Mexico Missouri message., 1916-04-13

would have been no boy" He paused.
Somehow" he went on, 81 don't be-
lieve Margarita would have chosen to
have things different She got her Jour
d'extase and died before 1t was over.
IL don't think we need be sorry for
her why didn't you go away on the
boat?"
II don't know" said Gerry. 81 tried
to, but l couldn't. just buried her
and the boy last night l couldn't run
away like that, as though 1t were all
over. or course know it is all over,
but when one falls an endless depth in
sleep and suddenly wakes in n cold
sweat it takes time for the mind to
catch its balance. It's that way with
me. I've fallen from a height I've
walked to a cold sweat. must take
time to get the balance Of life and get
1t right You can't hurry over these
transitions, because somehow it
wouldn't be decent"
Lieber nodded "You don't feel like
riding back with me?' he asked hest
tatingly.
Gerry shook his head. "NO," he said.
81 can't do that. I'm just going to sit
here and wait for a while and then I'm
going home: There's something I've
got to straighten out. After that, 1
don't know. But there's something I
wish you'd do for me. Lieber and that
Is to look after old DOna Maria and
those two old darkies at Fazenda Flo
res. They won't last long, any OF
them, and / don't want them to lack
for anything. I'll square up with you"
Lieber nodded listlessly. "I'll look
out for them"
The next morning early Gerry saw
him OF. There was a wistful look in
the old mans eyes as from the top
of the cliff he turned and gazed down
the river. "Lieber," said Gerry, "you
can count on me TO do what 1 can for
you when l get home. Do you under
standT
Lieber flushed. Their eyes met He
took Gerry's outstretched hand and
gripped it hard. Then he rode away
without word.
Lieber threw his horse into a rapid
rack that was faster than a gallop. 1t
was killing pace, but he knew the
mettle of his mount. Late in the after
noon he came to the confines OF his
ranch. The broad-eaved house in the
distance looked very still ana deserted.
Beyond 1t loOmed the solitary joa tree.
Something had happened to the joa
tree during the two days he had been
| away. 1t had become a beacon. He
remembered the giant BOugainvillea
vine that covered the tree The Bou-
gainvillea had blOomed into a tower
of mauve flame. 1t stood out in dar-
ing contrast to somber desert and
brown-tiled roofs. Its single, defiant
and blaring note struck an answering
| chord in Lieber's heart. He took cOur-
age of that brave burst of color, so
Jarring in garden, but in a desert a
thing of glory. Lieber passed into the
loneliness of his deserted house with
firm step.
Gerry spent many days at Piranhas
as he had planned in thought. He
went over his life in a painstaking
retrospectiOn. His mind fingered long
on the last three years, their fullness,
| their even upward trend. Could a man
live three such years and lose them ?
In n ghastly half hour the food had
wiped out the tangible results of
three years of labor. But what about
the intangible? He had slnned against
| Alix and against her faith, but had he
| slnned against himself? He felt inf.
nitely older than the first Gerry Ian
sing, but would he change this think
Ing age for his unthinking youth
What If he had learned three years
ago that AliX had saved herself and
his name? Would it have meant loss
or gain to him today? Something
within him cried, Loss! Lossw but
he dared not take courage from the in
ward cry. He could not know, he rea-
soned, until ne had seen Alix.
Twice, three times, the little stern
wheeler drove her nose into the mud
bank at Piranhas, called her hoarse
warming and departed. From some dis
tant cliff Gerry saw her come and go,
or. miles away, walking himself tired
across the desert, heard her throaty
siren cry and did not heed 1t.