Show soma sams anam ei e i we I 1 river rive hen the colorado I 1 rat its banks and oded the imperial trial aley ef if california i P P nsf IS mar 1 EDNAH AIKEM AIKEN Cf TriM SYNOPSIS CHAPTER lk IX I l K X C Q nickard an n ind inal dr wear of the th overland pacific 1 la is halll 4 to the office of president marshall in tue son on A ai i caney Is I 1 an enigma to the face force inn war wears dud elthes rl ithe put be he had resigned a chair of an birler in the I 1 kit to fa S 0 on tha the road all a fireman and his hi promotion had bad bean ma ar while tor for marshall ok nark td rend reads a report on an the ravaged rava of the colorado despite the efforts of thomas rardin of th the desert n com arany o 0 this thi hardin had been a student under lunder rickard 1 I hal had tarried married with whom luckard rickard had fancied I 1 ft wr as la to to lev 7 1 11 11 tell nickard rickard the overland has rot to tep step in r to ave t tr m e 1 V valley 1 rot and n d sends him to th the br break e a pk i bickard alc tlc k a rd yde c lines be cue cause he be dace does not want to xuoi up dupant Ant liar par din but to I 1 won over eap at P he rier damn ill expense I 1 says marshall hl bickard bourne ou rne s to Cal calexico Calex exico tco sees tha th irrigated demort ara na learna learns rn much u ch about abou itar alardin n and his hi work I tal t 9 al tn ta I mrm IM M I 1 i vr wr and mr mrs hardin and traps alardin halt ale lifter ter disappointed in he slavi d and an coquette t jan ra 11 hardin ardin sets t her rap cap for her onner n e r ivr aej hirn him M i 1 I ca ei A V nickard rickard visits th the a ro it any a of o and takes contrat lie ito f and ads the h 0 loyal to t 0 hardin and ho hoe all v him 1 straat Ft raa a mexican son on of oe IP ro evaer ot of tb th imp lal let vally 11 tell tells bitin ot of tl zenardi situation A 1 VI attend attends a of the tbt director directors and anti arts k me 1 oty ty hardin razes estraca tal 1 bof 4 of hi hie foreboding that hie his work woric j 1 I cant can t 64 tt it finished im acil n inna li to 1 ta n she tiles to cheer up ll ardin against buckard tUc kard 1 tan as vi ii 1 IA iia A slimily sune luncheon neon at AV alir a will c h throw throve light on th tham am 1 1 I WR lamerain lA Marain ali wei covern 04 A to planning inc a levee to protect 0 o and aus pu a him down ai As berty think ht her lord jealous alu A atha the hardin dinner to 10 ard dis c I 1 ose a further the family char alardin aid to I 1 arly arly and ular j ll 11 hardly police gerty plane plans st ride rids m honor melare in ana nedon nation of the compan cc ampy a 1 a i ie in by the indian india tr tat V la ts the huntrod hundredth year of on t th he great ellow braxon ito i lo 10 grown restless if make preparations ashes work oo 00 ico levee an nd ia a ordered lay by i to 0 take a ach ting chaice on an i irton of kardin i n a pet project hut shut the break in the lie river VIT ban han too do d strolled str troyed olred by earthquake and is a e and dredge machinery an nine elili Ric kari had ordered hardin to have shipped ie Is burned through arh hard vard ra liegl iR lct act buckard frealy equips tile IMs big water stater tower ai 4 a v enal trial tattoo elation arly itar narlan tin decide ht that d still ivan h her or and plane plans a tn in chri viv promises croni lri trouble XIII 1 q 1 X t T ane iho arong wrong man mra airs hardin liburd from ivery source but hi tb eulit oae one that 11 hail bait cretu ned eatn time her tele phone rang a it was ha his olce ehe she ox ex pecked to hear slie she a began to rend read a weaning into his el lence SW ou think of n thine thing else than titan the coincidence that had broucht brought their ieremi again close or was wa tt it a coincidence that idea sent her thou ilits ti S tar far it afield field i she waa was thinking too much of him J tor or mv apsa of mind those day days of 0 wait ills o 0 but the return of the old lover i bad had made a woud wonderful erful break in her 4 4 she spent most of her 0 ays at the sewing machine as mere ere brighter her e es 4 forced she site spent most at tho the ewing machine A was whipped onto ling CrIft ale color colors she jas aa a disciple dl of an eastern esthete women Wo mea be had slid should buy lace not y pe yard but by the mile As her fingers worked amone tho I 1 lacci aces and sopt bulls her mind mini wed dwa avenues that should have been closed to her a wife she would hav have protested had bad anyone accused her ol 01 infidelity in 1 thoe those daye days yet day by day I 1 ehe she was straying farther from her hua bus bandis elde side she convinced herself that toda toms gibes and ill humor wen were getting harder to endure it was inevitable that the woman of 0 Jil harem trem trot ruining allic should relive the law TAW rence reace doirs dp the enmity of those two tw both her a lawsl aa WAL aa with romantic suggestion the arma of 0 desert and river centered now la in the etory of berty rickard who had bad never mardel lf the deduction unveiled lost all its shyness and every one eisaw that he disliked her husband I 1 she know knew now that she had held never loved tom she had tuned tu ned to him la in those days of arido when rickard a anger still had him aloof how many times ha I 1 iho she boue one over those unreal hour wh who could