Show 1 1 1 11 1 1 11 r. 4 4 r 3 By EDNAH J The Th RIVER 4 e AIKEN M 4 4 4 fir When the Colorado Burst Its Banks and Flooded the Imperial Valley of California I j Copyright Bobbs lien Company t 4 4 A 4 J i HOW WILL H HARDIN ROIN AND HIS WIFE RECEIVE HIM RICKARD HIM RICKARD IS NOT LEFT LONG IN DOUBT r r. r Synopsis K C. C Rickard nn an engineer of the Overland Pacific railroad rail rall- railroad road is called to the office of President Marshall in Tuscon Tusson Ariz While waiting altI Rickard reads a report o on the ravages of the Colorado river k f despite the efforts of Thomas Hardin head pf of f the Desert Reclamation company lIard Hardin In had been a student under Rickard In an eastern college college col col- col J. J lege and had married Gerty Holmes w with ith whom RIkard Rickard had fancied he i. i was in love Marshall tells Rl Rickard kard the Overland Pacific must step In to save the Imperial valley vaIley and wishes to send Rickard to take charge charle Rickard declines be because ause he foresees embarrassment Jn supplanting Hardin but is won over Rickard goes to Calexico and and on the way learns much about Hardin and his work j CHAPTER I IV IV V-Conti V Continued fi 3 t 4 Bath Dath right across the hall ha l. l Only J room left In the house The he proprietor awarded him the valley stare Go Going ng to lie be here long He passed the last key key on the rack to the darky staggerIng staggering staggering stagger stagger- ing under a motley of oP bags and suitcases suit suit- cases Rickard recognized his and followed fol fol- lowed ft I may get you another room tomorrow tomor tomor- tomorrow row call called d the proprietor tor after him himas himas as he climbed the dusty stairs The signals of a new town were waving in iri the dining room The majority majority majority ma ma- of the citizens displayed their t shirt sleeves v s and unblushing suspend suspend- ers One large table was surrounded i by men in khaki the desert soldiers engineers rs The full blown waitresses r. r elaborately were pushIng pushIng push- push c Ing through the swing doors carrying heavy tr trays ys Coquetry appear appeared d to be bej j their oc occupation rather th than n meal meal- serving th the diners accepting both vane arle- varieties ties of attention with appreciation The uk supremacy of those superior maidens was menaced only by two other women women wom worn en who sat at a table near the door Rickard did not see them at first The room was as masculine as as' asa a a restaurant in a new mining town Rickard left his Indoor view to look through the French windows opening on a side street street- He noticed a slender but regular procession All the men passing fell in the same direction Cocktail route explained one of his neighbors his mouth full of boiled tr be beef beof f. f Oyster Oster cocktail smiled the new new- comer corner The real thing 1 Calexico's dry lIk like the whole valley that Is the county See See that ditch That is Mexico on the other side Those sheds yo you can see are in Mexican Mexicali Calexico's twin sister That painted adobe Is the custom custom custom cus cus- tom house Mexicans Mexican's not dry even in summer 1 You can bet your life e on that You can can get all nIl the bad Dad whisky and stale beer youve you've the money to buy We work In Calexico and drink drinkin in Mexicali The temperance pledge is kept better in this town than any other town towa i in the valley But Dut you c can n see this procession every I night The Amazon with a handkerchief apron brought Rickard his soup lIew He lIe w was was s raising his first spoonful to his mo mouth th when he saw the face carefully k yr 3 He tic Saw the Face Carefully Averted averted of the girl he lie had met at the Marshalls Marshalls' table Innes Hardin His eyes jumped to her companions the theman theman man a stranger and then Gerty r. r Holmes At least Mrs Hardin 1 Somehow Somehow Somehow Some Some- how It surprised him to find her pretty She had achieved a variety of distinction distinction distinction dis dis- preserving moreover the clear cut clear cut babyish chin which had made its early earty appeal to him There was the same fluffy hair Its ringlets a bit artificial artificial arti artl to his more sophisticated eyes the tho same sarno well turned nose He lie had been wondering about this meeting he found that he had been expecting some d g sort of shock who shock who said that the love of today Is the jest of tomorrow The 1 dl discovery covery that Gerty was not oot a Jest brought bought the surprised gratification gratificationS S S which we yard award a letter or composition written In our youth Were Vere we as us clever as that so complete at ci eighteen I or twenty one Could we now ith I all our experience do any better or of in- in In Indeed I deed as well That particular den en- fro 17 a 1 t vines vines' in q r m Could we wo make mako it itI I fly today as It soared yesterday Rickard Rickard Rick Rick- ard w was s. s finding that Gertys Gerty's more mature mature mature ma ma- ture charms did not accelerate his heartbeats heart but they were certainly flattering to his early eaily judgment And he had expected her r to be bea a shock I t He was staring Into his his' plate of c chilled soup Calf love Calf love I For Tor he had loved her or at nt least he