| Show NEIGHBORS NEI By ROBERT STEAD Author of ot The Cow Puncher The Hom Homesteaders w 3 u ur r Copyright by S St U tea CHAPTER R XVI Pi ti oj 15 Cn d tl After the first blank moment of sur sur- tt lc I 1 turned Burned d not to Spoof or Mrs Alton or the boy bOYi but to Jean There was a momentary tremulousness but Almost almost rp st Instantly Jenn Jean bad had herself under under un un- It 11 der der control she was more the artist V 1 rt 1 t titan than l n I 1 knew I began to realize how T I. I far her artistry carried When This Is news I she cried did did did- She stopped short A wave H of color flushed her face Gerald did not admit of casual explanation Spoof and his wife and I still stood as fiS though rooted to the floor The woman seemed to avoid my gaze but butr r when when at times I caught caught- a glimpse of her face there was something finer than embarrassment In It there was embarrassment It It'll Is th true but something something some- some yr thing almost seraphic as well i Suddenly Sud enl I think we women should I 1 go over o to two Twenty Jean ex ex- must know the claimed great Brent rc news Come Jerry I A At t the door the collie joined them tl t capering ull uneasily In Inthe ti the sn snow snow w Spoof f and rind I 1 patched them as they took their way wiy l along the trodden well trail across the gully then we s stabled his oxen In silence Back nack In the house Spoof drank a cup cup- ful of tea and rolled tolled me a cigarette r I never ne smoked cigarettes except under un- un j t. t der Spoofs Spoof's malign Influence Influence before before he e sho showed shoed ed a disposition to talk Then seated on oli one of my rough benches 7 V behind the blue h haze of his own own V tobacco tobacco tobacco to to- to- to bacco smoke he spoke V I I married this woman woman that you know knot as Mrs Alton five fire years years years' ago ago Christmas Christmas day You will understand Wl why Tn Jacks Jack's ks k's wedding was something of an an anniversary to me In course of tit tine ie Gerald was was born Up until then and for some time afterward everything everything every cry thing was all aU right Then som something tI happened In InV n V what I r I chose hose to call caU righteous Indignation Indig nation nation-I I 1 turned her out Perhaps It It teas was as more mortified pride or Just blind beast Jealousy jenious Never l mind Through it H all I gave gaye ni myself seif credit for being f Just even generous g I er us V I 1 gave her half o of my ready money which h wasn't I r i much Iye Ive e never ne been much of a al a. a l money grabber Hall It h has always alays seemed d such an Inconsequential Busi T I r v ness ness But I gave her half halt of what I had and settled on Gerald the small Income Income I could command and let her keep koep the boy bay That was the biggest I L Olin tiling thing I i 8 see ee e ii a co p-o p good ti de deal deal- I of It- It through different light today but for letting her k keep e the boy I t d demand mahd some credit I e done one otie or two hard things thIngs' Un Hall II You know That was one of lie Ue finIshed finished his cigarette ette and lit an an- other Then I came out here he continued contin contin- It seemed the wisest thing to do I 1 was settling Into the hope of forgetting forgetting forgetting for- for getting It all and making a new start when hen she slie followed oll wed me He lie held up his bis It h hand i nd das as s If to silence me altho although gh ghI I had made no move to speak I 1 dont don't blame her now her now he said But nut then last last summer you know know know-It It rather Interfered I I may may- mayas as well be frank with you I had an Idea that Jean would Just about complete section Two Two She's a a wonderful d. d girl Jean You know the know the other day That was one of the tile hard things I 1 Iwas Iwas was thinking about when I spoke of them a u moment ao ago Frank rank sh she lit a thousand old fires of memory that that- morning Moving about In my roo room sitting at my table pouring my tea tea tea-G-d G d man man do you understand It was too much for any body I dont don't know what would have happened At Atan NAf Af an any rate I 1 ask you OU to believe that I was was' i making m k Ing my fight Then you ou came lie He threw away awa away half of an u cigarette and rolled another Then I spent some sleepless nights Frank old boy I was glad you ou had come and even In my ray gladness for that sometimes ll 1 I wished you you you- We humans humans hu hu- mans are such queer mixtures beyond analysis anal si s. But nut the more I admitted these things to myself the more I 1 hall hail also to admit that something might be said for Alice Alice had once been to me all that It now seemed that Jean might fright be I wondered If by br some miracle that might not come again Women are strange creatures Besides I wanted tremendously to see the boy So yesterday esterday I 1 hitched the oxen and and broke trail over o to Widow My afflictions had brought me to a sufficiently humble bumble frame of ot mind to let Alice say h her say a For awhile store she couldn't say anything Just wept you know and cried my name over oyer and andover o er md tad sometimes sometimes s Geralds Gerald's Mighty uncomfortable for tor fora If ar man standing around and feeling that