Show the W a ter B e an me THE PICNIC SYNOPSIS idly fishing iler her manoo creek in fit california caleb warner civil engineer and n new icelander to la witness e so ot of the end of p cocotte pulled down by two wolfhounds wolf hounds urged on by a girl rider admiring th the s it lioun undo lie introduces Introduce a himself and learns her name Is clinton with western hospitality she invites him to the ranch to meet her father at theca the clinton inton home warner learns hla his now new friends narno name la in detty betty ile ho Is loomed wt by nor her rather father southern civil war veteran and owner ot at liar mandaj valley ile hn dells to 1 them something ot of life hla ambitions bi 11 and ills his feeling that he ha la Is desti destined tied to ta be a water deare bearer r in the he town of golden warner warnar shares h on an apart apartment with h hla his old columbia college chum ted daxter carefree froe and somewhat tome home what cisal p ate d youth only child of kits ills widowed mother who controls farally yap lly fortune at a club I 1 luncheon daxter introduces caleb to wllbur cox leading business busl man and president of the water company which supplies tho the needs nedr of golden lie ile riven given cox cot an inkling of hta his ambitions and cox impressed invites him to dinner that nir lit during dinner cox asks caleb calab to call at his bla office next day ile he docs so and cox arr arranges angon n meeting between caleb and the water companas comp anys chief engineer haxter tells caleb he Is in in difficulties with a girl mary alary Bl morgan organ coxs who insists lie ha must marry her with hinckley caleb looks looka over the water com banys source of supply the crystal cryltal springs in hermannn Her manon valley prospecting in Hon nanos valley caleb meets meats a man ievans who bonats of his ability through di v I 1 ning rods to locate water without boring CHAPTER VI continued 0 but it nent no good ho he said suddenly disconsolate cause why tho the rood good of water loss less you can use it the allo here nent thick enough to put dirt in yoro yore fingernails it grow a radish an tho the wells bo be artesian TI i r yd have to have windmills to work eal m and aft aa I 1 said they aint no silo seems like a plumb bit ot of foolishness to put water where it aint no manner 0 1 use dont it have another cigar said caleb where do you suppose nil all the water cornel coins from the welshman looked nt at him pityingly you fish that stream an see this la Is Cal ballente lente shik the stream runs runa into it like dishwater goes down lie drain wish you luck ni mister lster an thanks hanks for the lio smokes sonic some day it if you come collie this way nn nil im feelen better ill gave rl ve you a demonstration ril ill tie lie rind glad to see ace you tiny time kinder lonesome lon csomo here in tills this oven but its baling baking me back to health caleb went on upstream in a maze it seemed though ills hla yankee mind affected to scoff nt at the suggestion while it considered it as if 1 lie he had come into close touch with mystery ile ho fingered the emblem on ills his benl and smiled had the sign of the zodiac aquarius really charged bilm with destiny leading him along the trail to be the water hearer to tho the frontier city of tho sands ilek a n mile up tho the canyon front from where the gravel rond road branched off an arroyo entered from the enst through a bench that was thick furred with underbrush of desert species only a trickle of water was lit in the almost dry watercourse barely lasting to mingle with creek the place was wild enough and silent A grass grown road chose either hank bank at random fording the creek at frequent intervals lie ile found stones to keep heep tits hla feet dry as lie he crossed up the road lie he began to come across c evidences of nn an abandoned ran cli charla erla there was little left hut but the roots and a scattering of tenta tentative tivo tendilla tendrils scantily leaved ile he passed a corral no longer tenable a leanto lean to shed died without n roof a leaking flume a tumbledown tumble down wall of stone find then lie became aware award that lie he was wilk ing ng through what had been once a garden a stately garden still with a certain dignity the garden had attracted him unconsciously and lie bad left the half obliterated rond road lie ho did not go back to it but wandered on oil to the house that rose ebore the alio cypress guard calebs footsteps rang hollowly liol bol lowly as lie he passed over the flags find and in through where a door had failed us as warder ile he was beginning to people the lie plau pla u with such ghosts as lie he imagined should represent the former occupants when lie heard the high clear sound of laughter nt at the very instant that ills his nostrils conveyed to his nerves of smell thence to palate and to sto stomach so that his mouth watered and ills appetite proclaimed with no uncertainty uncertain tr the smell of broiling moat meat ills ilia hope of something from a ranch larder a glass of milk it a piece of cake or 10 p it if nothing more substantial had died with ight of tho the deserted house the tracks lie he had been trall trail I 1 roust lead too far for adra to follow uncertainly and now lie he had blunder blundered gd on to u i picnic a california victile picnic which means a barbecue cue calebs t stomach yearned rose in revolt against hla his manners and so fur far won that lie he ventured to the outer door of the arch and pieced through the laughter had ended but lie he could sear ear the chatter of young voices nien men and women hidden somewhere down oy the stream st that had bad wheeled to low flow in n front of theold house and cu aril ft I the interstices of a DY by J ALLAN DUNN author of A NM MAN TO HIS nOCK TRAIL 0 codr dold dodd ca toll tall thick mantle of wild grape flung over the armson tho the trees lit in front between house and stream there wits a smoking pit straddled by an am iron grid on which two swarthy men were turning joints of 0 moat from which caine the smell emell that had loosened oil all tho the spigots of caleba Caleb ii gastric economy one of thein looked up caleb had no time to disappear no wish once the mutual recognition lind had been made the tha cook el cocinero coci nero was waa lula luis the swinging screen creen of grapevine parted and two people cattle came through betty clinton in tier her riding togs toga and an upstanding young man in riding breeches puttees find a shirt of silken tan with it tan colored stock about his neck A tall good looking chap with it clipped yellow mustache and