hi hi known that hin hia anger would last that hour in the his kibies I 1 bonnot none of Var bardins dins rougher klitses had sapt her ber u memory oc of her rt d da de leriou as its wan ill h r joy there was wax room for triumph sho she had men en hemelt clear of the noisy boarding house herself gerty holmes the cifa of it pro fem feidor or able to have the things she he craved to have them openly no longer having to vi chento fc them it was through pickard Ilc kunJa x eyes I 1 hat hit she had seen the if the college boarding house she had ac a quiren a keen consciousness of those quizzical ebes a when they had isolated lio hir 1 at last lost appin ling to her thy or amusement separating her from ill all those boisterous students her dream of biles bliss had begun in those days alie mile had sen se n hardin through ii the eyes of the young instruct tor you hilr by several years than hie his pupil ir thud of disappointed anger of tit ae when hen the face of hardin peered through the leafy screen I 1 to have waited prayed for that moment and to have it spoiled like that I 1 there had been d dayi ays hen sit h had wept be cause she lie had not her anger 1 how could she he know that everything would end there end just beginning I 1 her boarding house bouse training had taught her to bo be civil it w still vivid to ha hiir r her anxiety latr trean lo lohness lou iness uness with ith hardin hulking forever of a play he lie had just been seen rickard growing stiffer angri an griir tr refusing to look I 1 at those lips still warm with bis his kisses klase 11 I 1 and the next day still angry with her ah all the puzzled deflation desolation of those thoe weeks before she had ortved her hurt with pride and then with love level I 1 those daya days of misery before she could convince herself that ahe she bad had been in love with love not with her fleetus lover overt I 1 hardin was wax there eager to be noticed that affair she could eee see now dow had aed finesse rickard had bad certainly loved her or why had he lie never married why had he left so abruptly bis his boarding house la in M Jea loam loiry lord 10 F some acy ho he auld K tell her w wint nat a hideous mist vite ll 11 hers ra bad batul she ought not tc to have rushed into that in marriage arriage knew now it bad had aldays al been the other but life was not betl yet t the date set for her summer widowhood had hall come but she lingered various reno oni splendid and sacrificial mere v ere given out there waa was much tc to be done f 1 I she he would be definite innes complained she was ti to make her own oun plan plans it had not yet occurred to her that doerty would tuy hilly f in all summer b or elio neer bad had so herself some one must be with milli torn tom it may apoll my trip hut but gerty never thinks of that she believed it to bo be a simple matter of cl clothe othos it alvidis took her v ceka eels tc get ready to go any w u here but I 1 wont ion t watt walt any longer than next week if she does not go then I 1 will absurd for us both to be here it 6 was man already fiercely hot bol garty meanwhile had hal been wondering bow how she could suggest to her atit ter in lit law that her trip be taken first without arousing suspicions t ter bibly loud la in her cars sounded her thoughts those days her husband fv Ps a leter on tho the table one evening A letter to you from froni Casey she tried to make the fingers that closed over the letter move casually she could feel them tremble what would bhe he any ay if tom asked to a see it it was addressed to her in her husband a care hardin had found it at the office in hu mall mail an I 1 she going each day to the post postoffice office to prevent it from falling into his hi hand hanusi 31 she gave it a quick offhand I 1 laack about the drive of course sup pera getting cold look at that dont wait sit to wah wash up it will vill be like leather NN hen ben she had bad finished her mial mi al she read her letter with a R fine show of indifference he ile sets a date for the drive she put the letter carelessly into her pocket before her husband could stretch sl retch out his hand band it would a vcr do for jealous tom to read that flout letter wai mai received two necks pardon me for appearing tri t have forgot tm leur kindness I 1 brlik the nerve growled arm again biro li mouth full of gertye gertys to take you I 1 0 u up on oil an oil imitation like that I 1 call that pretty raw you roust must rt member we are such olt friends urged ills wife lle ile knew I 1 it ser lousy jut jurt tho the fame same its nerve verve grum tied hardin ardin ll helping hlin elf to more of the oun clette now a flat ruin in te center of the canton platter ilia resentment sent ment had taken on an edge of hatred since the cepl episode ode of the tho dredge machinery to write to anyone in jay houel house I 1 HP ile knows u what hat I 1 think of him an aneff trual as ass what he Is js blundering around with his little levees edees and his tool fool work on the water vater tower tae ahter tower demanded his hi alter I 1 vi IN hatt he doing with thatis oh I 1 dont know rejoined tom largely his hi lips protruding he had been itching to ask some one what tollard was mas up to twice he had bad him to with macl maclian and aad estrada Bs trafla ance mere a laree large vare