The Red Cloud chief., 1912-01-11
Another time n was n book OI


asked.
"Oh, It's just a novel, a love-story."
She stopped. but he still stood wait.
ing, and she felt It incumbent to so on.
IT'S about n little Cockney Diapers
assistant. who takes vacation on
his bicycle, and falls in with young
girl very much above him. Her moth
er is a popular writer and all that.
And tho situation is very curious. and
to read it?"
Does he get herr" Daylight de-
| manded.
NO; that's the point of It. He
wasn't"
And he doesn't get her. and you've
read all them pages. hundreds Of them.
to find that out?" Daylight muttered in
amazement.
Miss Mason was nettled as we'll as
| amused.
But you read the mining and iinan.
cial news by the hour" she re-
torted.
But | sure get something out Of
that. It's business. and it's differ
ent get money out of it. What do
you get out of books?"
Points of view. new Ideas. life"
Not worth cent cash"
| But life's worth more than cash."
she argued.
"Oh, WE'LL" he said. with easy mas.
| culine tolerance. so long as you en-.
| JOY 1t. That's what counts. ! suppose:
and there's no accounting for taste"
Despite his own superior point OF
view. he had an idea that she knew
| n lot and he experienced a fceting
| feeling like that of barbarian face
/ to face with the evidence of some tre-
mendous culture. To Daylight cul.
| ture was worthless thing. and yet.
somehow. he was vaguely troubled by
a sense that there was more in culture
than he imagined.
Again, on her desk, In passing. he
! noticed book with which he was ia.
| nillar. This time he did not stop, for
/ he had recognized the cover. II was
n magazine correspondents book on
| the klondke, and he knew that he
and his Photograph figured in 1t, and
he knew. also. OF u certain sensational
chapter concerned with womans
/ suicide. and with one ITO Much Day.
light" After that he did not talk with
her again about books. lie imagined
what erroneous conclusions she had
drawn from that particular chapter.
and II stung him the more In that they
were undeserved. He pumped MOrri
son. the clerk. who had first to vent
| his personal grievance against Miss
Mason before he could tell What little
| he knew of her
she comes from Siskiyou County.
! She's very nice to work with in the
Office, of course. but she's rather stuck
| on herseli-cXClusive. you know"
How do you make that out?" Day.
. light quered,
We'll, she thinks too much OF
| herself TO associate with those she
works with, in the office here. for in
/ stance. she won't have anything TO
! do with fellow, you see. I've ask.
! ed her out repeatedly, to the theater
| and the chuteS ana such things But
/ nothing doing. Says she likes plenty
OF sleep. and can't stay up late, and
has to go all the way to Berkeley
! that's where she lives. But that's all
hot air She's running with the Uni.
versity boys. that's what she's doing
She needs lots of sleep. and can't go
to the theater with me, but she can
dance all hours with them. I've heard
it pretty straight that she goes to all
their hops and such things. Rather
stylish and high-toned for stenog.
rapher. Id say. And she keeps a
horse. too. She rides astride all over
those hills out there. saw her one
Sunday myself. Oh. she's a high.
flyer. and ] wonder how she does it.
SiXty'five month don't go far Then
she has sick brother. too"
Live with her people?" Daylight
asked.
NO; hasn't got any. They were
we'll to do I've heard. They must have
been. or that brother or hers couldn't
have gone to the University OF Cali.
lornia. Her father had big cattle.
ranch, but he got to foolng with mines
or something, and went broke before
he died. Her mother died long before
that. Her brother must cost a lot of
money. He was husky once. played
football. was great on hunting and be-
ing out in the mountains and such
things. He got his accident break.
ing horses. and then rheumatism or
something got into him. One leg is
shorter than the other, and withered
up some. He has to walk on crutches.
! saw her out with him once-cross.
ing the ferry. The doctors have been
experimenting on him for years. and
mes In the French Hospital now, !
think"
All Of which side-lights on Miss Ma.
son went to increase Daylight's inter
est in her. Yet, much as he desired.
he failed to get acquainted with her.
lie had thoughts OF asking her to
luncheon, but his was the innate chiv.
airy OF the frontiersman, and the
| tlOuyhtS never CANA IN apytbipu uo