Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-03
1OM F - 4
THE NOVEL OF THE YEAR eSssSaSg7sstAS 9SG SSGEoggsA @Fl

] ,h.errlingled and held. Each made to
',D nc other an unspoken promise
| ,i, NEXT morning the priest left them
"s"in. ne held his weight almost jauntilv
ol on, tne ambling mule. His wide-brirnmed.
oroi Icai nat was pushed back to the verge
si,,,to5 '', ana the great umbrella was
sialteu TO meet the level rays OF tho
rISIhs sun. Priest and mule combined 10
| s.Ne ,iie Impression OF a sea-golnE tub
| TISBeu IN rakish, joyous lines The priest
| was JuDilant. He had married the lovers
anu carried with him the documents for
IeBlslry. Gerry walked beside the mule
as iar as the bridge. There the tub
mt 1utneu laooriously and its convoy with il.
lhe Two men looked over the valley
ana smiled. The valley smiled back.
Aslready 1t was robed in widespread
lush or Green. The priest nodded slow
ly' 1t is good" he said. Farewell
my SON and he turned to sail ponder
ously out into the barren lands of cactus
and thorn.
Gerry watched him out of sight and
theh turned to his work of filling tho
soil. He cut the best of the cane and
bonlIacio planted the joints at a slant
with knowing hand. He sorted the hollis
OIL cotton The women studied the fiber
anu When 1t was long, silky and tough
they picked out the seeds with care and
noarded them, for their time was not vet.
one duty urged another. The days passed
rapidly.
One morning Gerry looked I'm from, bis
iapor to find mounted figure lust behind
MN. An elderly man OF florid face sat n
festlVe stallion of Arab strain. The
stranger note was opulence. From his
Panama hat, thin and light MS paper.
TO MS silver spurs and the silver-rnounted
harness of his horse, wealth marked him.
lie was dressed in white linen and his
rrt1 ..i.I
RUSSIAN leather stood out from the white
clothes and the whittier sheep's fleece that
served as saddle CLOTH with telling effect
IN MS hands was n silver-mounted raw
hide quirt His face was grave, his ewes
blue and kindly.
AS Gerry looked at him he spoke, "I'm
l'ieber from up the river. Father Matthias
told me about you"
Gerry started at the familiar English
and frowncd. At the frown the strangers
eyes shifted 81 didn't come down here
to bother you" he went on hastily
Rather Matthias told me about the green
grass and | couldn't keep away. I've got
cattle and horses up my way and they're
dying-starvng. l came down to make n
deal. I've picked out n hundred and
twenty head with blood in 'em-horses and
cattle. If you'll take em and feed 'em
through to the rains I'll give you ten out
of the hundred. Some are too far gone
to save, I'm afraid"
Gerry looked ut his tiny plantations.
which showed up meanly In the great
expanse of waste pasture. "I'm sorry"
he said "but I'm afraid l can't. You see
l can't afford to fence"
Lieber looked around and nodded.
That's all right" he said. 'I've got
lot of old wire that's no use to me and n
lot of loafers to tear 1t down and put it
up. I'll fence as much pasture as you
say and throw in the fencing on the deal"
That's mighty fair" said Gerry; "I'll
take you" He dropped his hoe. Wont
you come down to the house and have n
bite to eat?" He turned and Lieber
started to follow. by the way" said
Gerry over his shoulder, you're not a
German, are your
Lieber stopped his horse. His eyes wav-
cred. No" he said shortly, I'm not.
I'm an American. After all, 1 don't think
/ ought to waste any time. Hours tell
with starving stock. I'll get back in a
hurry, If you don't mind, My men and
the wire will be here Just that much
sooner"
Gerry frowned again, but this time at
himself He felt that he had stepped on
another mans corns while defending his
own. "All right Mr.. Liebcr," he said.
"The sooner the better. I'll do all I can
to help"