Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1941)

grandson. He had been t rou bird about the rancho lately; raids against his cattle, his vaqueros in danger of their lives from the thieves — such things might bring ruin, though the Davega fortunes still were vast. He was u bled about his nephew, Ricardo, too; Ricardo had hinted more than once that the old man was growing soft, that Ricardo himself should take over the management of the rancho, that he should even take the law into his own hands and track down the Cisco Kid who, Ricardo believed, was the thief of their cattle. Yes, it would be good to leave everything in Don Carlos' hands, the old man thought. He might even live to see the day when Carlos and Rosita, Don Fernando's ward, would many and raise children. He sighed again as he thought of Rosita. If only she were more like Maria, his gentle little goddaughter who had made her home on the rancho since her father, Don Fernando's old Friend, had died. Rosita, he told himself, was too bold, her eyes too full of invitation, and he did not like the sly, significant glances she so frequently exchanged with Ricardo. Well, marriage would stop all that. . . . Even as In thought about them Rosita and Ricardo were whispering together in a dark corner of the patio. "Are you sure everything will be all right?" (be girl asked anxiously. "Quite Mire." Kicardo replied. His voice was soft, assured, but it held overtone:, of desire, desire for this tantalizing girl who stood .1 close t<> bun but wIki, when be would have drawn he] into h eluded bun. "VVb.il is it. Rosita?" he demanded "You .ne so changed Not once today have I felt youi arms about me. VOU1 lips on mine." "You're imagining things, Ricardo," he .0. wered lightly "It's only that I'm urn 1 ied So p| something should go wro "Nothing can ^o wrong, my deai our An bom ago Manuel rode awaj from the rancho Bj now be has joined Carvel where thi ..irb road em ves at the fool ol Razorback m "Tomorrow Don Carlos will be dead," said Ricardo, "and the rancho and you, my Rosita, will belong to me!" Mountain and where the good saints have placed a clump of trees behind which they may conceal themselves. And in an hour — all our worries will be over, my Rosita." His arms reached hungrily for her again, and this time she did not elude them. To the tiny Cantina Lopez tucked away in the mountains the Cisco Kid and Gordito brought the wounded man. Fat, kindly Mama Lopez put him to bed and made him as comfortable as she could "Ver' sick," she answered Cisco's inquiry. "Maybe not wake up for two three days — maybe not at all." Cisco scarcely be, ml her, He was examining the stranger's bags which be bad brought Willi bun from the stage coach. "Kb, Gordito," be said, "tins man who look like Cisco is important hombre with much gold and silver Look." dinging .1 handful of coins onto the table "And be have papers," Cisco waxed them in the air, "which say be is Don Carlos Hernandez, grandson of Don Fernando Da vega. Don Carlos' mama was Don Fernando's daughter. She marry Sefior Hernandez and live in Spain and Don Fernando never forgive her. But now she is dead and he is sorry, so he have sent for this man, his grandson." "All this you get from the papers?" Gordito asked. Cisco nodded. "Then, please, we take him away from here," Gordito urged. "To have his grandson here make Don Fernando very angry — make us much trouble. We take him away," he repeated, "but first we take his gold and silver, no?" • "No!" Cisco was emphatic. "Gordito, you are fool. This money is nothing. But Don Fernando have much money — and his grandson will have much money, too. No, we not take Don Carlos away. We leave him here, safe with Mama Lopez. And we go away. To Don Fernando. And Cisco, with these papers, will be Don Fernando's grandson!" That was the beginning of new adventures for the Cisco Kid. Dressed in Don Carlos' clothes, carrying Don Carlos' papers, he went to Don Fernando's rancho, the Rancho Santa Margarita, followed by the dubious but faithful Gordito. Don Fernando, dazed by the report that his longawaited grandson had been killed in the holdup, was overjoyed at beholding him and accepted his masquerade without question. PROUDLY the old man introduced his supposed grandson to the other members of his household and Cisco, whose adventurous life had given him the power to judge men and women — at sight, took the measure of each one Rosita, with her Hashing eyes and midnight hair, was tantalizing: with a little finesse she might be a conquest. Ricardo — that one was not to be trusted He was obviously infatuated with Rosita, but more than jealousy for her favors would make bun Cisco's enemy. Then there was Maria. Sweet and gentle on the outside but slumbering tires within. A man, Cisco mused, would find it easj to love Maria (Continued o?i page 77) moron a\ combined with taovn mirror