Show rte Y 4 When the Colorado Burst Its Banks and Th elVer R Flooded By EDNAH the Imperial Valley ey AIKEN A gf California f fr Copyright Dobbs Merrill Company r w 3 I GERTY HARDINS HARDIN'S DINNER PROVES AN ORDEAL FOR ALL 4 WHO ARE PRESENT I Synopsis K Cr C. X Rickard Rickard an an engineer of ot the Overland Pacific Is called to the office of ot President Marshall In Tucson While waiting RIckard RIck Rick- ard and reads a report on the ravages of ot the Colorado river which occurred r. r despite the efforts of ot Thomas Hardin head o the Desert Reclamation company Hardin had been a student under Rickard In an eastern colV coli college col col- col- col i V lege and had married Gerty Holm Holmes s with whom Rickard had fancied he heg g was In love Marshall tells Rickard the Overland Pacific must step in to toa a save the Imperial valley and wishes to send Rickard to take charge Rickard declines because he foresees embarrassment in supplanting t. t Hardin but is won over Rickard goes to to Calexico and on the way learns much about Hardin and his work Rickard meets Mr and Mrs Hardin and Innes Tunes Hardin the formers former's half hall sister At At Atthe the company offices he finds the engineers loyal loral to Hardin and hostile to him Rickard att attends a meeting of the directors and asserts his authority Hardin rages Estrada a Mexican son of the Father of the Imperial Valley tells Rickard the general genera situation and expresses forebodings that the work will fall Innes lanes Hardin Is bitter against Rickard for supplanting her brother out she tries to cheer up the latter Hardin discovers that s r Rickard Is planning a levee to protect Calexico and puts him down as Incompetent Gerty thinks her husband is jealous CHAPTER X X Continued 6 She didn't need to pierce those canas canvas canvas can can- vas as walls to know that there had been feverish activity for this dinner A new gown would appear tonight made secretly An exquisite meal and no one must comment on its elaboration oration Twice Tom and she had been asked to take their lunch at the hotel Because of a headache 1 I A headache I ITom's Toms Tom's wife could not even shop openly Bundles had always the air of mystery never op opened ned before Tom Tomor or herself She must have yards of stuff laid away kept for sudden emer emer- She cant can't help it Its It's her dispost- dispost tion She cant can't help elp being secretive Look at your face Innes Hardin I 1 What was It to her the pettiness of ofa ofa ofa a woman whom an accident of life Ufe had swept upon the beach beside her Gerty was not her kind not the sort she would pick out for a friend She was was' an oriental one o of the harem women whose business It is in life to please one man to keep his home soft his comforts ready keep him c convinced con con- n- n vinced moreover that It is the desire of ot his life Ufe to support her Herself dIssatisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied dis dIs- dis- dis satisfied often rebellious staying by Mm for self-interest self not for love love love-ab ah that was her Impeachment Not loving lov lov- Ing I So Soberly she covered her plain brassiere bras- bras elere siere with a white waist of cotton ducking A red leather belt and crIm crIm- wan lion m tie she she added self consciously Where Is my bloodstone pin Hadn't she spent an hour at least matching that particular leather belt But he was a man In battle The held up It was too bad Silent Wooster r Grant all J of them fighting mad because of the deadlock at the Heading All up In arms at last against Marshall l because because be be- f cause rouse of this cruel cut to their hero Hardin Her eyes glowed like yellow lamps as she recalled their fervid partisanship par par- Only one man who can save the valley and that's Tom Hardin Wooster Wooster Wooster Woos Woos- ter had said that put but they all believed be be- It The loyalty of the force made her ashamed of her soft woman fears For there were times when she questioned her brothers brother's ability He had a large loose way of handling things He was too optimistic But those m men n those engineers must know It was probably the mans man's way of sweeping ahead Ignoring detail The verdict of those tried field-tried men told her that the other er the careful plannIng planning planning plan plan- ning way was the office method Rickard Rickard Rickard Rick Rick- ard as a dinner neighbor she had found interesting but for tor great undertakIngs undertakings undertakings un un- un- un a man who would let a aGerty aGerty aGerty Gerty Holmes Jilt him ruin his life for him I The whole story sprang at last clear from the dropped Innuendos She adjusted a barrette In her smoothly brushed hair Slowly she walked over to the Ute neighboring tent Gert Gerty frowned at the white whIt duck You might at least have worn your blue J Youre elegant enough for the two of us Isn't that something new Gerty said carelessly that she had had It for a long time For she had had the material a long time I It wasn't necessary to o explain to her husbands husband's sister that it had been made up that week She hoped that she didn't look fussed up Would Mr Rickard Richard think she was attaching any importance to the simple le little visit For It was nothing to him of course A man of his standing whom 1 the great Tod Marshall ranked