had loved her chin her pretty childish childish wa way of lifting it She was pret prettier er than he had pictured plc pic t tuned r d her Queer that a man like Hardin Hardin Har Har- din could draw such women for sister and wife wife the the bl blood lod tie was t the e most amazing For Tor wh when n women come to marry they make often a queer choice It occurred to him that that might hav have e been Hardin he Hardin-he he had not wanted to stare at nt th them m. m That was was' not HardIns HardIn's face It held strength and power po The outline was sharp and distinct showing the str strong ng lines the determined mouth of the pio plo neer veer There was something else something some some- something thing w which lICh stood stood for distinction distinction no no it couldn't t be Hardin And then because an lip changed the entire look of the man Rickard asked his table companions who wh was was the the man with the two vo ladies ladles near near the door That suh sub his neighbor from Alabama Alabama Ala Ala- bama bima became Immediately oratorical that is a big man suh If the Imperial Imperial Im Im- valley ever becomes a reality a it will be because of f that one man suh Reclamation Is like a seed thrown on a rock Will It stick Will wm Willit it take root Will it grow That is what we all want to know Rickard thought that he had bad wanted to know something quite different and reminded the gentleman from Alabama that he had not told him the name The father of this valley of the reclamation of this desert Thomas Hardin suh sub Rickard tried to reset without attracting attracting attracting at at- their att attention the group of his Impressions of the man whose personality personality personality per per- had been so obnoxious to him himIn himin himin in the old Lawrence days The Hardin he had known had also large features but of the flaccid irritating order He summoned a picture of Hardin as he had shuffled Into his own classroom or orup orup orup up t to the long table where G Gerty had always alwa's It among her mothers mother's boarders He could see the rough unpolished unpolished un un- p polished boots that had always ays offended offend offend- ed him as a betrayal of the mans man's inner In in- Inner ner coarseness the badly fitting coat the long awkward arms and the satisfied satisfied satis satis- fied lied loud loud speaking speaking mouth These features features features fea fea- tures were more definite C Could uld time bring these changes Had he changed like that Had they seen Wm him Would Gerty would Haidin remember him Wasn't it his his his' place to make himself known wave the flag of old friendship over an nn awkward situation He found himself standing In front of their table encountering first the eyes of Hardins Hardin's sister There was no surprise no w welcome elcome there for him He felt at nt once the hostility of the camp His Ills face was uncomfortably warm Then the childish profile turned on him A look of bewilderment flushing Into greeting the greeting the years had bad been kind to Gerty Holmes Holmes' Do you remember me Rickard If Hardin recognized a difficult situation situation situation situa situa- tion he did not betray it It was a aman aman aman man Rickard did not know who shook nim film w warmly by the hand and said that indeed he ho had not forgotten himIe him I e been expecting you My wife Mi Mr Rickard an and my sister Why what are you thinking of Tom Torn To introduce Mr Rickard nIckard 1 I I Introduced you jou to each other oilier years ago I Gertys Gerty's cheeks were red Her bright eyes ejes were darting from one to the other You knew he lie was coming and did not tell me mel You were at the Improvement club when the telegram came put In Innes lanes Hardin without looping looking at Rickard Rickard- No trace of the Tucson cordiality in that proud little face I No acknowledgment that they hail hm met at the Marshall Marshall's Oh you jou telegraphed to us The blond arch smile had not aged That was friendly and nice Rickard had bad not been self conscious for many a year jear lIe He did not kJ know ow what to say He lIe turned from h her r upturned upturned up turned face to the others Innes lanes Hardin Hardin Har Har- din was staring out of the window over the time heads of several crowded tables Hardin was gazing at his plate Rickard decided that he would get out of tills this before Gerty discovered that it was neither f fondly f endly nor nice If I had lown that you were here I would I have insisted on your dining with us In 10 our tent For Tor Its It's terrible here isn't it She flashed limbed at him the look he remembered so vividly the childish coquettish appeal We dine at home till it becomes tiresome and then we come foraging for variety But you must come to us say Thursday Is that right for for you We should love It it Still those two averted faces face Rickard Rickard Rick Rick- ard urd said Thursday as he was bidden and got back to his table wondering w why by in thunder he had let Marshall persuade persuade persuade per per- suade him to take this job Hardin waited wilted a scant minute to protest protest pro pro- ask him test What possessed you to to dinner Why shouldn't I He is an old friend Gerty caught a glance of appeal ap ap- appeal peal from sister to brother Jealous she