Show T l I III II I T I I 1 lT l R S cL IN I. AUTHOR rno or ml m THE CoW COU PUNCHER eY STEAD THC CHAPTER XIV XIV Continued Continued 14 14 Oh Ohl my G G d d I cried Not yet I 1 INot Not yet et I II I fell tell In the snow I floundered aimlessly aim lessly In the broken crust When I came back to realization the vision was gone Only the snow shot through with Its thin mists of ot light fell on forever Was I freezing l the he thought prodded prodded prodded prod prod- ded me to consciousness I L drew a hand from my mitt and thrust It against my face The fingers were warm The skin of my forehead would wrinkle I was able to wriggle my toes In my boots No I was not freez freez- ing My troubles were of ot the mind my bodily engines were functioning properly I got the wind over my right shoulder and pressed on Jean wanted me to keep her guess- guess Ing That was the easy slangy way of of putting It Po Poetic license she had ad called It What she meant was that I J must always ha have ha e something In reserve reserve re re- serve Berve some mysterious corner of ot myself myself my my- self Into which she had not explored Something to keep up the sense of ot mystery the spirit of ot adventure in which romance Is le born without which romance must die No doubt she was right After all w why y should she marry me What was I more than a biped beast of ot burden an animal designed to eat sleep labor and reproduce Itself Spoof was something more than that Was I wise to Interrupt Inter Integ rupt them at all t Why not leave them alone It was waB while I wrestled with the thought of ot a great renunciation that I the light broke about me I was sure I that animal for animal ox animal ox for or ox- ox Jean preferred me to Spoof It was In hi those qualities that were not animal that she preferred him It was for tor me therefore by all means to delay her decision and then to set about deliberately deUber- deUber to develop the qualities In which I was nt ot a n disadvantage antage I must read J These Idle winter months gave me the very opportunity to read and I cursed myself that so many weeks bad slipped b by unimproved What to read I had my old school books and a Bible BIble Bible- little else Still If It one knew his Bible It if If I were to read up some book In It Jt develop a simple philosophy out of ot It Jean Into an argument and best her that would be keeping her bel guessing wouldn't It I could borrow books from Spoof It was a strange sidelight on my feelIngs feelings feel feel- Ings toward Spoof that even at this moment and for tor this purpose there seemed nothing unnatural In the thought that I should borrow books from him Other neighbors might have books one never can tell t ll Most people people people peo peo- remain unread not from lack of ot books but from lack of application There was Reverend Locke I would make an on excuse to town and would borrow books from him Mm I would even spend a n few of ot my hard earned dollars dollarson on magazines or on membership in a mall order library Of Ot all this Jean was to know nothing I would keep her ber guessing I 1 trudged on In a mood akin to cheer cheer- I I- bad had made my decision I had stepped out of ot an old world Into Inton n a new one Something which must musi have e lain dormant all these years awoke and thrilled me with the pos poss possibilities of what I might become Life for me was no longer a thing of ot the theLod Lod body which Is death but a thing of ot the mind and spirit which are eternal And yet In Ia Imagination I allowed allowed al al- al- al lowed myself to feel Jeans Jean's hair brushIng brushIng brushIng brush- brush Ing my cheek Presently something waved to me out of the mist I stopped with eyes Intent Undoubtedly something was waving to me out of ot the mist Jean Jean I I called but there was no an an- I moved toward It eagerly and Suddenly the mystery was made clear It was a great sunflower clothed In hoary frost nodding In the wind I smiled to myself at Its almost spectral appearance nce then glancing ahead I saw saw another and another and another a I whole row of them This was Spoof Spoofs si sl J These were the sunflowers which he had planted Spoofs spoors shack must be he nearby Surely there to the left was duller darkness through the snow I hurried toward It The angular outline of Spoofs Spoof's shack emerged gradually gradually grad grad- out of ot the mist like a sunken boat rising slowly to the surface of the water Half of ot It was concealed at best by the great drifts that bordered bordered bordered bor bor- dered It I 1 found my way to the shack h ck around the corner to the door Should I knock Prairie manners particularly particularly particularly par par- among bachelor neighbors are free and easy It would be no great breach of etiquette for me casually casually casually casu casu- ally to enter Spoofs Spoof's house without knocking I believed I had done that before And there would be a purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose In to It now of ot all times I There was no answer That J J was Vas waso sUbject o 0 o explanations A A. knock bock en on a bachelors bachelor's door mil a from a neighbor In U is a 8 thin ho 80 0 t j unexpected that sometimes the ear does not register It It merely cocks Itself to make sure Bure If It the sound should