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Show THE SAUNA SUN. SAUNA. UTAH and, os though oppressed with heat, threw open his peajacket and exposed his undershirt. Jean gone! In a moment he sprang to his feet again and seized me by the arm. Ills grip was stronger than he knew. "Shes not here, Frank? Straight now, Frank, she's not here?" I turned my open palms toward him. If only she were 1" I exclaimed. . . . WJienjjjd you miss her?" Ten fifteen minutes ago, when I got up. I found my lamp out of oil, and I went to her room to borrow hers. She didn't answer, and I went In. She wasnt there. Her coat and cap are gone. How 6he got out without waking us !" He turned to a window, peering through a little bare spot in the pane close to the sash. Looks like a rough day," he said, quietly as though trying to disguise the Import of his words. . . . She's been melancholy of- - lute; trying to hide It, but I could, tell. . . . My G d, she may have been gone four hours! Then its time e were after her! I exclaimed, a sudden Impulse for action bringing me out of my stupor, I shoved my burning porridge to the back of the stove and rushed to my room to complete dressing. And In my head was pounding one word Spoof Spoof Spoof! Whore? Jack demanded from the door of my room. Whats your guess?" Kut I was already becoming un artist, that artist thut Jean so eagerly sought in me. Just two places," I said. Shes gone to Mrs. Altons or to Mrs. Browns. I dont think she would go to Lucy Burkes didnt know them so well." Jacks look of relief was pathetic. I had always thought of Jack as being In some way my superior, born to rule while I was born to obey. Suddenly I found him a child In my bands. You think so? he grasped at my words. "You think thats where shes gonp?" "Nothing surer. We talked a good deni about Mrs. Alton yesterday," I added, out of the fullness of my Invention, and she said how lonely Mrs. Alton must be, and that we ought to go over and see her. Shes started worrying over that In the night and Its Jean had taken. It bore more and more heavily upon me as I plodded through thut measureless waste of enow. I had no doubt that she had started for Spoofs; whether she ever had reached there was' another question. She was able to stand his neglect no longer she was bound to have It out with him, just as, yesterday, I had been bound to have It out with her. At moments I wished that she find Spoofs. At monot might The Cow Homesteaders ments It seemed that almost anything ' WNTTSsrvIce was better than that. There was the Copyright by Robert Stead possibility that she might strike a circle and wander about on these vacant sections. It was not very cold; "You as much as said It. Spoof may used to come over regularly to see that CHAPTER XIII Continued she would not freeze until exhaustion I admit his travel, everything was all right about the have advantages 13 overcame hef. Possibly even now she will to and but and all he that those his have and bawth, things place "You suppose, she repeated. Thats was wandering In these milky mists, keep him big? Wont section Two had the handsomest bathing suit right. It Just supposition. Nobody hound even within earshot of me. In or Marhim as a white and so, Just you and year yellow trimmings knows; that Is, the public doesnt "Jean! Jean!" I cried, raising my know. But what Is their happiness? say Fourteen bounds me now? Is he jorie and I fixed tip bathing suits, too, voice against the buffeting of the wind, we In more different and less used to soul?" ox, go e clay; An acceptance of the routine. but It died unechoed In the void of "Section Two can never hold Spoof, "Together? Breakfast, work; dinner, work; supspace. Is course. because "Of because he he went dont big, Marjorie Only only per, work; sleep; breakfast the whole There was the possibility that she circle over again. I couldnt stand It, you see? He reads, he thinks, he in once or twice; she said she was had been overcome; that even now she No . of . the cun . section hold he afraid dreams. sings, frogs. I Marjorie Frank; theres no use pretending was lying somewhese on the white Is a knowing girl." could. Id Id run away with some one who does those tilings." snow, her white, cold face turned to a own Does he I would she write And sister! My ! poetry?" Inquired. ne white, cold sky, her lithe little body, no I crunched a clump Innocently. conspire. Jean I" longer lithe,' forming the occasion for of "I not crust think I under said dont heel. so," she, my viciously Yes, I know what youre