Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-11

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And because he did not know how
b frame a refusal that would refuse,
Smith got his coat and went.
Given his choice between the two,
Smith would cheerfully have faced
another hand-to-hand battle with the
claim jumpers In preference to even
20 mild dip into the former things
as the dinner at Hillcrest foreshad-
owed The reluctance was not forced {;
u was real. The primitive man in him
did not wish to be entertained. On
the fast auto drive down to Brewster,
across the bridge. and out to the Bald
win ranch, Smiths humor was frankly
sardonic. He cherished a small hope
that Mrs. Baldwin might be shocked
ct the soft shirt and the khaki. It
would serve her right for taking man
from his job.
At the stonepfllared portal be got
out to open the gates. Down the
road horse was coming at smart
gallop, the rider, Corona Baldwin,
booted and spurred and riding mans
saddle.
4 Smith let the gray car go on its
way up tho drive without him.
$50 you weakened. did your I'm
disappointed In you" was Miss Bald
wins greeting. you've made me lose
my bet With colonel-daddy. said you
wouldn't come"
Il had no business to come" he an
swered morosely. But your father
wouldn't let me OF"
"Of course he wouldn't; daddy never
lets anybody of. unless they owe him
money. Where are your evening
clothes r.
Smith let the lever of moroseness
slip back to the grinning notch. "They
are about two thousand miles away,
and probably In some secondhand
shop BY this time. What makes you
think ever wore . dress suitr" He
had closed the gates and was walking
beside her horse up the driveway.
"Oh, Just guessed it." she returned
lightly, sand If you1l hold your breath,
I'll guess again.
Don't" he laughed.
At the steps . negro stableboy was
waiting to take Miss Baldwin's horse.
Smith knew how to help a woman
down from q side-saddIe; but the two
stirruped rig stumped him. The young
woman laughed as she swung out Of
her saddle to stand beside him.
'The women don't ride that way In
your part Of the country7" she queried.
Not yet"
I'm sorry for them." she scored
An6(1en: s'Come ON m and meet mann
ma you look d II ron were dreading
Il. and, colonel-daddy says. It's always
best TO have the dreaded things over
with"
Smith did not flnd his meeting with
the daughters mother much Of trial.
She was neither shocked at his clothes
nor disposed to be Historically CRATE
full over the railroad-crossing incident.
A large, calm-eyed. sensible matron,
some ten or q dozen years younger
than the colonel, Smith put her, and
With an air Of refinement which was
reflected in every interior detail Of
her house.
The dinner was strictly family
meal, with the great mahogany table
shortened to make It convenient for
four. There were cut glass and silver
and snowy napery. Out Of the past a
Thousand tentacles were reaching up
to drag Smith back into the net Of the
conventional. When the table-talk be-
csme general, he found himself joining
in. and always upon the lighter side.
he found himself drawn more and
more to the calm-eyed, well-bred ma
tron who had given piquant Corona
10 an otherwise commonplace world.
Mrs. Baldwin saw nothing Of the
rude fighter Of battles her daughter
had drawn for her, and wondered q
little. She knew Corona's leaninss.
and was not without an amused i'm
preston that Corona would not find
this later Smithsonian phase altogether
to her liking.
Smith got what he had earned, good
measure, pressed down, shaken to-
gether and running over, few min
utes after Mrs. Baldwin had left him
to finish his cigar under the pillared
portico with Corona to keep him COM
pany. He never knew just what start
ed II, unless 1t was his careful plae-
ing Of chair for the young woman
and his deferential-and perfectly
natural pause, standing, until she
was seated.
ado, for PHYS sake, sit DOWN. she
broke out half petulantly. And when
he had obeyed: 'Well, you've spoiled
1t all. good and hard"
Smith was unable to imagine where
IN he had offended.
aReailyi" he said. what have I
ione7'
4 ut isn't what you've done; it's what
You are" she retorted. "You have
committed the objectionable sin by
turning out to be just one Of the
ninety-nine, after all. If you knew
WOMEN tie least St little bit in the world,
ycu would know that we are always
looking for the hundredth man."
Under HIS smile, Smith was begin
Ming to understand what this aston
ishingly frank young woman meant.
she had seen his relapse, and was
calmly dertding him for 1t.
se esYnn NAV pile 1t on as thickly as
Sou please" he said, the good-natured
smile twisting itself into the constrrc-
u u - oa,,np Urin sT,hon with malice