be repeated I knocked again In a moment the thedoor thedoor thedoor door opened and I saw Spoof In a flannel shirt and smoking Jacket corduroy corduroy corduroy cor cor- duroy trousers moccasins moccasins-I I think I took In every detail of his attire His tie was drawn neatly up to the throat his hair was vas well brushed he had not shaved d. d Ills His mustache was heavier his face tace paler thinner thinner- Why Frank l he exclaimed I seemed to hear both welcome and embarrassment embarrassment embarrassment em em- In his voice Come in In old man I This Is quite a day at section see see- tion Two On account of ot the dull weather and the frosted windows Spoof had a lamp burning It was a brass lamp with a twisted ornamental bowl and a cloth shade of ot some old gold color It stood I on a D shelf shelt which he be had built In a I I corner of his only room Its subdued but cheerful light touched the objects in the little shack with a glint of ot color which was In sharp contrast to the drab day outside Spoofs Spoof's couch had been made up his steamer rug lay tucked about It The walls were a amaze amaze amaze maze of ot firearms prints curios There was the warmth of ot a fire Ore and the odor of ot something cooking In the corner corner opposite to the lamp on the floor on a mat sat Jean Her knees were propped up In front of berand her ber herand herand and her long supple fingers were linked about them It was as she had sat that day what day what only yesterday yesterday- with me under the great drift on the bank of the gully A tapestry affair of ot some kind hung on the wall sheltered her from direct contact with the cold boards and a cushion with a yellow dragon drago further protected her She looked up at me as I entered and her face was a riddle too enigmatic to analyze Annoyance defiance pleasure pleasure pleasure pleas pleas- ure humor indifference were strangely strange strange- ly and Inextricably Interwoven Hello Frank she said quietly You see J Je Miss Je-Miss e- e Miss Lane Is an early caller Spoof explained Although not a frequent one he added any anymore anymore anymore more than you ou are If It she had known you were coming no doubt you would have come together Yes that might have been better I said pointedly The trail trall Is gone Spoof continued I ignoring the Jab In my remark It must have taken some skill to find the direction Particularly before daylight I Isaid Isaid said more pointedly than before Oh dont don't quiz Frank Jean pro pro- tested Ill tell you all about It presently pres pres- I was Just saying to Spoof when your knock Interrupted me how much the wiser the Japanese are than we They sit on the floor as nature Intended them to do and how graceful they are I I am playing the part But not for tor that reason I am afraid said Spoof You see I rejoice rejoice rejoice re re- joice in only one chair called easy by way of courtesy Miss Lane refused refused re re- re- re fused to sit In It while I stood and I of ot course could not sit In It while she stood So she solved a deadlock by sitting on the floor Nothing very Incriminating about all this They were Just chatting naturally naturally naturally nat nat- surely they couldn't be such actors as to stage this dialogue e without without without with with- out a moments moment's notice Still I Still-I I had had bad to knock the second time You have breakfasted Spoof In in- Why I am afraid I must confess contess I I 1 left home rather unexpectedly I was not disposed to beat about the bush and the commonplaceness commonplace commonplace- ness of their talk Irritated me Surely here was n f situation bad enough wIthout without without with wIth- out making It worse by pretending there was nothing bad about It Spoof glanced at a clock which chuckled auay an ay amiably on his wall We cau can have lunch within an hour he lie said With a fork he prodded something something something some some- thing stewing on the th stove Yes the rabbit Is almost done By Jove a good fat tat one I Fanc Fancy how they pick so 80 lordly a living ll I Will you wait or would you ou rather have a bite now I Ican Ican Icim can only give you bread and marmalade marmalade marma marma- lade at once You must be hungry No Xo Im I'm not hungry I said truthfully truthfully truth truth- rull fully enough The fact Is I couldn't keep my eyes eye'S off orr Jea Joan Jean Now and again when she know I watched her face seemed to take on something of melancholy but mostly It was bright responsive vivacious 1 She SlIe seemed to tofit tofit tofit fit so wonderfully wonderfully physically physically and mentally she fitted so wonderfully Into Spoofs Spoof's shack So we waited waltel for the rabbit to stew and Spoof and Jean chatted on I was more the audience than one of the players They were away Into some dispute about atmospheric colorings something that had to do with rainbows rain bows Ice prisms prism light radia radIa- tion It was beyond me so obviously beyond me that Spoof spoor had haa mercy and brought Jean back to earth What do da you think of ot the scheme to form a new province here two here two n new nW W provinces he shot at me Inv in w v stead of at our present districts More autonomy and more taxes as I see It It Yes I suppose I groped The fact Is I knew nothing about It Would seem Beem more natural to