Show r a PER ap EDNAH AIKEN j S Q Z CV cunti 1 ll 11 buiu ua last tures were ere more definite could time eni perance pledge la Is ept better in this town own than any other town in the valley but you can seo see this procession every night the amazon with a handkerchief apron brought richcard Ric icard his soup ile he was raising his first spoonful to his mouth when he saw the face carefully he saw the face carefully Care tully averted averted of the girl he had met at the y Mars balls table innes hardin hie 1118 J eyes jumped to her companions the fiew F an a stranger and then gerty 11 11 at least mra airs hardin I 1 somehow him to find her pretty prett ty she had achieved a variety of distinction preserving moreover r the clear cut babyish chin which I 1 ind had mail anada its early appeal to him there was the same fluffy hair its ringlets rin gleta a bit artificial to his more sophisticated eyes tho the same well turned nose ile he had been wondering about this meeting ho he found that lie he had been expecting some sort of shock who said that tile the love of today la Is ohp jest of tomorrow the discovery that gerty was not a jest brought the surprised gratification which we award a letter or composition written in our youth were wo we as clever as that so complete nt at eighteen or twenty one could we now with all our experience do any better or indeed as well that particular sentence with wings 1 could we make it fly today as it soared yesterday rickard was finding that gertys more maturo mature charms did not accelerate his heartbeats heart beats bents but they were certainly flattering to his early judgment and he had bad expected her to bo be a shock I 1 lie he was staring into ills his pinto of chilled calf love I 1 for he had loved her or fit at least he had loved her chin her pretty childish way of lifting it she was prettier than lie he had pictured her queer that a man like hardin could draw such women for sister and wife the blood tie was the most amazing for afien women come to marry they make often laqueer choice it occurred to him that that might have been he had bad not wanted to stare nt at them that was not Har hardyns hardins dins face it held strength and power the outline was waa sharp and distinct showing the strong lines the determined mouth of the pioneer there was something else something which stood tor for distinction no it ho he hardin and then because an lip changed the entire took look of the man rickard asked his table companions who was the man with tho the two ladles ladies near the door that sub buh hi his neighbor from alabama bama became immediately oratorical that Is a big man suh still if the imperial valley ever eer becomes a reality a it will be because of that one man suh sub reclamation Is like a seed thrown on a rock will it stick will it take root will it grow that Is ina what we nil all wont want to know thought that lie he had wanted to know something quite different and reminded the gentleman from alabama that lie he had not told him the biame the father of this valley alley v of the reclamation of this desert thomas hardin suh suha rickard tiled to reset without attracting tr their attention the group of nis impressions of the man whose personality sona lity had been so obnoxious to him film in ID the old lawrence lays days the hardin he had known had dilso large fea features turus but of the flaccid irritating order ile he summoned n picture of alardin as lie he lind had shuffled into his own classroom or up to the long table where here gerty had find always it among tier her mothers boarders boar dera ile he could seo see tho the rough unpolished poll shed boots that had bad always offended him as aa a betrayal betray nl of tho the mans fans inner coarseness tho the badly fitting coat the long awkward arms and tho satis aed loud mouth mout the bring these changes had lie clinti changed ged like alko that had they seen him would gerty would hardin remember him film it tits his place to make himself known wave the lag flag of old friendship over tin nn awkward situation lie ile found himself standing in front of their table encountering first the eyes of Har hardyns hardins dins sister there was no surprise no welcome there for him ile iio felt at once the hostility of tho the caknip ills ance was uncomfortably warm then the childish profile turned on him A look of bewilderment flushing into greeting the years had been kind to gerty holmos holmes 1 do you remember me rickard if hardin recognized a situation lie he did not betray betany it it was a man rickard did not know who shook him warmly by the hand and said that indeed ho he had not forgotten him ive been expecting you my wife mr rickard and my aster 11 why what are you thinking of tom to introduce mr I 1 introduced you to t ench each other years ngo agol I 1 gertys clie cheeks red her bright eyes were darting from one to tho the other you knew lie was coming and did