In some way hes he's t to blame bH i e f for r It It- all oJ f f i Well Well when we got down to t facts she h had iI come In the hope lope of ot raising money by means of ot homesteading so J that she could educate the boy But when she found through old Jake kr that th t I had located here she wasn't t r above c following And t yet she was afraid of me afraid shed she'd meet me fit somewhere afraid Id I'd come over to r and all nIl the time e hopr hop hop- l op r I 1 would I Women ar are strange nu i jWell j l creatures n Well Veil we talk talked d It tt I nil all over over and and- and nUd and for tor tiP the first time In his narrative Spoofs Spoors face lighted with a gentle genUe smile I I didn't go back to Two vo last night at all Were We're planning a sort of f quin qun- honeymoon progress about the district and properly enough our first call callIs Is at Fourteen And now that that's off my chest behold a man happy once more ram Fam amazed at the folly that denied me roe all these years years- years years- Men uen cn too are strange creatures Theres Just one thing a thing a very Insignificant Insignificant In In- significant thing comp compared red with Alices Alice's happiness a and d mine and Geralds Gerald's buit's but bu its it's this In taking up her homestead she had had to declare herself herselt a widow She did It for the boys boy's sake and she knows she will have I to give up the claim but will she get Into further trouble Will they let It go go at that That was a poser and I turned It over ocr In my mind for some minutes Better see Jake about that I 1 sug sug- bested ested Hell find a way right I said Spoof Jakes the bo boy And he owes me something yet j-et on that cogitation nut transaction Just one more thing Spoof resumed resumed re re- resumed re- re after a little lye Ive told you youa a great grent deal more than I propose to to tell anyone anone else It seemed to me that you you and and Jean Jean had had a peculiar right to know It had been heen arranged that during the busy season I should take my meals at Jacks Jack's and Jean had volunteered volunteered volun volun- the duty of carr carrying ing my afternoon afternoon after after- noon lunches to the field There was little time now for either poetry or prose and yet we lived amazingly inthe In Inthe Inthe the spirit Between the one must think of something and I recalled recalled re re- called and re recalled re-recalled those things I had read during the time winter At lunch lunchtime lunchtime lunchtime time or In the evenings I would talk of them with Jean always trying to approach her from some new and unsuspected unsuspected un un- un suspected angle As for Instance when a summer shower threatened us ns I quoted I had borrowed a Shelley from Spoof I I bring fresh fresh showers for the thirstIng thirst thirst- Ing lag flowers From the seas and the stream I 1 bear light shade for the leaves leave's when laid raid in their noonday dreams From my wings are shaken the dews that waken The sweet buds every everyone everyone- one one one- One evening Spoof came over carrying car car- carrying his gun Theres good crane shooting out at Reed need lake he said Brown and I were up up last night got four beauties J Jean nn seems to be shooting rather well thought you and she might like to go goI out out outon on an a crane hunt so I brought over my gun gum I But you you'll you you'll come wont won't you u. u ivo NO No not this time said sale spoor Spoof sagely Ive got all I can use for some days Jean was enthusiastic so we quit work early the next afternoon and drove to Reed lake about seven or eight miles mUes to the west I fastened a horse blanket to the side of our wagon dropping one edge to the ground In front of It I spread another on the grass and here we sat sheltered from the cool night breezes that came solemnly whispering over o the tops of the reeds that bordered the lake Jean seemed to doubt the efficiency of f any method of hunting that consisted consisted consisted con con- In sitting down beside a horse blanket and waiting for the game to come up and be shot She could understand understand un un- un crawling for a hundred yards ards head down and heels down except as asa asa asa a wavIng foot might serve to semaphore sema sema- semaphore her signals But to sit and wait watt She was counting stars There they come 1 I suddenly breathed scarce daring to whisper as asa asa asa a new note came up from the water Quietly QuIetly quietly We rose to our feet and stalked silently to the waters water's edge There was nothing to be seen We were surrounded surrounded surrounded sur sur- sur- sur rounded entirely by reeds higher than our heads We were sinking slow In the moist mud water was trickling through the lace holes In my boots Well have to go In I whispered I Are you ou game I felt the tire pressure of ot her free ree hand upon my arm Anywhere with Anywhere with you So we stepped quietly but boldly Into the water It Lt came to the ankles the calves the knees Then we were through the time reeds and the lake lay b before be before be- be fore us dim and misty like like like-a a n sheet of Gf frosted glass Well wait walt V here If U were we're lucky they'll c come our ouray way ay Out of the air came a rushing Great wings beat almost upon our heads But they came