress." Ed ign

asped the woman. "I ca

l, neith

er go-to San Antonio. Maybe I'l

ow, and I'll at least get a little peace at my club." He glowered after his wife as she left the room. Then,