so sor r high probably dined out several times Umes each week with white capped white capped maids and candelabra I 1 If It Tom had only made roade the most of his opportunities What a gamble life to ton toa a woman I She made rondo a trip Into her bedroom and took a Il reassuring survey In n her mirror The lingerie lInger frock would look t l fl simple upie to a n man who would never suspect It t of ot made hand-made duplicity nor Her glass declared the whipped hand-whipped medallions casual and elegant And Anda a long time ago alO a n lifetime ago RIckard Rickard RIck RIck- ard had bad told her that she always j should hould wear blue bue because of her eyes I lanes Innes Innes from fram tie the n next room could collS hc heat hear I Gerty teasing Tom to we wear r his T Tux Tux- edo one dude enough f for r you growled her surly lord Innes recognized recognIzed recognized the mood and shrank from the ordeal ahead It was the mood of the Hardin in the rough the son of his Ills frontier mother the fruit of old Jasper Gingg whose smithy had been the rendezvous for the wildest roughs the fiercest cattlemen in n Missouri I Id Td let h him m see you knew what's what even If we do live like gipsies The answer to that was another growl Innes lanes could hear him dragging out the process grumbling over each detail That confounded laundry had torn his shirt He hadn't a decent collar to his name Where was his black string tie If It If Gert would keep I his things In the lowest drawer I Hang that button I 1 Gerty merged emerged from the I encounter r her face very red Innes lanes could see her biting her lips to keep the tears back as she put the last I touches to the table i the sister tired out opt thought of ot Tom Hardin Sh s 's probably fussed herself to death over this din dIn- ner A few minutes later lafer Rickard arrived arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived in a asack sack suit of tweeds Gertys Gerty's greeting was as a little abstracted abstract d. d How could she make Inn Innes s understand to tell Tom to change his coat oat Th The duty of a host she suddenly remembered remembered remembered was to dress dres down rather than up to the chances of his g guest est She regretted bitterly her Insistence Was ever anyone so obtuse as Innes Mr Rickard would see that they thought it a n big event She was watching the curtain where Tom would emerge And his coat was a style of several seasons ago and absurdly tight I She made an unintelligible excuse and darted behind the portiere Toms roms face fac was apoplectic He was wrestling with a mussed tie the collar collar collar col col- lar showed a desperate struggle Gerty made wild signals for tor him to change his clothes She waved a hand Indicating Rickard she pointed to Toms Tom's sack suit lying on the floor where he had walked out of It What Is It all about whispered his wife Again the wild gestures Well arent aren't you satisfied Dont Don't DontI I look like a guy He could be heard distinctly In the next room Gerty gave It up in de de- de- de She dabbed some more powder on her nose and went out looking like a martyr martyr martyr-a a very pretty martyr I Rickard praised the miracles of ot the tent Gertys Gerty's soft flush reminded Innes Innes Innes In In- nes of their old relation Exit Innes lanes she was thinking when Tom red and perspiring brought another element of discomfort Into the room Gerty ushered them Immediately to the table She covered the first minutes minutes minutes min min- utes which might be awkward with her small chatter Somewhere she had read that It was not well to make apologies for lack of maid or fare Besides Mr Rickard remembered Lawrence I That dreadful dining room the set ever-set table I How she had hated It though the she had bad not known how fearful It was until she had escaped We are simple f Ik lk here Mr Rickard Rickard Rickard Rick Rick- ard she ed as they took their places ar ar- ar arnd nd and d the pretty table That hat was her aly oly allusion to deficiencies deficiencies cies cles but It covered her noiseless movements movements movements move move- J i ments around the board between courses filled up the gnps gaps when she made necessary dives into kitchen or primitive Ice chest and set the kyfor key ky for the homeliness of ot the meal itself The Tho dinner was a triumph of apparent simplicity Only Innes lanes could guess the time consumed In the perfection of ot detail details dear to the hostess' hostess heart The almonds she had blanched of course herself had dipped and salted them The cheese straws were her own She did not make the mistake mistake mistake mis mis- take of stringing out endless courses An Improvised buffet near at handmade handmade hand handmade made the serving n a a triumph i Rickard praised each dish openly he was admiring her achievement Innes remembering the story Gerty had told her in dots and dash dashes s the he- story of ot the thA old rivalry glanced lanced coy coy- j cov-j J I ertly ertly at nt Tom sulking at the head of ot othis his own table I Poor sulky Achilles she thought Dear honest old bear I Innes lanes cried Mrs Hardin I She turned to find that the guest was staring at her She had bad not heard his effort to include her In the con con- Mr Rickard asked you If It you yon like It here Thank you you why why of ot course I