The Pride of Palomar

as Farrel entered, carrying the souvenirs of his service-a helmet and gas-mask-she glanced at him with the interest which the average civilian manifests in any soldier obviously

e rear platform, where he selected a chair in a corner that offered him sanctuary from the cold, fog-laden b

not hold the members of this race in a tithe of the esteem he accorded other Orientals. This Japanese was rather shorter and thinner than the majority of his race. He wore large, round tortoise-shell spectacles, and clothes that proclaimed

ier growled to himself. "We'll come to it yet if something isn't done about them

the man following him; with a very definite appreciation of the good things of life, he had instantly selected the chair in the corner opposite Farrel, where he could smoke his cigar free from the wind. Following the Japanese came an American, as distinctive of his c

m all; he fancied it rested longest upon the chair beside him. Then, with the faintest possible little moue of disapproval, she seated

esemblance to him and had inherited his handsome features a thousandfold, albeit her eyes were different, being large, brown, and wide apart; from them beamed a sweetn

xplain. Perhaps it was because he appeared to associate on terms of social equality with a Japanese whose boorishness, coupled with an e

chair he was vacating, and returned to his seat inside the car. Her fine brows lifted a trifle; her slight inclination of the head was robbed of the chill of brevity by a fleeting smile of gratitude,

ow quickly the girl excused herself to her companio

small table. The seat opposite him was unoccupied, and when the girl entered

loquized. "You didn't care to eat at the same table

timidity of the most modest and timid race on earth where women are concerned-the Irish-tempered with the exquisite courtesy of that ra

iberation to the possible consequences of his act. For the past two months he had been forced to avoid, when dining alone, meats served in such a manner as to necessitate firm and skilful manipulation of a knife-and when the waiter served his steak, he discovered, to his embarrassment, that it was not particularly tender nor was his knife

iar to such a situation, he could not forbear a quick glance at her. Interes

steak constitutes an order you are unable to execu

exclaimed. "The waiter will be here

men. I commanded a hot-cake-and-doughnut brigade in France." She

ared admiringly. He could imagine the number of daring devils f

of good fellows around to squelch anybody who tried to interfere with my efficiency. By the way, I obs

now I'd soldie

u'd bet your

ave served in

th a fair amount of

t to sit near that Jap. Ca

ded app

you glad I took pity on you? Your steak would have been cold before he got round

sed my hand for more than two months, and the muscles are slightly atrophied. The knife

appened

hrusting had had a clean saber. Blood-poisoning set in, but our battalion su

' They got that

nod

railroad. Guess they wanted the trainload of rations we were guarding. My captain k

ested. "And you got a wound-chevron out of it. I suppose, like

talion surgeon fixed it so I didn't have to go

plate with the st

is morning, Sergeant." She buttered a piece of bread for

grinned brazenly. "Nevertheless, if I were in civvi

eterans must stand

By the way, may I ask the identity of

w he is my fath

y thought he looked qui

ty is a Mr. Okada, the potato baron of California. He was formerly prime minister to the potato king of the San Joaquin, but revolted and became a preten

able lightly wit

s just a cool

hed for

ke, native son. He's

ve always wanted to kill a Japanese potato baron. Do you not think it w

ow, if you really wish to be a humanitarian,

demise would plac

inding him amusing company. She looked h

educated

-room schoolhouse perched on a bar

eak like a

ine to lay when eggs are worth eighty cents a dozen, and why young turkeys are so blamed hard to raise in the fall. My grandfather and my father were educated at Trinity College

ch a funny littl

t black eyes in fe

you know?" h

w wh

der she sits in public with that pudgy son of a chrysanthemum, whe

greaser," sh

tree, singing the 'Spanish Cavalier' to a guitar accompaniment. Lis

anish c

to rope

h his pap

mba!' s

a you

no carne

wn eyes

When you stooped down to kiss the stone at Blarney Castle, you lost yo

of my childhood. Mother taught me to pray in Spanish, and I learned that language first. Later, my grandfather taug

r I shall not cut your

t threaten me, because I'm out of the army just twenty-four hours, and I

't really

ild bull this minute for a single

ing home to yo

o back-that he must go back-that he would go back-to that dear old Chicago town? Well, that poor exile had only just commenced to think that he ought to

nia. You're the grea

are all alike. Congenita

ful? Isn't it wonderfu

tate is worthless m

d beautiful!"

r half is

of the Tejon Pass?" he challenged. "The wild, barbaric

ur valleys ar

as, se

ime-and the ghost-rivers of the South

d ride over the hills back of Sespe with me this afternoon, and see the San Greg

a mistiness in his eyes, and he

happy you are!

s a cock valley-quail with a large family and

I think.

e good

for several minutes, and when he h

the San Gre

nod

so," she volunteered. "Fa

did he ac

Mexican grants. It has a Spanish name. I'll try to remember it.

omares grant?"

s dead, and my father acquired the ranch

died and that a suit to foreclose the mortgage had been entered against the estate. The eas