thinking. a drift which the sifting wind had alBut It would break the routine, any- scenting my trap, but he Is very fond . "Well, seeing thut you have conready seized as convenient to Its purfessed, I suppose I should own up, way; It wouldnt be that way I would of It. You should hear him read . . . Tire. sweat trickled down pose. I I a Come . me. him to . read never . Hear silence. after said, too," lose my soul ; perhaps that way I from under my cap and I pulled It off told you that there was a girl out Spoof 1" might save It." and let the comforting snow full on I to where me She She worked summer." turned this fairly again. You're a strange girl, Jean." my forehead. And now I used my eyes No? What was she like?" Jeans Yes? After all these years? I am hud withdrawn her hands from mine more than ever before, to detect. If I so glad. As long as I am strange you and was crushing little crusts of snow voice was steady, hut I caught a new any object lying on the snow. might, In It. It augured well for my first will be Interested In me. That's the between her mittens. Now site dropped note Dark loomed up through the specks at shook the hunds free of Its her. snow, attempt romancing. trouble with you; youre not strange. mist, and many a detour I made with Oh, she was a nice girl, all right. I know all about you. And I wouldnt powdery residue, then linked them pounding heart, to find only a prairie be your housekeeper for life for the about her knee. For a long moment Her folks thought she would make a boulder or a lump of tumbleweed blown sake of being your lover for a week." she held me under her eyes without cood ox, but she didnt quite fall In Into a wolf willow line. had She vision broader that ! blinking. Jean Again, Jean might have reached "So you saw that, did you?" you set so much on. Sort o hinted Shocking, Isn't It? But true. Dont That was going to be the I Spoofs. I I well she and do that Im "Jean sorry. apologize. might running you know thats what happens, nearly most difficult possibility of all. What a rooming house at Moose Jaw; they I couldnt help saw accident It by unless there must It happen, always? should I do? I fingered the weapon are new points of interest always aris that. I could have helped speaking say things are humming at the Jaw. In my pocket, but I knew that that " Rather suggested log. I have the misfortune to think, about It. I apologize." was nonsense. If Jean had gone to ! never did she . Then . was . "Oh, her It Frank, eyes dropped. and so I see these things In advance, Spoof she had done so of her own free You Wanted you to marry her, I suppose? very foolish," she murmured. and try to shield you from them. will ; she need not account for herself No. she to be have a amused. didnt But Just that. say right The misfortune to think? to me; she might even resent my In; takes a big view But I'm not amused, I protested shes big, Of course. Otherwise I could acterference. Spoof might order me out of Is It Of It sure I'm not And foolish. have course, things. might really cept the ox routine and grind out my as a meddling busybody ; fie might subsoul in the treadmill of three meals a At any rate, Ill confess something come to that In time. I. remember one ject me to the torture of taking Jean day. I suppose that's what people call Jean ; when I found It I tried to write afternoon It rained and we couldnt from me before my very eyes. I was she" In the fields and that night morality Ideul wife and mother, etc. a poem to you but I couldnt. The work even less than Jack ; had I been her I to went I and a dance could think of were Jean only rhymes Id run away from It all." I could have held him. to acbrother Does she dance well?" I, too, punched the snow with my and bean." But I would not be orcountability. well. You And free. I'm Ch, Oh, beginSplendid! Frank, quite heel. "I never heard you talk like I dered would not be abased 1 out; know nothing standoffish, or anything that, Jean, I said at length. "I didnt ning to be afraid to hope that I a had Surely right. I was her friend, like didn't storm know the that. came all. after Well, you, up quite Fancy think you thought along those lines. her neighbor. . . . you trying to write poetry and about again during the night, and we couldnt You wouldnt excuse people who run Her neighbor. Perhaps that is the me! Let's write a verse now. Ill help get home, and It was only a small who disregard their marriage vows? trouble," she had sarld. farm house so some of us had to sleep The first of which is to