The Irish standard., 1916-03-11

Gerry did not let his curiosity carry
him beyond rapid glance around the
great iving-room where they found
! Lieber, bathed and freshly dressed.
experimenting the making Of ice in
the latest ingenious contrivance for
the pampering Of the pioneer. "1ce
water in the desert" thought Gerry
and the phrase seemed to him more
than words-it seemed to paint Lie.
Der dimly, but as the mind saw him.
The veranda at Lieber's was like
that Of Fazenda Flores only much big
ger. 1t looked out upon wide stretch
of desert but away at the rim of the
desert one could feel the river. The
roar Of the falls mumbled in the ear,
1t came from so far away that one
had to strain ones ears to actually
define it. After supper they gathered
on the veranda. They sat in rude, raw.
hide chairs which We're comfortably
strong and tilted them back to the
national angle. Lleber and Gerry
smoked corn-husk cigarettes but Kemp
stuck to his yellow papers. Gerry did
! not want to talk. He sat where he
could watch the strange pair whose
companion he was for a night. Into
the souls Of Lieber and Kemp the long
silences Of solitude had entered and
become at home. They were patient
of silence. Speech had its restricted
uses. They still had their hats on.
Lieber's was pushed back, Kemn's
was drawn forward. Kemp was whit
ting. Kemp's words of farewell came
back to Gerry, cts long trail from
the Alamo to New York, but the whole
country's under one fence" Texan.
Pennsylvania Dutchman and New
Yorker might be social poles but to-
night they seemed strangely near to
leach other.
The next morning Gerry was up ear
~, nervous after his first nights alb
sence from Fazenda Flores. Kemp
watched him saddle his horse. "That
amt one of the f1ve," he remarked.
"No." said Gerry. 81 traded the
roam for the iron-gray. Do you think
was done?"
II amt sayin'." said Kemp cautious
~. Il don't want You should think
was teachin' you, Mr.. lansing. but
that boss amt no iron-gray. There
amt no such color for boss as I ever
heern tell on. That boss is a blue an
he's true blue"
GAIL right, Kemp" said Gerry, smil-
ing. you've named him true blue and
True Blue he is from this day."
Lieber came out in pyiamas and
called them for coffee. When they
were seated he proposed to Kemp that
he make his headquarters at the ranch
for while. The advantages were evi.
dent. 1t was congregating point for
the natives from miles round. Cont
skins came into Liebcr's from hun
dreds of miles up country. They came
singly, in donkey loads or in whole
packtrains. Sometimes they passed
directly into his hands from the pro-
Queer; sometimes they ran through a
chain of transfers, from hand to hand.
All news centered at and radiated
from Lieber's. The same men that
brought in goatskins would he glad to
add orchids to their stock in trade.
Kemp grunted his thanks. He had
waited two years for this offer. The
realization of the obligation Lieber
was putting him under embarrassed
him. He began to talk. "rhese greas-
ers," he said, "take lot o. teachin'
sometimes, an sometimes they don't.
FIR instance, you can tell 'em that Cat
tleyas are wo'th money and that the
rest O. their parasites amt, md after
they seen you throw Bu'lin'tonias an
Oncidiums an Miltonias into the dis
card TO- three months steady, they be-
gin to sober down to jest Cattleyas nd
realize that it's no use holdin' four
flush against a workin' pair"
At the scientific names dropping so
anonymously from Kemp's lips. Ger
~ stopped eating and looked up. Lie
ber's face wore the smile of one who
had heard 1t before but is quite will
Ing to hear 1t all over again.
"But," continued Kemp, "yo' en-
pull till you're bin an you can't head
'em around to see that onless Cattle
va has eight leaves. it's too young to
be packed an no good to the market
besides bein' victim to race suicide.
Gas to their bringin' in Bu'ln'tonins
an Oncidiums an Miltonias, I never
get Impatient O. that. How en- greas-
er ever learn that a Miltonia Specta-
bills Moreliana that looks like pigeons
blood in purple shadow amt COM
mercial proposition while the Cattle
vas is? When he's In the woods an
a smell straight fin heaven draps its
rope on him an he looks up. an sees
a droopin' spike o snow, how you go
in to teach him that Bu'lin'tonia
Fragrans amt just as good business
as Labiata?
"Time was when orchids was an
ambition; now thcy's jest a business.
In Eurup, it's some different. They's
collectors hankcrin' after new varie-
ties an houses that keeps men lookin'
for 'em but in America, you max me,
If an orchid don't make up well on
the missus' bodice or on the table, 1t
amt business; an they's few million
children CROWN up to the idea that If
1t Amt a Cattcya 1t amt an orchid"
Kemp came to himself, blushed and
hurried out as If on urgent business.
Lieber looked at Gerry's thoughtful
face and smiled. Who'd have thought
he'd ever talk that way in daylight?'