First National

First National." He smiled a trifle foolishly. "You gave me a bad ten s

l little grimace of sympathy. "Just think of

knew all of the stockholders in the First National Bank, of El Toro. Your father is a newcomer. He must have bought out

our question, and if I feel at

e, Okada, a memb

ith us. He has a land-d

A

ross at him wi

that last observation o

ians with manhood enough to resent

t there is a real Japa

reproachfully. "As the outpost of Occidental civilization

sional agitators-a part of the labor-leaders' plan to pose as

the Japanese invasion of California is not confined to any class, but is a very vital issue with every white citizen

a bend in the highway that ran close to

JAPS WAN

ons here. But," he added bitterly, "you could throw a stone in the air and be mod

think that sign will

asing their lands to Japs that the organized sentiment of this community is against such a course. The low

have a legal right to own and leas

nying them the right to own land, while evading the spirit of that law. Corporations with white dummy directors-purch

hould amend

aintest hint of cool bellig

is used as a club to beat our brains out. Once, when we were all primed to settle this issue decisively, the immortal Theodore Roosevelt-our two-fisted, non-bluffable President at that time-made us call off our dogs. Later, when again we began to squirm under our burden, the Secretary of State, pacific William J. Bryan, hurried out to our state capital, held up both pious hands, and cried: 'Oh, no! Really, you mustn't! We insist that you consider the other members of the family. Withhold

ttle subdued by his vehemence,

Japs. They are not a dull people, and they know how to make that control yield rich dividends-at the expense of the white race. That man Okada is called the 'potato baron' because presently he will actually control the potato crop of central Califo

since he is making no secret of them, I dare say I do not violate his confidence when I tell you

m of passion that swept him was truly Latin in its terrible inten

urmur presently. "My beautif

formation would upset you so," the

in it. Válgame Dios!" And the maimed right hand twisted and clutched as, subconsciously, he strove to

about you," she said demurely. "If I had a temper a

white man who betrays his community to

ry garroting anybody," she suggested dryly. "Suppose you cool o

intereste

aring at me with those terrible chile-con-carne eyes. I can almost see myself at my own fune

being, and if he realized the ec

sire to discuss the Yellow Peril. To begin, are you preju

hing that would lead, except in isolated cases, to a warm friendship between members of our race an

how about Jo

ce bri

You can have a great deal of respect and downright

Chinese are exclude

nod

ermitted it, but since he is a mighty decent sort and realizes the sanity of our contention that he is not assimilable with us, or we with him, he admits the wisdom and justice of our slogan: 'California for white men.' There was no protest from Peking when we passed the Excl

argument, delivered with all the e

t assimilable

he potato baron?"

not!" she

Is that not a point w

e. It never

have gobs o

ouldn't consider a proposal of marriage fr

race that must forever remain, alien-in thought, language, morals, religion, patriotism, and standards of living. They will dominate us, because they are a dominant people; they will shoulder us aside, control us, dictate to us, and we shall disappear from

do not think he understand

much. Your father

money than he will ever n

e to colonize his land in the San Gregorio for white men and take a l

ve ther

nod

o. You leave the train

car meet us there. We shall motor out to the

p the line, and take a short cut via a c

ated slig

o give you a lift out from El Toro, Se

ome, and I have a childish desire to sneak in the back way and surprise them. Were I to appear in

nt upon him a smile of complete understanding-a smile all-compelling, mate

far one, I could borrow one. But I'll hike it i

bruptly. "Do you know a horse in

lver mane and tail, five-gait

very

o know that horse

going to buy

d Farrel's manner

see Panchito?

o to be shod one day while we were living a

y. I know the

g the blacksmith's shop, and I sim

old Pablo to d

was shod, he permitted me to ride the dear for half an hour. Pablo was so kind

me money-say, about five doll

eyes betr

with profuse tha

've ever met. Pablo did re

inst the code of the Rancho Palomar, and if his boss ever h

was killed by the bewhiskered devils in a cold country the name

sat up

sharply. "He told you Do

on Mike's father had had a tel

nging the light of joy back to the faded eyes of old Don Miguel, and in the swift contemplation of the drama and the comedy impending, he stood staring at her rather stupidly. Pablo would doubtless believe he was a ghost returned to haunt old scenes; the majordomo would make the sign of the cross and start

rrel has lost the number of his mess?" he blurted. "G

w him we

to school with him. Know him? I should tell a man! We even soldiered

oro, his death was a genuine loss to his section of the c

eople," Farrel murmured philosophically. "And now that Do

ken-hearted

t you a lo

th a lot

t her very

n for your sweet courtesy, but I feel that you might as w

hy

his, but the fact is-I'

t him-the superior smile of one

"And the man who outbids me for that horse will have to

see," he returned, enigmatically.

hange from a twenty-dollar bill, Farrel

main in the San Gr

mmer, I

and bowed to her with a

an never repay it. I dare say we shall meet again in the very near future, and when we do, I am going to arrange matters so that I may

tened Japanese invasion of the San Gregorio valley had cast a shadow over his sunny soul. She

lans to outbid me for Panchito. He attaches a sentimental value to the horse because of his love for poor Don Mike. I wonder if I ought to bid against him un

g-car. "As a usual thing, she seldom dispenses brains with beauty-and this girl has both. I wonder

back of his right hand and remembered. What a