love," she you." I fingered my revolver affectionately. She whipped a mitten from her hand in the hayloft, and Nellie said shed shot back. When that falls, all falls. I was glad I had brought It. a be and sat with her fingers lightly drum dead game sport Why make a mockery of It? I looked at my watch. It was twenty on me muse her tell more. Now, the dont alI Frank, ining lips, summoning "But would love you, always any minutes after nine. I had been fool "Youll have to write It," I said. Ill I dont believe It. . . . What hapways. You would be to me the only to start without noting the enough It." next?" pened sign In the only possible girl the world !" had no idea how far I had and ! time, All Oh, nothing much. It was about she exclaimed at length right Slowly she turned her face toward traveled. noon we Surely. I should be near when and to behind old the and the drift home, got huge turning me; she had been giving me an opus she traced on Its hard surface with man was pretty stTrefBTit I told him I Spoofs now. for this profile study during portunity . But our engagement had never been thought a good deal of Nellie and dialogue. Her eyes found mine; her her forefinger this Inscription: canceled. Or had It? I tried to quite mind marrying her if It came wouldnt rose-lea- f in I saw them the lips again If you will only be my wife. ro that, and I asked her to come over recall, but my mind blurred. Once we No matter what the past has been beauty of her childhood. When she were engaged ; we were to have been here and visit us next summer " I'll a take ot broader life view her voice low was and tremulous spoke married before this time; Jean and I And try to keep you guessing, Jean Youre Frank. Lets lying, go and musical. were to have been married at Christlicme. You ilear boy! You think so. I Oh, you used my rhymes I" I ex mas. Then Spoof. I was not clever As we walked home In silence, trall-nBut Isnt that last line claimed. only wish It were true for her. . - . Perhaps Spoof enough our sleigh, the nip of the late afterThe last words came with a catch slangy?" I said, when we had It well I thought, and hated myself would be, noon our roses cheeks to our and stung In her breath, I thrust forward and laughed over and I had added at the for thinking It. side an Idealistic sketch of Jeans face breaths trulled behind like the gaseous clasped her hunds In mine. she was right. I was a good Perhaps tall of a and very young leisurely You mean that? Oh, Jean, If you under a bridal veil. My drawing bit of a dub. Never read much, never comet. Jean one of that complained do rather lost Its point In the fact that thought much. Bounded by the corner her hnnds was growing cold so I took Yes, I mean It. That Is the great had to explain what it was. stakes of Fourteen. An ox. Jean had tlie off mitten and it hand drew the It Isnt true. Yon wouldnt "No, not slang poetic license. Thats difficulty. as much as called me an ox. Thinking down Into warm overcoat my deep, love me always. I wouldnt always be a great advantage poets have; anymore about oats than sunsets. where we took all precautions the only girl. thing that Isn't quite good English can pocket, Didnt even mention her new cap. frostbite. The hand other . Jean, you would. I swear It!" always be called poetic license. Now against I did I turned my compliment When had to take a chance. Then I must reverse It I wouldnt sign it." down; pinned It to the cap, inupside We walked along the bottom of the love you always. You wouldnt uhvays I signed It In bold, printed letters, to her. Spoof would not have of stead gully for shelter from the wind which be the only man In the world." and then we fell Into silence. done that. I Jeanl Jeanl" Cried, Raising My My spirit, which had gone pounding "Whats the answer, Jean?" I said was rising with sunset. As we neared Our poem. The snow would be deep Voice Against the Buffeting Wind. Twenty-twJean stopped. at length. upward, fell like a burst balloon. on it now. Or perhaps not It might "Frank, I want to ask you a ques--tio- got on her mind upset her a bit. Still, have whipped clear. If If Oli. Frank, I cant give you an an "Why? I demanded. anything she said. There was no truth It Because your vision Is too small. swer not now. That may have been might be Browns. The danger Is happened to Jean I would go to that Because It Is bounded by the corner slang, about keeping me guessing, but In that story you told me? that she may be lost In this storm. poem, I would yearn over It, I would You care?" posts of