Nevada (1995) (51 page)

Without the snuffing out of dissolute and desperate men such a
s
Dillon, Cedar Hatt, Stillwell, and so on. The rub is that onl
y
hard iron-nerved youths like Billy the Kid, or Jim Lacy, can mee
t
such men on their own ground. That is all I wanted you to know.

And also, that if my daughter cared for Jim Lacy I would be prou
d
to give her to him."

"Thank you, Judge Franklidge," replied Hettie, lifting her head t
o
look straight into his eyes. "But you misunderstand my--my case.

I do not mind--that Nevada has been Jim Lacy."

"For Heaven's sake! Then, why all this--this--I don't know what?"
b
urst out the judge, in smiling amaze.

Hettie glanced away, out into the green black-striped forest.

"I scorned him. I believed him lost to--to . . . I failed i
n
faith. And I fear he will never forgive."

"Hettie Ide," returned Franklidge, with solemn finality, "thi
s
Texas Jack won't even know he has anything to forgive."

Before Hettie could recover from this ultimatum Marvie waylaid her.

Full of importance and authority, added to something of mystery, h
e
hauled Hettie off the porch and out under the trees.

"Hettie," he whispered in her ear, "I fixed it for you."

"Marvie! . . . Are you--Oh, if you--"

"Keep in the saddle," he interrupted, shaking her. "Nevada jus
t
told me he was dyin' of love for you. . . . There now, Hettie
,
don't look like that. I'm dead serious. Honest to God! Cross m
y
heart! . . . Didn't you make my Rose happy? Why, I'd go to hel
l
for you. An' Nevada knows it. He's sufferin'. He thinks yo
u
ought to send for him, if you can forgive him for bein' Jim Lacy."

Hettie could only cling mutely to this glad-eyed boy who wa
s
torturing her.

"So I fixed it. You run out there across the bench," he went on
,
pointing with eager, trembling finger. "You know. There among th
e
pines where I always find you. Go now. Nevada is watchin'. He'l
l
come. I swore I'd get you there if I had to pack you. An' I
w
ill."

Hettie kissed his brown lean cheek, then ran wildly into th
e
shelter of the pines. First she meant only to escape Marvie an
d
all of them. But an irresistible magnet drew her to the seclude
d
nook where she went so often alone to gaze out under the low cove
r
of green to the purple sage and the changing radiance of th
e
desert.

Nevada was there--somehow the Nevada of old. Hettie ran into hi
s
arms.

"I--love--you! I love you!" she cried, imploringly. "Forgive me.

It was my one failure. I was the weak one--not you."

Hours passed and sunset again widened its golden effulgence dow
n
over the sage hills to the rolling slopes. Purple clouds lik
e
ships sailed in a sea of gold and rose.

Hettie and Nevada sat with their backs to the great pine tree
,
their cheeks together, their hands clinging.

"Ben sprung somethin' on me," Nevada was saying. "Why not all o
f
us rustle down to San Diego! Shore, it floored me. . . . But I'
d
like you to get away from heah just now, for a little. . . . So
,
darlin' Hettie, would I be askin' too much if--if--"

"No. Ask me anything," murmured Hettie.

"If I'd ask you to marry me?"

"If! . . . Do you?"

"Shore. I reckon I'm darin' to."

"No," said Hettie.

He accepted that in startled silence.

"I mean no--you are NOT asking too much. . . . Oh, Nevada! Yes!

Yes!"

The last golden flare of sunset burned from over the darkenin
g
range.

"Arizona is smilin' at us," said Nevada, gazing at the sunset glo
w
upon her rapt face.

"Nevada is smiling down upon me," she replied, dreamily.

THE END

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