of light nut but afi ask I 1 some of his foot tool tinkering ill ills eletor coze gaze rested on him with concern lie ile had too little to do she that hie his title consi altIng engineer was a mocking one that his chief at least did not consult him inas it true what she he had heard that he had made a fluke about the tiu ina chinery hi nery lie ile was looking eedy e edy lie ile had been letting hn clothes I 1 ile looked like a mm mai who has lost ftp ap who ho has been shelved slie she knew be mas sleeping badly every morning now she found the couch rumpled not much pretense pre tenee of inar ital congeniality things were goina badly th ii 4 P everybody Eiery fh body ins ma accepted gerly was baying saying they have been malting waiting for me to set the date and you cuter to him let him dangle you all I 1 wonder why by you do it unless its to hurt me I 1 hurt you tom tont cried his wife her deep blue ebes wide with dismay I 1 how can aou ou pay euch such a thing nut but it it Is 1 given for him how can I 1 do to anything ani thine else than let him arrange the duy day to suit himself it would be funny fsr the guest of honor not to be present wouldn t it 11 1 I dont see why you want to mike hlynn guest of honor haj h retreated covering bis his coilton po ilton gently berty apro her belief bellef lint that isho was doln the tho best thing for her husband in etting g eting up a public A nf f fair for hia his successor 8 or bhe 1 he did lid think that tom would see that it showed thy in had no feeling 11 1 I think it a fine ata agreed inns heartily I 1 I 1 im in pure sure tom hlll u too ahen hen he lie thinks about it but aie did not elvo give him any to 9 himself how are aou ou going to manage it gerty IOU ou said it was mas going to bo be progressive I 1 we shall draw for partners ii and mr mrs hardin and change e every v ery half a mile the first lap will be t to 0 rolles miles V tt 1 will give some excited nt in cutting for partner belie the hostess to withhold any slip file ste pleased easy to make mke it seem accidental dental I 1 when li Is this circus coming off inquired her husband I 1 mr nickard rickard m a he will be back 0 on n the first that hell bell be tree free on the second for halt half nn an hour ill listen to mrs youngberg tell roe me how hard it la Is to have to do without servants as never done it in her life before for another iother I 1 halt half mile MM u hatfield will flirt with roe me and mrs middleton will tell roe we nil all about her dear little kid adles sounds cheerful why t ou oil choose cards no one has to go talk then there was an a an a I 1 anter at when hia his wire appin red to be balancing his tion no I 1 think it will have to bo be n 1 drive I ve for I 1 ive ve lold told e aery ery one about it well re rem arted marled her husband huba nl 1 I only hope will happen to prevent it tom I 1 exclaimed gerty nardin ahat j hat a dreadful thing to sa that like a curb you make my blood run cold I 1 shul situ V aid mill I 1 hardin in adin picking up till hat that was mas no curse you aulda t go it if it rained rallied would you youl oh oil rain I 1 bhe shrugged at that possibility will aou ou wouldn t go if the wind mind blows blosl 1 retorted hardin baying having the room M CHAPTER XIV Q VT I 1 the dragon take takes a hand the automobile honked hocked outside hardin frowned across the table at hia his wife youre urcle surely not rot going such a night as this gerty gave one of her light elusive shrugs no need to answer tom when he was la in one of his black mooda moods this was the first word he bad had spoken cince since he bad had entered the tent she had warned looes jones by a lifted eye brow they must be careful not to provoke him something had gone wrong at the office of it coursel course t how low much longo longe could she stand his humors these ghastly silent d anners the river on a rampage and w II 11 jr rs for a driel jeered hardelia the was not serious yett yet I 1 tom loved to cry wold no one was alarmed tn in town patton airs youngberg would have told her of course one never knew what that dreadful river would do next but it if one had to wait always to see what the th rivers next prank would be one would no never noer er get any anywhere herel indea was leaving the table well I 1 suppose I 1 should be lashing on my baal bat 1 gerty gertys pretty lips hardened us the tile eirl girl left the tent these harding always loed to aroll her enjoyment they m mould ilki her to be a nun a cloistered aunt nun I 1 at the opening of the door the w id tore the pictures from the piano ran into her room ehlting herself in against further argument she came back into the room powdered and heavily veiled against the wind ini A heavy winter ulster covered the new mull gow gonn n which she had not worn wom nt at supper though innes could have helped her with the hooks but there was always so much talk about everything I 1 they had to face the gale le as its the machine ewert doin the tile wind crazed d street it was too had bad to have a night like mist and all her work tom and his ills slater would have it go for nothing t she was made of stub borner stuff than thou that life had bad bien deal den 1 ing out mean nican hands to her but she ho would not drop out of the gamy game a acknowledge herself beaten luck |