not tell me you were at the improvement club when the telegram came caine put in innes hardin without looking tit no trace of the tucson cordiality in that proud little fecel bacel no acknowledgment that they had met tit it tile the marshalls marchalls Mar I 1 oh you telegraphed to us tho the blond arch smile had not aged that way friendly and nice alls had not been self conscious for intine a year ue ile did not know w ahat I 1 nit to say ile he turned from her upturned face to the others innes hardin was staring out or of tile the window ov r the heads of lit several crowded tables hardin was gazing at his plate Iti rickard clard decided that ho he would get out of this before gerty discovered that it was neither friendly nor nice if I 1 had known that you were here I 1 would have insisted an on your dining with us in our tent for its terrible here it she flashed at him the look lie he remembered so vividly the childish coquettish appeal we dine at homo home till it becomes tiresome ind and then we come foraging for variety dut but you must come to us say thursday Is that right for you we should love it still those two averted faces rick urd said thursday na as he wits was bidden or ond I 1 got hack back to tits his table wondering why in thunder he had let marshall per gunde bunde him to take this job hardin waited a scant minute to protest what possessed you to ask him to to dinner 7 why 17 I 1 he Is an old friend gerty caught a glance of ap peal from sister to brother jealous she pouted charmingly at her lord jealous no I 1 bluffed hardin ile he thought then that she knew that innes had told her the lawrence ept yode sode held no sting i him once it had enchanter enchanted him that lie he had carried olt off the boardinghouse boarding house belle whom even that bookman had found desirable bookman A superior dudel ile he had always had those grand airs As it it were not more to a mans credit to struggle for ills his education even if he were older than tits his class or his teacher than to accept it off silver plates handed by lackeys rickard had always acted as if it had been something to be ashamed of it made him sick done it this time its a foot fool choice again that look of pleading from innes gerty had a shiver of intuition fool choice her voice was ominously calm hardin shook oft innes eyes better be done with it I 1 iles hes the new general manager iles hos the general mana manager manageri gerl 1 im to take orders from him gertys silence was of the stunned variety the Ilar hardyns dIns watched tier her crumbling bread on tile the tablecloth thinking fearfully that she was going to cry I 1 tell you her voice repressed carried the threat of tears I 1 tell you how it would he be I 1 say that be sorry ir if you yes called the rall railroad rond in must we go over this again asked tier her husband why you tell mel me why did you let me make a goose of myself she was remembering that flint there had been no protest no surprise from innes n es she knewl A family secret sho she shrugged im glad gand on the whole that you planned it as a surprise for 1 I 1 carried it off ns it if wed not been insulted disgraced gerty Ger tyl 1 ex postulated hardin Ger gerty tyl 1 implored innes aud we are in for or a nice friendly dinner I 1 are you quite finished On ishel hardin rorup As the alie three passed butof the dining room rickard their several PT r pres flar dint stiff indifferent bertys liler tys brilliant but hard us its sin she 1 hushed 1 it finished brave little smile in ills direction tho the sisters bow was ans distinctly haughty in tho the hall gertys laugh rippled out it vas tile the laugh anin li rickard rement remembered the light frivolous which recalled tile the flamboyant pattern ot of the IIo lines parlor carpet the long loiis crowded dining table where gerty had anul reigned it told him that site sho was waa in tiff terent to ills his coming us its she bhe meant it should and it turned him hack back to a lark dark corner li in the honeysuckle draped porch where lie he lind spent so BO many evenings with herA where once lie had held tier her hand where lie told her that lie loved tier her for lie he had I 1 oved loved tier lier or tit it least lie he thought lie find I 1 and had run inday from tier her ex eyes A end cad was lie he because he had brought that will ting look into tier her eyes und tind had and run from it should it n man ask a n woman to give her life into ills his keeping until ho la is quite sure that hat lie ho wants it lit lie was revamping ills worn defense should ho he live up to it minute of surrender of tenderness it if tile tho next instant brings sanity and disillusionment ile ho could bury now forever self reproach lie ile could lough laugh lit at his own vanity gerty hardin it was easy to see had forgotten what ho he lind had whispered to gerty holmes olmes II they met na as sober old friends that ghost was laid continued next issue |