Fourteen. Because I couldn't It goes a long way down In one's n Hustle back and finish dressing, and caress It, I would lean upon It It Of course I care. Tremendously." Uve penned lip In such a a pasture." ture. If you would only read, and then strike for Mrs. Altons. Ill try was snow, and would be gone in the me Dont to be big?" Youd be breaking out toward sec- study, and think, and learn to appre you want Brown's first, then Jakes, then Burkes. spring. Something about keeping her "Not that wmy. Ive been talking Hustle ! tion Two." date beautiful things " guessing. I was to keep her guessing. Intellectual gbout Frank I" It was her turn to exthings spiritual Oh, Jean, I do! I appreciate It was new business for me to order Well, she was keeping me guessing claim. bings." clever, Frank, but that Isn't Jack, but he needed ordering to keep Just now, with a vengeance I I suppose Spoofs bathing suit, with Yes. toward section Two. You've just what I mean. I mean like Spoof : 'him from utter futility at that moI tried to cull Jean up in my memory, done some plain talking. Jean; now we might as well be frank about it. .he white and yellow, is quite spirment. I gave his hand a squeeze and to visualize her profile, her eyes, her Its my turn. It Is Spoof that has up- I've seen him wntcli the sunset In the itual?" thrust him out of the door. hair, her lips, fhe tilting lift of her That Isnt fair." set your mind put all these wild no- pond; watch the colors change and Now, Mr. Spoof now for you !" I ankle, the joyous stride" of her young, Oh Is. Is It It merely the other snapped to myself. I had a revolver, free limbs. It was all a yes tions In your head. It is Spoof that IJend and run In little ripples with a mist; a picix getting gored. you are thinking about, not me. I sup- touch of breeze ss though the water an old rusty weapon which I never ture out of focus. It was a nebulous Anyway, your story wasnt true? used, but which I kept lying around in thing, vague.' Indistinct, pose you think you could marry him had been stirred with a fenther; Ive unformed and not drop Into the routine; you seen him sit for hours watching the You made it up to tease me?" case of something which I called an Through and beyond It I saw the gray 1 If answer would be less an ox, ns you put It, ou umbers and saffrons und champagnes your question will you emergency. Clearly this was it. I snow falling eternally. . Then about answer mine?" Two than on Fourteen. Perhaps that of the prairie sunset, and found it and some cartridges and this central figure if one may call a "I cant Frank, I cant not now. thrust them Into would be best, after all. Perhaps if "And that's why he got so little my overcoat pocket ; thing so ethereal a figure gathered a I havent seen Spoof since Christmas. then drew It out and studied It with a circle of light, and it you were fenced In on Two, you might plowing done." grew and glowed break out toward Fourteen ! "Stop It ! And he knows every Perhaps hes sick. Perhaps hes dead. peculiar sort of fascination. and brightened until it haloed about Frank ! Please dont be unkind flower on the prairies, and all you Something awful may have happened. Dont be a fool, I enjoined myself,' her head. It was Jean! His smoke goes up every morning as 1 threw It on the bed. But in a. I am thinking and unfair. know Is pigweed, and he takes note o: JTO BE CONTINUED.) about Spoof, and It Is Just becuuse he ittle things, like when I worked a just the snine." moment I picked It up again and put Oh, youve been watching It, too.. It In my is not bounded by section Two. You new strip of lace Into the yoke of How Times Change pocket. I 1 But and Jack and Jake think he's a greenI something has happened. a pnd when put dash of scarlet Otxtside the snow, was flying In a was told, by Her. Dr. A good-storhorn, and you play your silly little ribbon in my bat he snld It gave nic cant answer you now." It Black at the Edinburgh section of the sifting wind from the northwest. At the door of Jack's house we was not a blizzard; It wus not even a tricks on him, but his world Is (he Just the touPh'of ffoloffhat one needed Scottish Burns club on the occasion world, and yours Is Fourteen, and on the prairies and It was no wonder paused again. We were In the shadow storm, but It had the threat of both. of the annual dinner. Doctor Black, Jacks is Twenty-two- , and Jakes Is that tbe Red Indians loved color, and there, and as she turned on the step The sun was not up, and the gray light on going to prern-In a country