But that evening, when Lee and Dave had gone, when Imogene was asleep, when the soft darkness was thickening over the mesa, Ruth walked forth to the edge of the sagebrush.

“I wonder,” she murmured, leaving her thought unfinished.

The hush of the mountains, the silence of the plain, the vastness, the emptiness, the seeming purposelessness of it all, irritated and oppressed her spirit.  And she so yearned to be where the world was alive and throbbing!

“I wonder if I really love him enough, or if I made a little fool of myself this afternoon?” she muttered to herself.  “I wonder!”

CHAPTER X

Charlie Menocal’s object in calling upon the young ladies at Sarita Creek was merely diversion.  He was fond of girls, especially lively ones, and knew a good many here and there within reach of his motor car, including a number of pretty Mexican maidens of humble parentage.  But his serious attentions centred about Louise Graham of whom in secret he was very jealous.  Whenever he could find an excuse, and frequently when not, he went to the Graham ranch on Diamond Creek, five miles south of the girls’ claims, where his figure was as familiar (and of about as much interest) as the magpies in the pasture.  He fully meant to marry Louise, whose beauty and gracious manner even to the smallest bare-legged Mexican boy on the ranch captivated him and stirred in his breast a maddening desire for possession, so that he might cut off the rest of the world from her sweetness, so that it might alone feed his passion.  Yes, he meant to have Louise.

When he was with her his black eyes would shine and a ruddy tinge appear in his dusky cheeks that were as soft and smooth as a Mexican girl’s, and he would restlessly finger a point of his little, silky, black moustache and feel unutterable agitations proceeding in his heart.  Louise Graham did not allow him to declare his adoration, which he would have done every moment they were together; when he tried, she walked away.  But Charlie counted on his good looks and his father’s wealth to win her in the end.  One fear alone lurked in his heart, that some young American might come along who would win her interest; and earlier in the summer he had a decided uneasiness lest Bryant prove to be the man.  The scoundrelly engineer, however, had fallen head over heels in love with Ruth Gardner, so that Charlie’s mind was relieved on that point.  To his knowledge, Louise and Bryant had never met—­which was as it should be.

Charlie, having stopped about ten o’clock in the morning at the Graham ranch for a chat with Louise while on his way to Kennard, was considerably surprised and exceedingly nettled at beholding the engineer, with Dave behind him on the horse, presently riding up the lane between the rows of cottonwoods.  Young Menocal had persuaded Louise to leave her household duties for the moment to sit on the veranda and talk with him.  But now had come this impudent upstart!  Charlie’s warning of someone at hand was when Louise ceased to speak and gazed intently along the lane.  His annoyance at the interruption changed to a quick jealousy as his companion rose, descended the steps, bade the engineer welcome, and extended her hand in greeting.