Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-23
THE TANNING OF RED BUTTE
WESTERN.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
by Charles ibners
quirements of the perfect man? Yes,
is q thousand pities," he agreed

quirements of the perfect man? Yes. II
is thousand pities,' he agreed.
! No: that isn't precisely what I meant
| The pity is that l seem to you to be un
able to appreciate your many excellencies
| and yOur-constancy."
I II think you were born to torment me,
he rejoined. gloomily. why did YOU
| come out here with your father? You
must have known that I was here
Not from any line you have ever writ
otherwise l shouldn't have known"
Still you came. Why? Were YOU
crri"us?"
why should I be curious and wha,
about-the Red desert? I've seen deserts
before
II thought you might be curious tc
know what disposition the Red desert was
making OF such failure as I am he
said, evenly II can forgive that more
easily than I can forgive your bringing
Of the other man along to be an on
locker
Herbert. you mean? He is a good boy.
a nice boy-and perfectly harmless. You'll
like him immensely when you come to
know him better
You like him. he queried.
How can you ask-when you have just
called him the other man.
Lidgerwood turned in his chair and
faced her squarely.
Eleanor, / had my punishment over a
y
would let it suffice. 1t was hard enough
to lose you without being compelled to
stand by and see another man win you.
Can't YOU understand that?'
She did not answer him. Instead. she
whipped aside from that phase Of the
subject to ask question of her own.
What ever made you come out here.
Howard?"
ITO the superintendency of the Red
Butte Western? You did
'I?'
Yes. you"
1T Is ridiculous.''
1T Is true"
Prove tiff you can: but you can't"
Il am proving it day by day, or trying
to- l didn't want to come, but you drove
me to it,
Il decline to take any such hideous re-
sponsibility, she laughed. lightly. There
must have been some better reason; Miss
Dawson, perhaps"
that l didn't know there was a Miss
Dawson until 1 had been a month in
Angels
"-Oh!' she said. half spitefully And
then, with calculated malice. Howard,
if you were only as brave as you are
cIever!.s why can't you be a man
and strike back now and them
Strike back at the woman ! love? I'm
not quite down to that, I hope. even II l
was once too cowardly to strike for her.
Always that! Why won't you let me
forget?'
Because you must not forget Listen:
Two weeks ago-Only two weeks ago
one OF the Angels-er-peacemak stood
up in his place and shot at me. What 1
did made me understand that 1 had
gained nothing in a year
Shot at you?" she echoed. and now he
might have discovered a note of real con-
Germ in her tone il his ear had been at
tuned to hear 1t. Tell me about it,
Who was it-and why did he shoot at
you?"
His answer seemed to be indirection it
self.
How long do you expect to stay in
Angels and it's vicinity?" he asked
Il don't know. This Is partly pleas
ure trip for us younger folk. Father was
coming out alone and THAT is, mamma
decided to come and make a car-party
OF 1t. We may stay two or three weeks.
ii the others wish 1t. But you haven't
answered me. I want to know who the
man was and why he shot at YOU
(To be continued tomorrow)