The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-06-07

back on him. He sat up suddenly
No. he had gone back on II. He had
gone back on himself He had gone
back on Dede She was right. thou
sand times right. and she had sense
enough TO know II. sense enough TO
refuse TO marry a money-slave with a
whisky-rotted carcass.
He got out of bed and looked at
himself In the long mirror on the
wardrobe door. He wasn't pretty. The
old.time lean cheeks were gene. These
were heavy. seeming 10 hang down by
their own weight He looked for tho
lines OF cruelty Dede had spoken OF.
and he found them. and he found the
harshness In the eyes as well. the
eyes that were muddy now after all
the cocktails of the night before. and
Of the months and years before He
looked at the clearly defined pouches
that showed Epder his eyes. and they
shocked him. He rolled up the sleeve
of his patanas. No wonder the ham
mer.thrower had put his hand down.
Those weren't -zrScscA A rising tide
of fat had submerged them. He
stripped of the pajama coat. Again
he was shocked. this time by ths bulk
OF his body. II wasn't pretty. The
lean stomach had become a paunch.
The rigid muscles OF chest and shoul.
ders and abdomen had broken down
into rolls OF flesh. And this was age.
Then there drifted across the field OF
vision OF his minds eve the old man
he had encountered at Glen Ellen.
coming up the hillside through the
fires OF sunset, white-headed and
white-bearded. eighty.four. in his hand
the pail Of foamng milk and In his
face all the warm glow and content
Of the passing summer day. That had
been age. YES stree. eighty.four. and
spryer than most" he could hear the
old man say.
Next he remembered Ferguson. the
little man who had scuttled into the
road like rabbit. the one-time man.
aging editor Of great newspaper.
who was content 20 live In the chapar.
raj along with his spring OF mountain
water and his hand.reared and mani.
cured fruit trees. Ferguson had solved
problem. A weakling and an alco-
holic, he had run away from the doc
tors and the chicken.coop OF a city.
and soaked up health like a thirsty
sponge. He sat down suddenly on the
bed. startled by the greatness OF the
idea that had come to him. He did
not sit long. His mind working in its
customary way. like a steel trap. can.
yassed the idea in air its bearings. Il
was big-bigger than anything he had
faced before. And he faced II square.
ly. picked II up in his two hands and
turned Il over and around and looked
at IT, The simplicity OF II delighted
him. He chuckled over II. reached his
decision. and began to dress. Midway
In the dressing he stopped in order to
use the telephone.
Dede was the first he called I'D.
Don't come to the Office this morn.
ing" he said. I'm coming out TO see
you for moment"
He called up others. He ordered
his motor-car. To Jones he gave in.
structions for the forwarding of Bob
and Wolf to Glen Ellen. Hogan he
surprised by asking him To look up
the deed OF the Glen Ellen ranch and
make out new one in Dede Mason's
name "Who?" Hogan demanded.
"Dede Mason" Daylight replied i'm.
perturbably-"the phone must be in.
distinct this morning. D-e-d-e Mason.
Got ~"
Hall IN hour later he was flying out
TO berkeley. And for the first time
the big red car halted directly before
the house. Dede offered to receive
him In the parlor. but he shook his
head and nodded toward her rooma
I'm there" he said. mo other place
would suit"
As the door closed. his arms went
ont and around her. Then he stood
with his hands on her shoulders ana
looking down into her face.
CTo BE CoNTlNuEDS