Over the Border: A Novel

  XIX: A KISS--ITS CONSEQUENCES

  If Gordon had happened to look behind him before riding on down into thecanon, he might have seen with the naked eye two black dots crawlinglike flies along the high bare flank of a mountain far behind. Under abinocular the flies would have resolved into Lee and Ramon. Further, inthat clear, dry atmosphere, a good telescope would have revealed boththe girl's worried expression and Ramon's glowing ardor. For just as the"wages of sin is death," so the wages of flirtation--especially if theparty of the second part be of Latin blood--is apt to be disaster. Leewas now reaping where she had sown, garnering in full measure, heaped upand pressed down, last night's consequences.

  With a girl's keen intuition in such things, she had seen it coming andhad thought of turning back. But after her summary dismissal of Gordon,that would have appeared ridiculous--besides, though she would not haveadmitted it, there he was riding on to a rendezvous with that _dreadful_girl! How she regretted, now, the flirtation! How she berated herselffor sending him home! But, there being nothing else to do, she hadridden rapidly, staving off the inevitable with a stream of excitedchatter--Ramon's family, _hacienda_ affairs, the scenery--while shedodged like a chased rabbit she secretly wondered at herself. Supposingthis were six months ago? Say, on the morning she had put on his hat?Would she have doubled and dodged? She knew better! She could not say,herself, what her answer might have been! But she _did_ know that shewould have let him speak.

  If then, why not now? Was it Gordon? Her pride--bolstered by irritation,for with a woman's illogic she charged her present plight to him--herpride rose in arms at the thought! Nevertheless, it did not prevent herfrom riding hard on his trail; nor from holding Ramon off with an effortgreat as a physical strain.

  But it was all in vain. Her retreats, though real, were alluring as themock ones which, at that moment, Felicia was practising on Gordon. Andtheir effect was the same. Her efforts were as bags of sand piled tocheck a rising torrent. Stayed for a time, it rose the higher; presentlyleaped over and swept all before it.

  A remark of hers concerning his father's age precipitated the flood."Si, he has many years." Then, his dark, handsome face aglow, Ramon ranon: "Yesterday he was saying that he would be content to pass could hebut see me settled with a wife. I told him it depended on"--he paused,then added the _tu_ of lovers--"on _thee_. If--"

  "Oh, Ramon!" she pleaded, in wild distress. "_Please_--don't!"

  But the dam was gone! In terms that would seem extravagant in English,but flowed naturally in the eloquent, rhythmic Spanish, he told hislove. Sunshine and star fire; moonlight and bird-song; the bloom ofspring flowers; loom of the mountains; wide spread of the desert--allwere she! Warmth, light, happiness, from her proceeded! She was hisuniverse. In her all beauty dwelt! And so on. To a girl who loved him,it would have been delightful wooing. Six months ago she would havelistened, charmed; perhaps have been persuaded. But now--it filled herwith dismay.

  "Oh, you poor Ramon!" She held out her hand in remorse and pity, butwhen, seizing it, he tried to draw her to him, she pulled away. "Oh no!_no!_ Oh, what a miserable creature I am! Here I have played--"

  But she got no further. Realizing with sympathetic intuition that themoment was unpropitious, he stopped her. "There is no hurry. I did notintend to tell thee for a little while. But there is no harm done. Thouhast always known it."

  "Oh yes." Tears dimming the blue eyes, she nodded. "Yes, but--" Thenrealizing that argument would but reopen the case, she accepted thecompromise. "No, I won't answer now. Wait."

  "If there be any one else--" His brow drew down over somber, threateningeyes.

  "Oh, there isn't!" She was conscious, herself, of over-emphasis. But sherepeated again. "There _isn't_, Ramon!"

  "Bueno!" His face cleared. "Then I am content."

  Now she was conscious of vast relief as though at the passing ofimminent danger. Relief from what? She refused to think.

  Content with her reassurance, he laughed and chatted again as they movedon, but it was a miserable girl that rode beside him; one torn betweenremorse and a dread curiosity concerning feelings which she obstinatelyrefused to examine. When, finally, they rode down into the canon,curiosity and remorse both gave place to indefinite apprehension.Without trying, she learned more of herself while they followed thezigzag staircases down and down than she dared to contemplate.

  Their first view of the _fonda_ showed, of course, only the roof andwalls. But from the lower levels they sighted, first, Gordon's horsetied to a post of the _ramada_, then the young man himself leaning atease across the bar. Ramon, who was riding ahead, obtained first view ofthe "long-haired _diccionario_," which was now being consulted in thematter of hair and eyes.

  "The senor seems to be enjoying himself."

  His laugh came floating back. Passing around the next turn, he did notsee Lee rein in her beast. Sitting her horse, still as a marble statue,she watched from across the stream the girl's head go up and meetGordon's in a kiss.

  For a disinterested spectator the scene would have had vast interest.The chrome-yellow walls of the _fonda_, toned under the eaves by Time'sgreen brush; the great shading trees through which the sun sent down agreenish lace of light; the stream singing musically among its glazedbrown boulders; all formed a proper setting for the forest love whichknows no other sanction than that of the eye. The beauty and abandon ofit all would have thrilled the aforesaid disinterested spectator; havecarried a theater by storm. But Lee was neither disinterested nor anaudience--in the accepted sense. She saw only the abandon. Conscious ofa deathly chill at her heart, white as the aforesaid statue, she justsat her beast.

  In taking the last turn, Ramon's horse dislodged a pebble, and as itrolled down the bank and splashed in the stream Gordon broke the girl'sclasp. Ramon was still out of sight, and Gordon's glance of startledinquiry rose to Lee sitting above, so still and quiet.

  "My God, she saw it!"

  Even as it flashed upon him he was convicted of a vast and sudden changewrought in himself by the last twenty-four hours. Only yesterday he hadassured Lee, with sincerity, that he lost interest in grown-up girls.Now, just because she had caught him in a little gallantry, the wholeworld had gone to smithereens!

  "Competition is the life of love!" Mrs. Mills might haveadded--sometimes its death. The "wind" had blown with a vengeance--fromopposite ways. Sitting above, Lee shook under its chill. Below, Gordonshivered. Though only a few seconds passed before she rode on down andjoined Ramon in front of the _fonda_, it seemed to both a deathless age.

  After passing a pleasant word with Gordon, Ramon had called for a drink,and till Felicia brought her a glass Lee sat quietly talking. But as thegirl looked up, revealing the soft glow in her great dusky eyes, Leestiffened and looked at Gordon.

  "I am glad that we overtook you. Senor Icarza has asked me to marry him.You shall be first to congratulate us."

  Gordon's glance had risen to hers in wonder and consternation. Then--thetricks fancy plays us! _Fonda_ and ravine faded into a glade in a Javaforest where the light broke down through giant fronds and twined agolden aureole around her fair hair. From that great distance, withoutrecognizing it for his own, he heard a voice.

  "I wish you all happiness!"

  The crash of Lee's glass as she threw it among the stones brought himback to the sight of her riding at full speed down the canon.

  Ramon was looking after her, transfixed with wonder.

  Gordon's practical Anglo-Saxon instinct was first to assert itself. Hespoke very quietly. "We'd better catch her before she breaks her neck."