Her answer answer sounded pert to herself i Her sister law hastened to add that Miss Hardin was very lonel lonely was wasI really all alone in is the world that they I Insisted on her making her home with them Innes lanes had with difficulty restrained a denial After all what other home had she Still the truth had had been de de- de- de She recalled the sacrifice it had been to cut her college course in order to make a home In the desert for the brother who had always so gently fathered her who had helped her Invest her small capital that It might spell a small income She recalled recalled recalled re re- called his resistance when she had called in a mortgage who could watch that mad scap scapegoat goat of a river playing pr pranks with desert homes and not yearn to hem help Not a Hardin She I still gloried in remembering that she sheI I had at le least st driven one pile into that I J rebellious stream even If It when she I left the valley It would be as a bread bread- winner She was prepared She was wasa I a good draftsman she would go as asan asan asan I an apprentice In an architects architect's office She had already settled on the architect architect architect archi archi- I Are you going to Los Angeles soon She heard the new manager address his host Im taking orders There was another awkward moment moment mo mo- ment meat when Hardin pushed back his plate declaring he had reached his limit it was too big a spread for tOI him I It was the stupid rudeness of the small bad boy even lanes Innes flushed for her sister in With resolution Gerty assumed control control control con con- of the conversation Her role i sounded casual no one could have suspected It of frequent rehearsal They must not talk of the river that was t taboo boo Railroad matters were also excluded d. d Equally difficult would be reminiscences of Lawrence days So she began brightly with a n current book The theater proved a safe topic and by that natural route they reached New York Innes who had never been farther east than Chicago Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago was grateful to play audience Hardin who knew his New York perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps better than either refused to be drawn Into the gentle stream I Things must be kept sprightly Had Mr Rickard met many of the valley people And It was then that she threw her bomb toward the lIst listening silent Hardins She would like Mr RIck Rickard rd to meet some of th their lr friends He said that he would be d delighted lIghte but that he was pla planning to leave shortly for tor the Heading Of course She did not give her husband time to speak She meant afterward I She was planning to give something a bit novel in n his honor She refused to see the glare from the angry man In his outgrown dinner coat She did not glance toward the sister What did Mr R Rickard think about a progressive ride rId 1 It sounds sounds very entert entertaining but what do you do There was a loud guffaw from Tom With deepened color Gerty told her idea A drive changing partners so he could meet all the guests I 1 think It will surp surprise ise you to fin find so many nice people In here It certainly certaInly certainly did me One doesn't expect to find congenial people in ina a new country like this Rickard remembered that he had to get back to his hotel He had bad letters betters letters let let- let bet to write It had been a n splendid I dinner I And what what a wonderful homo home she had made out of a n sand-baked sand lot I out of a tent I 1 He De spoke of the r roses ses and the morning glories His IDs eyes I fell tell on the tho open piano the reading table with the current magazines Now he couldn't understand why th they y ever went to that hotel I I Gertys Gerty's eyes were shining as deep pools of water on wh which ch the sun plays deeP She looked almost Infantile as she stood by the tho two tall men her head perched birdlIke Good by and I bl hope e you'll como come again l I I Of course hed he'd come again I A A d you will let me know when I you OU return so that I may zany set the date tor for my party Innes lanes did not get his answer She had been observing that he was not taller than her brother He looked taller He was lean and Tom Torn wa was growing stocky She wished he would not slouch so his hands in his pockets pockets pock pock- i ets I In Tucson before she knew that she must dislike Rickard Richard she had had hadan hadan hadan I an impression of virile distinction of grace a suggestion of ot mastered mus mus- I cles He had known that It was her I brother he was supplanting supplantIng did did be he beget beget get any satisfaction from the fact tact that It was the husband of the woman who had bad Jilted him Anyway she did not like him She could never forgive a hurt that was done dono to her own Sho She was a n Hardin Innes lanes I 1 Mr Rickard said good goodnight goodnight goodnight I night I 1 II I She gave him the tips of her cool browned fingers Her eyes did not meet his she would not meet that laughing scrutiny Good night Mr Rickard ft I CHAPTER XI i 1 The Fighting Chance back spying l In announced Wooster at mess one evening By that time the feeling against Marshalls man was actively hostile There had hadeen been een Po m smudge of slumbering fires before before before be be- fore Rickard |