Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1917-06-07


Spain made only pretense of IA formal
Investigation. If he had had any
doubts about the origin of the fire they
would have been resolved by an anony- /
nous scrawl, sent through the mail,
promising more If he didn't get out of /
the country.
But instead OF getting out of the /
country. De Spain continued as mat
ter of energetic policy to get into il.
He rode the deserts stripped, so TO say.
for action and walked the streets of
Sleepy Cat welcoming every chance TO
meet men from Music mountain or the
sinks. 1t was on Nan that the real
hardshlps of the situation fell, and
Nan who had to bear them alone and
almost-unaided.
Duke came home day or two later
without word for Nan concerning his
encounter with De Spain. He was
shorter in the grain than ever, crustier
to everyone than she had ever known
him-and toward Nan herself tiercely
resentful. Sassoon was in his COM
pany great deal, and Nan knew OF
old that Sassoon was a bad symptom.
Gale, too, came often. and the three
were much together. In some way,
Nan felt that she herself was in part
the subject OF their talks. but no infor-
nation concerning them could she ever
get.
One morning she sat on the porch
sewing when Gale rode up. He asked
for her uncle. Bonita told him Duke
had gone to Calabasas. Gale an
ounced he was bound for Calabasas
himself, and dismounted near Nan,
professedly TO cinch his saddle. He
fused with the straps for minute.
trying to engage Nan In the interval.
without success. in conversation. Look
here Nan" he said at length. studious-
ly amiable, don't you think you're
pretty hard on me, lately?"
mo, l don't" she answered. IF
Uncle Duke didn't make me, I'd never
look at you. or speak to you-or live
In the same mountains with you"
81 don't think when a fellow cares
for you as much as / do, and gets out
of patience once in a while, just be-
cause he loves a girl the way red
blooded man can't help loving her, She
ought 10 hold 1t against him forever.
Think she ought to. Nan?" he demand
ed after pause. She was sewing and
kept silence.
Il think" she responded, showing
her aversion in every syllable, before
a man begins to talk red-blood rot, he
ought to find out whether the girl cares
for him, or just loathes the sight of
him."
He regarded her fixedly. Paying no
attention to him, but bending in the
sunshine over her sewing, her hand fly
Ing with the needle, her masses Of
brown hair sweeping back around her
pink ears and curling In stray rlnglets
that the wind danced with while she
worked, she infiamed her brawny cOus-
ms ardor afresh. "You used to care
for me- Nan. You can't deny that"
Her silence was irritating. Can your"
he demanded. Come, put up your
work and talk it out. 1 didn't use TO
have to coax you for a word and q
smile. What's come over you?"
Nothing has come over me- Gale.
did use to like you-when 1 first came
back from school. You seemed so big
and fine then, and were so nice to me
l did like you"
"Why didn't you keep on liking me?'
Nan made no answer. Her cousin
persisted. You used to talk about
thinking the world of me-" she said al
last; then l saw you one Frontier day
riding around Sleepy Cat with car
riage full of women"
Gale burst into a huge laugh. Nam:
face flushed. She bent over her work
"Oh, that's what's the matter with you
is it?" he demanded jocularly. "YoI
never mentioned that before"
; THAT isn't the only thing" she con
/ tinued after a pause.
/: "Why, that was just some Frontfe
day fun, Nan. A mans got to be lit
tie bit of a sport once IN a while, hasn'
: her"
y mot If he likes me-" She spoke witt
| an ominous distinctness, but under he
breath. He caught her words an,
] laughed again. "Pshaw, / didn't thinl
you'd get jealous over a little thin
d like that, Nan. When there's q cele
/ bration on In town. everybody's friend
ly with everybody else. If you lay
little thing like that up against me
It wnere would the rest of the men ge
u on? Your strawberry-faced Medicin
;. Bend friend is celebrating in tow
q most of the time"
Her face turned white. what
. falsehood !" she exclaimed holly. Look
1 Ing at her, satisfied, he laughed whole
heartedly again. She rose, furious
10 ITS falsehood," she repeated, IAN
| know it,
e II suppose" retorted Gale, regardin
t her loosely. "you asked him about it.
IS He had never seen her so angry. Sh
Is stamped her foot. "How dare you sa
r, such thing One of those wome
a was at the hospital-she is there ye
y, and she Is going to die there. She tol
Uncle Dukes nurse the men they knew
a. and whom they didn't know, at tina
place. And Henry de Spain, when h
e heard this miserable creature had bee