brown eyes good teeth displayed in a hearty laugh generally genial find and eminently well pleased with things in general the girl was laughing too laughing so heartily in silvery carillons caril lons that she stopped from sheer lack of breath and then regaining somewhat of gravity and lung power called to luls what Is it luls senorita acet eez cl at senor warner discovered upstage center peering through the postern said caleb as aa lie ile came caine out in ili response to the girls instant and cordial greeting you lire fire just in time did you iou como coma on foot how did you know we e were here mr air warner sir ir thurston tho two shook hands white warner explained the accidental happening of tits hh arrival hetty betty clinton was giving some directions to padilla Iad llla and ills his assistant come on she said sald tind meet the rest didds here this la Is my annual I 1 ak she took possession of him picnic and barbecue birthday festivity you know sho she took possession of him the man named thurston lagged behind us ua they broke through the vines and looked down upon a level bank of turf fringed with ferus ferns just above the level of the creek two girls and an older woman were aiding and directing ill the laying of a tablet by two men clinton clinton himself sat apart back to tho the bole of a n tree smoking ile he rose as caleb came caine into view and the rest looked up ill ninke make the introduction general said betty clinton you can nil all make it personal later this Is mr ir caleb warner I 1 think ive mentioned him to alt all of you and these are carmen wilson she indicated a girl with block black eyes in ili a white dress ire wearing a scarlet beret so vivid that its ita outline was fuzzy with radiance mrs henry vedder henry vedder and george brompton the meat la Is barbecued the enchiladas are at tho the height of their excellence ile be seated dad you ou at the other end sir warner next to me at my right all right padilla bring on the carne I 1 hope you brought nn an appetite with you sou mr bir warner carmen pass tho enchiladas frijoles if you like thefil better bet tir they tire lire our substitute for boston beans you sou know and the salsa ealsa mr Bro the meal mail was all animation good viands good nature and a n general bubbling over of high spirits kits bits of the talk illusions allusions chatting remarks together with little summaries supplied hini him by hetty betty clinton soon put caleb calob in possession of surface information concerning the members of the party thurston Thi irston had been a bank clerk losing his position in the merger of batile ing interests but lie he had possessed sound bound commercial faculties and bucked backed to some extent by his uncle lit he had started raisin growing in th the fresno valley now lie owned hun deeds of acres and was rated almost a millionaire soon to pass that mark henry vedder was editor of the pioneer a weekly published in golden of recognized literary merit ills wife had a leaning toward modern esthetics extending to her gown and her mode of hairdressing she apparently saw nothing except through the medium of liar her husband and she hung on tits ills every word in the attitude of one who eagerly watts waits the opportunity to encore the performance of of a favorite dramatist george Hrom Il was an artist wilo who specialized in mural work lie ile was the most diffident of all the company pill ay iy with nil an especial shyness Rhy riess toward carmen allson which that vivacious personage did not appear to regard us its the kind of tribu tribute teto to tier her charms that she preferred thurston nn nil ant betty clinton had ridden down canyon to the picnic on horseback the rest had come in a buckboard by the longer road n wagon preceding with the materials forthe for alio barbecue luts pi III llla a had come mounted the vehicles vehicle and the horses wore were stowed in the old burns barn s the alie whole party was n ing to kl el aldo in the early evening where maria was now flow preparing a bitting titting dinner for the lesta flesta of liar her young birthday you uro are to come collie too site bhe insisted to caleb ali and stay over tomorrow I 1 am not to be denied anything today and I 1 make that flint an order you need not feel that you are crowding or were not included in the original invitation vi there la Is lots of room you have made it an order said caleb that settles it i here again was a different side to i the girl lie ila thought ns as lie he listened to liar her alls talk her quick wit ile ho caught himself watching tier her closely whenever she lau laughed glied the inside of tier her mouth was as pink as aa a kittens and site sho laughed without reserve so that eliat one caught a gleam of even rows of teeth that needed no dentist backed by the rosy roay glow of health caleb enjoyed himself thoroughly the food the company the talk and the shady blindy spot beside the stream I 1 after file meat meal betty clinton proposed an excursion vedder claimed to have had an inspiration for a poem and said that lie he was going to try to r p t it on paper in the old garden ills wife was no more to be detached from him than a limpet from a rock clinton himself made the excuse that lie ho was not feeling especially energetic then mr air brompton must stay to keep you company announced carmen you and mr clinton can discuss that pioneer panel mr ir brompton she went on to caleb while brompton Il smilingly acquiesced in tho the arrangement though the smile was as won wan and lacking in warmth as a winter sun is working on a set of panels for jud judge e Heming ways new house they tire are to represent california past present and future and mr clinton Is brim full of pioneer lore arent you mr clinton it was obvious that carmen wilson intended to make the trip to the lookout a 0 foursome clinton smothered a smile brompton seemed to ile be u used sed to this sort of thing and the four started they were less than halt half way when betty clinton suddenly missed tier her camera cal 1 I have been intending to take a photograph of that view for for two t years she exclaimed the light id 1 wonderful vond erful wendell get it for me wont you well watt wait here its ita in ili the buckboard buO board under the seat thurston Tl went swinging on art on tits c errand and the three sat down to be comfortable until ills his return the change of scene seemed to have put hetty betty clinton in more serious mood 1111 have tive you found your opening yet slie site asked caleb it looks as an if carmen wilson intends to ca capture caleb does docs betty care TO CONTINUED |