Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-12-14

to see You $3.50 well. I'm making bis
cults for supper-that Is, Eve jest been
practieing until now. Ii seemed a. though
I'd forgotten something that was necessary
to the recipe, because they were fla.ter
after they were Z akei than when | put
them III the oven. "a most marveloasiy
heavy too. but i was just the baking
that was al. Do you--do YOU
think you'd care TO helpf"
Steve was very late in returning to camp
that night. Throughout the rest OF the al
%ternoon be set himself a pace knee deep in
slushy mud which Garry could not have
maintained. But when he paused III the
dark where he always stopped for a NOM
ent and q tumult OF voices swept down to
meet him he forgot his fatigue. He had
lifted his battered hat from his head,
striving TO distinguish a single note in all
that treble Of girlish laughter, when, fran
ed suddenly against the background of
light within, he saw a slender silhouette
take up il station IN the door frame. Bar
bara was still peering out across the dark
ness when he came up 10 her.
We've been waiting dinner for you for
almost an hour she rebuked him in place
of what might nave been Il commonplace
greeting. We've been waiting in the face
Of Mr.. Morgan's insistence that il was
practically useless. He has been telling
Us that when a man here in the hills fails
to turn up for a meal you never bother to
look for him. You know that the worst
has happened
Over her head the first eyes that Steve
encountered that evening were those OF
Archibald Wickersham. While shaking
hands with the girl be bowed in grave wei
come TO the tall figure in leather puttees
and whipcord riding brooches, and Wicker
sham from the far side 81 the room bowed
back in equal gravity. Then Caleb Hunter
grasped Steve'a elbow and spun him
around toward the light and pcered AT him
accusingly. Barbara had not noticed un-
I'll then how tired Steve looked.
Before the others get to talking said
Caleb, "before the tide grows too strong
for my weak voice, young man, ] want To
| deliver 4 message. Miss Sarah wants il
explicitly understood that unless YOU stop
in to say hello on your next trip down she
herself will take the trail up here. And
lest that u~ltimatum sound too little threat
ening | might add that when Miss Sarah
takes the trail she never travels with less
THAI siI trunks"
Caleb ciurg - tightly to his arm that i
brought a tin.r Of color 10 Steve's cheeks.
1t was minutes before hc could get away to
change his wet clothes, and IN that minute
or two he could not help but contrast. grim
Is, his own mud despatched attire with that
Of Archie Wirkersham. The tired blue CIR
Giles beneath his eyes were even more no.
ticeable when he returned. to BE- ushered
with much ceremony by Fat Joe to the head
of the table.
II was an utterly irresponsible gathering
that leaned over the red table cloth that
night-an oddly assorted group which from
the very first Joe realized was not at all TO
Wickersham's liking. Dexter Allison HIM
self. fairly radiating good will. sat at the
foot of the table. with his son-in-law 10 he
on one side and Barbara's little maid, &C.
ellie. Oh the other. And between CecIlc and
Barbara. who sat opposite Garry and Mir
lam. Fat joe leaned both elbows upon the
table edge aud ~monopolized the conversa-
ton. The seating arrangement was Joe's;
it was his party. And the absolute mat
tention 10 detail, the large indifference 20
veracitv which his discourse disclosed he
fore that noisy supper was over. grew ~
he an astonishing thing. His flights OF
fancv left Steve aghast IN more than one
instance: thew even forced a stiff smile to
Wicker-ham's lips. and that j. saying much
for Joe's success a. an entertainer. tor IN
the bearing Of those two men toward each
other there had been evident from the first
\ chill antipathy which amounted actually
TO armed truce. And the color IN Mir
Jams cheeks. whenever his gaze strayed 10
that side Of the table helped Steve to for
get, temporarily. much that he found no:
pleasant To recall at all.
For Miriam's tongue was no less ire
sponsible than was Joe's. Her mood was
20 mercurial that she drew time and again
the eyes Of, all al the table. She chatted
with an abandon that scandalized Bar
bara: broke in and interrupted every srgu-
ment with hoyGenish trivialities. IN one
breath, 10 appeal 10 Garry. the nett for
refutation. Aud Garry, the light tonrued
and quick witted, sat almost dumb Of lip
before her happy carruiity. But his eyes
never left her; they spoke hi thoughts
aloud. The quick lit and droop of her
cvelidS. the ~hrilliancy Of her lips. made
Miriam's face a living thing Of happiness-
made Barbara's silence seem even more