The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-11-02

droop Of Der eyeiids. the brilliancy Of
her lips. made Mlriam's face q living
thing Of happiness-made Barbara's a.
lence seem even more profound. For
the latter's withdrawal from the bilar-
ity, dominated half the time by her
fathers booming bass, was nearly as
complete as that Of wickersham him
self.
Just once, shortly before they with.
drew for the night, Steve caught q
CLEAN of mischief In the dark eyes she
turned toward him. She rose the next
moment and started slowly around the
room, poking demurely into corners
and closeted hooks. Every eye was
following her when she finally found
the thing for which she was searching.
She drew q red felt. yellow noticed
cushion from beneath the deer hide
covering q chair and held II up so that
all might read. "what Is Home With.
out a Fatherr Il ran, and when the
Joy that stormed through the room
made II sure that the exhibition needed
no interpreter Fat Joe turned and hid
his face. Miriam rose languidly and
Joined the other girl in an examination
of his handiwork. Smooth face tinted
by the freight, copper hair almost dis
heveled In its disarray, she was an ex-
quisitely lovely thing. In her alto voice
she expressed her opinion.
Its an entirely new stitch to me.
Bobs." she averred. II don't think I
have ever before seen Just this method
employed" And she turned to Stephen
O'Mara. do you suppose. Mr.. O'Mara,"
she asked, "that might learn It from
the one who did this work for your
It's rather"-and her head tilted to one
side-"it's rather pretty thing"
Again they succumbed to mirth, and
then Joe rose, bristling. and went for
ward much as a gamecock might step
out to do battle. He took the cushion
from the hands Of the girls. who no
longer had strength enough even to
hold It.
"If you are aiming to do any sewing
around this camp" he stated, you can
start In sewing on buttons. This kind
Of work is entirely too nerve wearing
for amateurs"
He carried the cushion across the
room and placed 1t not where 1t had
been hidden by the deer hide, but In
colorful prominence against the back
OF the chair. Long after he had cross
ed with Steve ard Garry to their tents
he continued to explode with soft
chuckles.
~ never did say" he defended him
self, that that sentiment was strictly
appropriate. l always stated that 1t
was the best could. And as for my
II some time. You just take q needle
full OF that yellow worsted and start
tracking across a couple Of yards Of
red and painless desert and see where
you come out I know, because I've
done IT. I'm a pioneer. But II l ever
tackle another Job like that it's going
to be crazy quilt"
And Joe considered In spite Of the
din which answered him that his chal-
lenge was ample.
II was fully an hour after Fat Joe
and Garry had rolled themselves up In
their blankets when Steve. who had
elected to sit up for one last pipe even
though his body was aching with ia
tigue, heard behind him the approach
of her footsteps. Outside at the top
Of the rise some fifty yards I'm front
Of the tents he had seated himself on
q log. chin buried I'm one palm and
4 eyes vacantly steady before him. But
even before he turned. before he rose
slowly to his feet, he knew who was
coming, knew and realized that she
should not have come. Wrapped in q
long heavy coat. face half hidden by
the upturned collar. bare Of head, Bar
bara came quietly down to where he
waited. And without word Of greeting
on the part of either Of them they sat
down together. facing the silvered
bowl Of the valley.
Tine passed before Barbara opened
her lips for long. quivering intake
Of breath.
81 never dreamed It could be SO big"
she murmured In awe. And then to
think that some day-within a few
months In reality-engines will go
screeching their signals across this
very place. II doesn't seem possible;
1t seems almost shame to spoil It
too"
1--WE felt that way about 1t often"
Steve answered, almost duly. II like
1t better myself as 1t is. II does ap-
pear to be long way ahead. doesn't It
that day of completion which you
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