kirk, form to mine. For a of dawu whatever his section Is. Hes so big. how much wiser, In some things, they her swung close penetrated the snow waste was asked by the beadle, Hse ye moment 1 seized her. no longer able to not more than a dozen so big! were than we, and " I your sermon written? yards. When the I see. . . . play the He was spoofing you, Jean." Spoof has traveled more studied the wind for a moment, to reverend gehtTemnn replied that- he But there was no truth in It, was make-sur- e than we have. He has seen more of "He wasnt." that It was blowing steadily hnd, the beadle exclaimed. Tm rale the world. He has met more people in one direction; having satisfied myThen he was making love to you." there?" she whispered. gled. because when thae folk come we "There was some truth In It." I con- self as to this, my problem And so he Is big! I bet I grow more But It was very nice. of my a paper, ye ken they'll stop when that Perhaps. on$ oats to the acre than he does you You never noticed my lace or my rib- fessed, as I turned toward the empty problems was much simplified. Carstops; hut when. they ha'e nae paper should see his plowing; looks like bon. You didnt even notice this cup shack on Fourteen. rying the wind over my right shoulder avo the Almlchty Hlmsel disna ken be guess and be d d, as Jake says." I have on today; I made it out of an I bore off toward the south and secNot when they're likely tae feenlsh. Quite an elegant remark; suitable old muff, all myself, and I Just said to CHAPTER XIV tion Two so long ugo the written sermon was to Jake, hardly to be expected from myself, T wonder If Frank will notice The trail to Spoofs Had been anathema to the Scotchman. London you. And your argument would be ir- It,' but you didnt " Next morning I was stirring my oat- entirely obliterated in- its weeks of non- Rost. . . resistible If I were an ox." I did, too. I saw It first thing, and meal and water when the door opened usage. and I could do nothing better Youre sharp, aren't you? Well, I thought how nice It looked on you." and In burst Jack. Ills attire gave evi- thun follow my sense of direction. It Land of Thirst something to eat is not to he despised became apparent that the sky was too Spoof would have said how nice I dence of haste; he had thrown a pea Bechuar.aland protectorate of The even by big people, like you and Spoof. looked under It." Jacket about a somewhat Incomplete overcast to give me any benefit from South Africa lies principally In the Even tbe soul, which you are afraid of Oh, d n Spoof!" toilet. I was about to summon up a the sun, although the gray circle of Kalahari desert the "Great Thirst losing on Fourteen, will pick up and Spoofs an artist, Frank. You're jocular remark when something In his dawn gradually grew until the vision Land." Very little of this huge area leave you on Two, unless you feed that not. would carry a hundred yards or so. has been explored, although the railface silenced me. body In which it lives. That's what "Nor yet a poet. But I reckon 111 . Have you seen Jean?" he demanded. For the most part the crust bore me, way from Kimberley to Rhodesia the soul itself thinks about people who make a good farmer. but here and there It gave away, and 6kirts Its eastern edge. No. Why" dont hustle for a living; It gets up and We thrashed out the ox question a "Shes not In her room. Gone. Was once or twice sent me floundering on la There Is no "housing question leaves them. while ago. Lets keep on new ground." there last night part of the 'dgli- t- " my face. On such occasions I was Bechuanalnnd. A native hut Is ofteD Good for you 1" cried Jean, You careful to test my direction by the merely a few boughs pushed Into tha Sure shes not In the house? Very well. Heres some new ground. are actually thinking. I have goaded When did Spoof tell you all these wind before continuing. If the wind ground and bent at the lop, over which r, Hard to lose her In our you Into It. Now where are we?" should veer 1 had a good chance of old sacks and rags are throw u. things? I understood he hadnt come Frank. Not at the stables Ive hunt"Were at Spoof, fou say you could Into the house all the time we were ed. It's snowing, and the wind Is ris- wandering off into the wilderness und Cooking Is a simple matter Meat is wve me for a week, and hint forever the unknown. over an open fire and uieallt away." there's no trail." roasted ing; 1 didnt aar that." He didnt either hardly But he This was serious. 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