Show r ur es by RICHARD HOFFMANN H cop right by d W NEI service SYNOPSIS following his lachert lat hert criticism of his idle life and withdrawal 0 of eRs si stance istance ila hal ireland son of a wealthy althy banker Is practically without funds but with the promise ot of a situation 1 in san francisco which he must reach from new york ho he takes passage with a cross country auto party on a share expense basis other members of t the he party include an attractive girl barry trafford middle gred giles kerrigan sister anastasia Anast asla 0 a nun and an individual whom he ln in ively dislikes martin crack barrys reticence annoys him to kerrigan he be takes at once but he distrusts crack he finds his intimacy with kerrigan ripening and makes a little progress with barry through a misunderstanding at a stopping place ila hal Is directed to barrys room instead of his own and they exchange kisses next day he tells her he loves her she ILa answers that she love him without giving any reason crack brutally insults kerrigan ila hal forces him to apologize abjectly and his feeling of disgust toward crack Is intensified on his insistence barry tells hal that at her fathers urging she had married a man many years older than she and had promised her father on his deathbed to stick to her husband no matter what happened for ten years that was four years ago and despite her knowledge of her husbands unworthiness she Is determined to keep her promise though admitting her love lov 3 for or ital hal CHAPTER VII continued 16 come on she said lets stretch our legs lets see wyoming lady have you ever had a good look at my legs kerrigan asked as a question of grave scholarship no of 0 course not I 1 beg pardon the point Is past stretching take my young friend ireland with you but let me have him back in good condition and mind your pup coyote sll lead a do dog till hes bes tired and then turn on him 1 I wish come said barry 1 I wish I 1 would said kerrigan but I 1 wont ill sit here thinking of old old brandy and ill be younger hen you come back be off if you run into IIo Ho styles send me a line by one of era cm and ill be at your side in a twinkling say an hour and a half at the top of a little ridge to the westward from which they could look flown down the road where waited and see across to the mountain range rane behind which the sun would set they slowed their pace and stopped riot not a long walk sala said barry long elou enough h said hal rattlesnakes oh gosh not really said barry 1110 moving to him ile he watched her without stirring his arms smiling a little at her and to himself self no he said 1 I just wanted you to come where I 1 could touch you and then show you I 1 im proud of keeping my promise you must ask me why im so strong there wag a memory of solemn alarm under her smile why are you the said dutifully she sat down fac facing ing the west her legs doubled and one inn firm shoulder hunched where she against her arm because he be said stretching himself before her because youve drawn your tour loveliness up into a kind of royalty that makes you more beautiful than I 1 thought even you could be because you have a pride and purity in III your eye 4 that goes as far above the e world as that peace that makes sister ster anastasia beautiful and yet your bravery Is warm and living you doat ont turn your back on life and YOU yon cant turn your back on the most thing ive known in life illy y fantastic desires for you for the beauty behind your eyes for the beauty she he turned from her lonely looking into to the west glanced from his mouth to 10 his eyes with that awed still con wn atlon and an d said hal not darling w well ell have to go back and beca because use hal went on to orrow ule nothing you can put against fini can S stop aitor me nothing there ive ni dished shed A and ana id you vou can run witch watch the you vou can run witch watch the atren burp tco rost th in and implacability coming into n every minute of my promise ilal her er hat she sald said hopelessly stripping that from the golden luxuriance ran 11 tt of her h simply back from om the round again a aln forehead role head she faced the west chest the and watched it trying its far distance stance 4 eyes with the sorrow of her then artap she turned to him hi and sald said y what I 1 about socks S k ss your ag he h sald said hal al tits look laughing the them gl alced ced bt at them what about af IV e got or 0 things to wash out to 8 g whenever we get anywhere 1 1 I 1 f youve got any things l V t nan tor youre certainly not going to wash my socks said hal she seemed to straighten a little in defense as she said and why not why d n it ali all because it you were ill III barry interrupted would you let anybody else take care of you if I 1 could I 1 shine your shoes because youre plenty strong enough to do it for yourself but for the love of mike why I 1 do washing for you it if you youve ve got things that need it Is it beneath me or something you shine my shoes if I 1 asked you to of course well then perhaps you know you wear woolen socks and woolen socks shrink if not carefully done 1 I know that said hal tell me more id tell you 3 lots more said barry it ir try to see my meaning and remember it barry ayou think I 1 forget anything you say anything even the first word yo you u said to me years ago 1 10 when you used to make me mad well what lid did I 1 say to you first said barry challenge cheering her eyes ll 11 you tou said we were standing in that pi place ace wherever it was you know that place and you said no signals oft off we were in the car and you said it my cigarette that burned your coat barry chuckled at him slowly and huskily with her head a little back and her firm white throat full close mr ireland close im glad you remembered I 1 used to watch you being made road mad by me and love it and jor sn x v 14 11 I 1 ag 06 1 Y 1 l te f t t I 1 she gave her soft laugh and relaxed against hal now she said her voice touching the edge of sorrow then evading it in a little sigh how bow im asking you to let me wash your socks 0 0 the sun set in bold steady red a short ledge of cloud fastened across it and the whole dry spread of the land the tawny tufted sweep of plain ground the rust and gray and emery stripes of strata under the flat terraces of rock the high heavy mountain peaks piled beyond all came by a soft purple clarity as if they stood in tinted water hal and barry had risen to watch the silent glory of the colors she with her back against him and her hands clasped over his the slow rhythm of her breathing under his she too took a fal faltering breath and let reluctantly and hal his mouth it go fragrant thicket of near car the faintly ila half if curls whispered what she slip turned her head to look at his she slip turned her head to her looking ing lips then up at his eyes intimate expectant then sh she