follow the old district boundaries though Spoof commented They sa say they are going to run the provinces from rom south to north north ns as far tar as the sixtieth paral paral- lel Therell There'll be an nn election next year You ought to think about that Frank It would be some Bome honor to sit Bit In the first parliament of ot Saskatchewan The Idea struck me as grotesque I IsaId Isaid Isaid said so Why Wh not Jean demanded and there was fire In her voice Perhaps not the first parliament but some parliament she sha qualified Some parliament I said to myself my my- self Perhaps If I had bad J Jean enn to goad me on I might do do anything Spoof scraped a corner clear dear on the window pane and said some lines about Snow cold cold In In snow It was waa something about a soldier dying In n the trenches not wounded or fighting but Just dying In the snow I saw Jeans Jean's rapt attention the glisten of ot her eyes the gulp of ot her white throat What power was this the man had over her Was this all a thing of ot mind or was It t body too I had told myself that animal animal animal ani ani- mal for animal Jean would prefer me I As I looked at Spoofs Spoof's strong figure I well knit well clad I wondered In some way we put In the hour I Idid Idid Idid did not press the subject the question the suspicion which was tunnelling my mind It was Jeans Jean's move I waited for tor her CHAPTER XV Spoof set his little table with a linen cloth and napkins and amazingly good dishes The meal was to consist of stewed rabbit with potatoes and carrots carrots carrots car car- rots bread and cheese and tea Jean sprang up to cut the bread and make the tea ten It was not until we had finished lunch and Spoof had rolled me a cigarette and the dishes were cleared away and some sort of ot tapestry cover substituted on the table that Jean saw v fit to refer reter to her behavior I promised you that If It you didn't I would tell you all about It Frank she said suddenly You have been a good boy and I will keep my word By Jove I haven't fed ted the bullocks Spoof exclaimed what comes of ot having company I really should have a man If It the governor saw me leave my guests to feed a pair of ungracious ungracious un un- un gracious g bulls he would be permanently permanent permanent- ly Iy humiliated You wont won't mind will you rou 7 We wouldn't and In a moment Spoof was plowing plowing- toward his stables You think Im I'm a wild woman and pretty much of ot a fool said Jean Come this bench Is a sad Invention Lets Let's sit sitt on the floor She went hack back to her station In the corner and made me sit do down n beside her There that's better she said sald You think Im I'm a wild woman and pretty much of ot a fool Lets Let's pass the first count On the second we agree Now Ill I'll give you the whole story without without without with with- out frills You know of ot course why I canceled canceled can can- our engagement Weve We've covered that ground no use plowing It again I believed I loved Spoof I hoped he heIt hei I Iz i z a 4 II It Was She Had Sat That as Day Day- Day Day- What Only Yesterday loved me But since Jacks Jack's wedding he had bad avoided us After our talk yesterday esterday I couldn't stand It any longerI longer I woke up this morning about five o'clock thinking of him and as I 1 thought a n vague wild plan which had been haunting me took form If Mohammed Mohammed Mo Mo- I hammed wouldn't come to the mountain mountain moun moun- tain the mountain would go to Mo Mo- hammed l. l You see I have reversed the figure as Is right In this case It was wasa a wild Idea but once I got It cearl clearly In my head henl there was nothing to do but go through with It I knew I would be found out I knew all that you ou and ond Jack and Marjorie would think think even even if It you ou didn't say It But there comes conies a n time when none of these things matter matte do do you understand So I dressed as quietly as us I could and slipped sUpped out It wasn't snowing then th the stars were bright and numberless numberless numberless num num- berless I got my bearings and struck out As I passed your shanty I stopped at your window All was dark dart and still sUII Dear old boy I whispered against your window pane I wish things were different but different but they're I not notA She had laced her fingers again about her knees but now she dropped the hand next to We inc and It fell tell on mine There was nothing surreptitious surreptitious about It It was deliberate designed designed de de- de- de sl signed ed aggressive I had covered most of ot the distance before It began to snow Then I 1 was washa In ha danger for Cor a while but I made It all aU right Unfortunately ft is not an nn early riser He was surprised to see me She stopped and for a long while gazed Into space as though studying what she would say next Well Wen I proposed to him He refused re re- refused fused me she said quietly Refused you t Do you mean menn that's the whole story the substance I told you I would leave out the You can decorate It to your liking Wring One of ot the so- so crets creta of at art Is to not to overstate yourself your your- self self leaving leaving something to the Imagination nation The more Intelligent the audIence audience audience audi audI- ence the more may be left to the Im Im- |