The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-03-11
CHAPTER KILL.
Camp-for-the.Ntoht

We'll, gents!' the driver Observed
cheerfully, Withdrawing head and
hands from long and intimate COM
munion with the stubborn genius be-
meath the hood. II reckon you.all
mays we'll make up yore minds to
christen this hyeh salubrious spot
Camp-for-the Night. You won't be
goin' no fa~rtheh-not just t present.
Pulling this old wagon through them
desert sands back yondeh has just
naturally broke the heart of that en-
gine!"
What, precisely, is the troublo?"
Alan Law inquired, rousing from anx-
ious p~reoccupation.
plumb bust all to hell" the chauf-
feur explained tersely.
Nothing could be fairer, more ex-
act and comprehensive than that"
Tom Barcus commented.
Law nodded a head too weary to
respond to the others humor. His
worried eyes reviewed the scene of
the breakdown.
What's to be done?" Mr.. Law won.
dered aloud.
Take 1t calm" the affable chauffeur
advised. "Frettin' won't get you-all
nothin'. If 1t was me. I'd call 1t a
day, make a fire, get them cushions
out of the cyah, and get some rest.
You can't do nothin' till l get back,
anyway, and that won't be much be-
fore sunup."
Where are you going?" Barcus de-
manded.
"Walkin', friend; just walkin'-"
What for?"
ITO fetch help-leastways, onless
yo've got some kick comm and I'D
ruther stop hyeh permanent"
He turned off and busted himself
with preparations against his journey.
ITS simply things like this make
me believe this isn't, after all, moth
ing more nor less than a long-drawn-
out nightmare" Barcus observed pen
sively.
But Mr.. Law was no more attend
ing: he had turned away and was just
then standing by the running board Of
the motor car and civilly explaining
to Miss Judith Urine the purpose of
the chauffeur's expedition.
Discovery Of this circumstance
worked a deep wrinkle between the
brows as we'll as into the humor of
Mr.. Barcus.
Here, he promised himself, was q
situation to titillate the Comic Muse
itself. He pointed out in turn the sew
eral component parts: the motor car
derelict In the hollow Of those awful
and silent hills-for all the world like
a mous petrified with fright at finding
itself in the midst Of a herd of ele-
plants; In the car, that aged
MAC, Mr.. Seneca Urine, author of all
their o and misadventures, gnash-
ing his teeth in impotent rage to find
himself in close juxtaposition to and
helpless to injure the man for whose
life he lusted with an insatiate pas.
sion: the latter standing outside the
car, in polite conversation with Mr..
Trine's mutinous Judith-talking to
her In the friendliest fashion imag-
AAoOic, pAcCAccly do IL Suo udu Aob
fallen little short of comprising his
death, not once, but half a dozen
times: Judith herself poised on the
running-board and smiling down at
her victim with q warmth patiently
even more than the warmth of friend
ship; and at some little distance, Rose,
Mr.. Laws nancee and Judith's sister.
eating her heart out with jealousy of
this n~ew-sprung intimacy between her
sister and her lover!
bad business. my friend!" Barcus
mentally a~postrophized the unwilling
Alan Law.
He interrupted himself to nod know
ingly and with profound conviction:
Il knew it. Now II begins again."
For Rose had abruptly taken a hand
IN the affair. q gesture of evaporation
prefacing her call: "Alan!"
To her Mr.. Law turned instanti;J.
with such alacrity that none who
watched might doubt which Of the two
women came FIRST in his esteem.
Nor was this wasted upon the under.
standing Of Judith. Eyeing her a
rowly though furtiyely. Mr.. Barcus