came and w were re gone gone before we knew It lt Just uJust a couple of strays beating around the time lake I explained nell Well walt wait for tor the waders Presently and without notice save the soft splashing of water they came wadIng down the shallows close to where we stood their great bodies dImand dim dimand dimand and dark against the frosted glass their long necks J stretched d high or grubbing Drubbing in the reeds beside them two three two One four five six j on thc they came nr Take kC the first two Til ru take the Our guns came to our shoulders In Inthe the darkness we looked rather than I sighted at the treat Creat reat birds scarce a rod awa away 7 i then then rIght right barrel left barrel left barrel barrel bar bar- rd rel f we I-we we woke the echoes of the lake and filled the air with tempestuous noises From every side she came the splash of water and the rush of wings The stillness the gentleness of the night In a moment became the wildest babel of confusion But we had no thought for that Splashing right before us were great forms flapping struggling eddying about I would have held Jean back bad but she rushed ahead of me Into the melee She had V one by the neck the theIst of killing was upon her it was a n fight to a finish Afterward we dragged them out three out three out three of them Jean declared there had been another but he managed to hide himself In the rushes lUshes Then we built a fire beside the time willow wil low and warmed ourselves Before the water water was warm warn enough for bathing I sent to Regina Hegina for a bathing suit The gaudiest thing you e hate I said and they took me at my mr word old It was a 3 great day when I 1 made my appearance In It In the evenings after a day of dust In the fields we reveled re In the cool waters of our pond Jean would race me from end to end bu but she was much too good gooda a n swimmer swim swim- timer mer for me Then came one of those rare sum summer SUlp- SUlp mer nier nights rare nights rare on the prairies prairies- when hen the air does not cool off oft with 1 1 f f r c M r J N IV i I Found the Stone With the Matches I Struck One Its Light Glowed Genially in My Face the approach of evening and all the heat of ot day seems hemmed In by black clouds crowding overhead I had gone to bed but not to sleep The far away flashing of heat lightning continuously lit my room with a vague twilight my blankets had become unbearable unbearable un un- bearable and I f t threw rew them ort oft The silence was Intense the very night seemed to brood over me j the perspiration tion stood out upon me It took me back bacle to the hot hat nights of the East Fast so little known with us and from that starting point my mind went wandering wanderIng wander wander- Ing down through old wa ways s 's down to the dam and the and the little boy and girl who were the startIng startIng starting start- start Ing point of all nIl my recollections Jean It had been then Je Jean n It was with whom all my thoughts were linked Jean was vas still sun the Innermost hope of ot my heart I had waited patiently as asI asI asI I could and the spring and summer months had seen arise between us an affection deeper vaster wider than an anything I had known In those days when we had talked of love lo together Our world had grown and we had grown with It Ours was continually the spirit of the new adventure con con- continually continually continually a faring forth Into the un un- un- un known But Hut I had not talked of love It had bad been my conception of artistry to speak no more of love daring all m my hope In the prospect that the fires which I guessed had been rekindled In Jeans Jean's heart heart would In time burst all her womanly restraint Then she would come to me Jean was big enough for tor that I had tried to to follow her In spirit through the time torment of those days after arter Spoofs spoors revelation I 1 had guessed how low hard It had been for her and I kept silence I conceived ed that that was ivas artistry But ut there must be an end some sometime time sometime time sometime soon I was not all an artist mist like Jean Artistry was my ray means to an end There must be bo an end md Which would be the be- be ginning Came a tapping on my window I sat at up quickly Frank Yes Asleep Not within miles of It Whew 1 Ever see a night like this I had I thrust my mead head through h the open ODen wic win 1 low auw uw ana IUla could see sec her form dimly outlined out out- lined hied against the night Used to be he the usual thing down out 1 East Last she answered But nut we get Iet out of ot the way nay of them here Get up and lets let's go for a swim A flash of lightning revealed her In her ber bathing suit I 1 was soon out of bed and Into mine Beat you to the other oilier end of the pond she said as we threaded our way down the well worn path You always beat me I confessed But Im I'm game Ill I'll try tr again We took the water together its comforting comforting com corn forting tide wrapped us about as we swung through It with lon long easy strokes Jean suited her pace to mine her body was a n rhythmic machine lithe supple almost serpentine in its movements mo Her hair was down When a glow of ot distant lightning f fell about us her face was Ivory white against the black water At the far end |