pouted charmingly at t her ber lord Jealous no 1 I bluffed Hardin He lie thought then that she knew that lanes Inces had told her The Law Lawrence rence episode episode epi epi- sode held no sting to him Once it had enchanted him that he had carried off the boarding house boarding house belle whom even that bookman had found desirable desirable- bookman I 1 A superior dude 1 He had always had those grand airs As If It itI I were not more to to toa a mans man's credit to struggle for his education even If he were older than his class or his teacher teach teach- er than to accept it off silver r plates handed by lackeys Rickard had always al al- always ways acted as if it h had d been something to be ashamed of It made him sick done It this time Its It's a fool choice Again that look of pleading from Inne Innes In- In ne nes Gerty had a shiver of Intuition Tool Fool choice holce Her voice was ominously ominously ominously omi omi- C calm Hardin shook off Innes' Innes eyes Better be done with It it I Hes lIes the new general general gen gen gen- eral man manager Hes th the general m manager nager I Im to take orders from him Gertys Gerty's silence was of the stunned variety The Hardins watched her crumbling bread on the tablecloth th thinking fearfully that she was going t to cry I I tell youl you Her voice repressed repressed repressed re re- re- re pressed carried carded th the threat of oP f t tears ars I t tell you how it would Y uld be Didn't I say that you'd be sorry If lyou you called the railroad in Must we go over ver this again l as asked ed edher her husband Why didn't you tell me Wh Why did let me e make male a go goose se of myself She was remembering that there had be been n no protest st no surprise f from fromIa- fromIa om In In- nes Sh She knew 1 A family secret et 1 She shrugged Im glad on th the whole that you youl planned nned it as s a surprise For ForI I carried carded It off as If wed we'd not been insulted insulted insulted in in- d disgraced graced Gerty I expostulated lIa Hardin dtp Gerty I 1 Implored Innes And we we are In for a nice friendly dinner I Are you quite finished Hardin got up As the three passed out of the dining room room Rickard caught their several expressions ex ex- expressions x- x Hardins Hardin's stiff Indifferent G Gertys Gerty's brilliant but hard as she flashed a finished brave little smile in his direction The sisters sister's sisters sister's bow was distinctly haughty haught In the hall ball Gertys Gerty's laugh rippled out It was vas the laugh Rickard remembered remembered the light frivolous cadence which recalled the flamboyant pattern of the Holmes' Holmes parlor carpet caret the long crowded dining table where Gerty had reigned It told him that she was Indifferent indifferent In in- different to his coming as she meant it should And it turned him back to toa toa toa a dark corner In the honeysuckle suckle draped porch where he had spent so many evenings with her ber where once he had held her hand where he told her that he loved her For he had haQ loved lo her or at least he pe thought he had I 1 And had run aw away ay from her expectant expectant expectant ex ex- eyes A cad was he because he had brought that waiting look Into her eyes and had run from it Should a man ask a woman to give her life Into his keeping until he Is quite sure that he wants It He lIe was revamping his worn defense Should he live li up to a minute of surrender of tenderness If the- the next next Instant brings sanity and disillusionment He lIe could bury now forever fore self self reproach He could laugh at his own vanity Gerty It was easy to see had forgotten forgot forgot- ten what he had bad whispered to Gerty Holmes They met as sober old friends That ghost was laid CHAPTER V V. V A Game of Checkers The uneasy mood of the time desert the wind wind blown blown sand drove people indoors the next morning Rickard was served senell senella a sub substantial indifferently cooked breakfast in the dining room of the Desert hotel wh whose se limitations were as conspicuous to the time newcomer newcomer as they were were no nonexistent to the other men amen They were finding It a soft con contrast contract con tract to sand sand blown blown tents to life In the open Later ho he wandered through the group of staring Idlers in the office past the popular soda stand and the few v tilters chair chair on th the sidewalk walk goIng going go go- Ing on as If without purpose to o the railroad sheds and then on down to the offices of or th the Desert Reclamation company He lIe discovered ft it to be theone the theone theone one engaging spot in the hastily thrown together thrown together town There were ol oleanders anders rose and white blooming in r. r the patch of purple blooming alfalfa that stood for a lawn Morning Morning glories glories clambered over the supports of the veranda and on over the roof Rickard's Rickard's Rick Rick- ards ard's deductions led him to the lIar Har dins What school of experience had so changed the awkward country fellow He lIe had resented his rivalry not that he was a rival but that he was a boor His kisses still warm on her lips and sl she e had turned to welcome to coquet with Tom Hardin I The woman who was to be his wife must be steadier than that 1 It h had d cooled his fever Not for |