e stood away from him and returned to the fading colors of the western sky Il beauty she sali said I 1 p beauty to last forever in a tew few minutes ile he pressed her b hand and before he let watching her 1 I spose while we it go can find the way weld wed better go back well never have he be said some day to with go back bach a limber bending of her body hat and it swung her up picked she as they between them in her hand started down but kerrigan was arranging cool it deaice desiccated abed brush and nd a few fence posts for a fire when they came to the car III hi there he said comfortably as if they had kept house together for a long time got the sun put away all right yes Y L s said hal very prettily too the fire for coln to have a ba blizzard lz zard no said kerrigan just like to attract attention lon ap seen any to attract said hal dut but you know your publicity out here better than I 1 do there was a pleasant murmur of welcome as barry got into the car where the others still waited hal with a strange assured feeling of peace upon him looked up at the first clear riding stars and breathed his bis chest slowly full lord its good he be said to kerri gan you dve told me id like wyoming with the star scattered night complete and the fire going they they made a thin supper from mrs airs Pul oranges the popcorn which she ordered john to une un cache ache and some aerated fruit drops drop from a bag in ker rigans pocket the atmosphere was subdued quiet tile the voices not quite tentative but variously respectful as if some one were asleep nearby and each time john after a silence wondered where that mr crack was ila hal felt the peace upon his blood freshly a peace assured of strength of barrys nearness and of his final coming to her after the term of his promise those in the car got out to stretch and stroll briefly and look 1001 up into the night and past ten when john save gave a yawn that echoed in the shameless cavern of his mouth mrs Puh ipher suggested sleep she and sister anastasia tasia disposed themselves in the back seat while john cramped his gaunt lankiness in the front and barry hal and kerrigan sat along the running board watching batchin the birz fire and talking listen said barry suddenly interrupting her own speech doc raised his head for a grunt sniffing ing there comes somebody they listened A coyote the pale pretty ghost of a guilty do dog passed on the edge of the gloom beyond the fire and barrys hand came to rest on hals knee it Is somebody kerrigan muttered in a moment looking at his watch hes been long enough its eleven impulsively hal said its not crack and wondered why he was so coolly sure carry barry looked around at him sl slowly bwy solemnly how ayou know she said ila hal moved a little inside his clothes feel like him he said ile he gave a short uneasy laugh of deprecation the footfalls made by heavy stiff soled shoes brought their slovenly beat nearer and stopped hal got up and walked around the car A broad glow as from a white and distant fire was spread in the east where the moon would come but he could see no one down the road evening evenin he called into the dark E Eve venial eventa came a cracked voice after an interval you the folks got the fire I 1 seen it from a way back and come to see what was goin on he clumped up to the fire a tall ratty man no hat on his tangled hair shirt dirtily open at his throat blue jeans cut off about three inches above tile the tops of his veteran cow boots nis his g grinning lips were stained at the corners and his bright empty eyes watched the fire not any of the three who were near it you y folks stranded ey he said cheerily in a minute looks it said kerrigan 1 I run into some folks last year was stran stranded ded he said over vother side seems like im alwa always Ys into folks stranded lie ile grinned happily fit at the tire fire did nt see a fella go out to the highway highe ay and get a lift into town d did id you hal said late this afternoon to what town the man said absently any town said hal no said the man last week I 1 seen a feller get a lift out on the road coln west he was put I 1 mind these other folks was stranded there over side I 1 come on one of em dr drinkle drin inkyu klu water out of a little crick we got I 1 says to him hows it taste an lie he says good an I 1 says 1 good im ilin glad an he says why an I 1 told him why lie ile laughed silently without looking nt at any of them bliem why said barry in calm ln interest terest Ai lilii cause I 1 found one 0 my sheep alyin drown ded up the crick where he be was drinkin drink ln an I 1 wanted how it tasted did you tell him that said kerrigan 1 I told him said the man ile he like alk e it youre a sheepherder said herrl gan 1 I am said the man with a quick nod of pride only I 1 aint lus jus now I 1 been fired he nodded again his stained mouth open 1 I live over side there in the shed by the old south corral an when I 1 feel like it some day ill tear it down you tear it down said rigan make era em sore said the man you can have anything you want u up P there if you want to tear the shack down ill help you mighty nice of you said kerrigan but I 1 guess well just sit here for a while the man watched the fire a little longer then lie he turned and grinned at kerrigan and said well I 1 guess id aughta get back moons comin up tip well good night to you said kerrigan good night said the man and abruptly started clumping away again the late moon float floated up clear and brilliant to pale the stars with its grai gray blue dusk and they moved from the running board nearer the fire to watch that bright drifting youre at liberty kerrigan said to barry to lean against my friend ireland and have a nap she gave her soft laugh and relaxed against dinst hal as if shed been waiting for Ker rigans permission her hair touched his cheek as she settled her head to his shoulder she look looked ed up at him in sleepy comfort saying too heavy then pressed closer to him and closed her eyes and in the naturalness ur of that hal was near believing in he had dreamt the obstacles to th their cir united fortune her trapped allegiance legi ance to that man that husband was too grotesque a sacrilege the slow moon marked the movi moving of the night across the sky and hl hal and kerrigan sat together in it b by y barrys sleeping kept silences that wei were e broken only by the soft settling sound of the fire or murmured of things not so much satisfying in them selves as in the fact that they spoke of them here every so often hal looted looked down at barrys face lier her dark lashes laid in a little radiant fringe on each smooth cheek her vital lips at rest tog together ge ther her breathing gentle and oblivious of care and once when kerrigan happened to glance at him as he looked up they smiled at each other as if she somehow belonged to both of them TO BE CONTINUED |