Then, presently, new lines came in her young face, unstable lines that quivered and worked, and all the good green earth danced grotesquely before her vision, for a wall of tears shut out the world. 295 ... She laid her head down on El Rey’s cloudy mane––and wept.
It was early dawn at Last’s Holding. The sun was not yet up behind the eastern ramparts. The cottonwoods whispered in the dawn-wind, the spring beneath the milk-house talked and murmured. Out in the big corrals the cattle were beginning to stir and bawl.
In the kitchen old Anita and young Paula had breakfast waiting for the men.
Deep in that dim south room where the pale Virgin kept watch and ward, Kenset of the foothills slept in healing peace.
And at the step of the western door, Billy stood by Golden––Golden the beautiful, who ranked next to El Rey himself––and his face was lifted to Tharon who drooped against the lintel with her forehead on her arm.
The boy held her hand clasped in both of his own, and there was a yearning tenderness in his soft voice when he spoke, a pride and joy ineffable that glowed above the pain that was never to leave him.
“It ain’t that I love you less, Tharon, dear,” he said gently, “that I must go. Not that, little girl. I’ll love you till I die––that I know in dead certainty. But I can’t stay here––not where I’ll 296 have to see you givin’ all your sweet self to another man. A good man, too, Tharon––I think there ain’t a better one in th’ land––but––well,––I can’t––that’s all. I can’t thank you for all you’ve done for me sence you was a little mite of a girl––five years back,”––his voice broke a bit, but he controlled it, “nor for th’ joy you’ve given me––th’ rides together––an’ th’ jokes an’ playin’–––”
He paused a moment, unhappily, and the mistress of Last’s drooped more heavily against the old adobe wall.
“Nor for Golden here,” went on the rider, “we’ll be pals as long as we both live––nor fer-fer––” he stopped again, hesitated, looked yearningly at the quivering cheek against the curving arm, and went on to the finish.