The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-06-07


enemy. No witnesses could be found
10 throw any more light on the Inquiry
F. than the barn boss himself. And Dc
Spain made only pretense OF formal
] investigation. II he had hnd any
doubts about the origin Of the fire they
would have been resolved by an anony.
nous scrnwl, sent through the mnil,
promising more II he didn't get out Of
the country.
hut instead OF getting out OF the
country, De Spain continued ms a mnt.
ter OF energetic policy to get into IT,
lie rode the deserts stripped, so to say
for action and walked the streets OF
Sleepy Ont welcoming every chance to
meet mon from Music mountain or the
Silks. II was on Nan that the real
hnrdships Of the situation fell, and
Nan who had TO bear them alone and
almost unaided.
Duke came home n day or two later
without a word for Nan concerning his
encounter with De Spain. He was
shorter In the grain than ever, crustier
10 everyone than she had ever known
hlm-and toward Nan herself fiercely
resentful. Sassoon was In his com
pany great deal, and Nan knew OF
old that sassoon was bad symptom.
Gale too, came often. aud 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. Bonitn told him Duke /
had gone to Calabasas. Gale an /
nounced he was bound for Calabasas /
himself and dlsmounted near Nan.
professediy 20 clneh his saddle. He
FUSED with the straps for minute,
trying To engage Nun Ia the Interval,
without success, IN conversation. Look
here, Nan" he said at length, studious-
~ amlGble, don't you think you're
pretty hard on me. lnteiyT
mo, | 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"
u don't think when fellow cares
for you as much as do, and gets out
OF patience once In while, Just be-
cause he loves girl the way red.
blooded man can't help loving her, she
ought to hold Il against him forever.
Think she ought TO, NanY" he demand
ed after pause, She was sewing and
kept silence.
II think" she responded, showing
her aversion in every syllable before
4 man begins TO talk red-blood rot, he
ought 10 end out whether the girl cares
'or him, or just loathes the sight Of
aim"
He regarded her flxedly. Paying no
attention TO him, but bending In the :
over her sewing, her hand hy. !
ng with the needle, her masses Of ,
'rown hair sweeping back around her !
link ears aud curling In stray ringlets
hat the wind danced with while she
worked she lnhumed her bruwny cous,
MS ardor nfresh, you used to care h
or me. Nan. You can't deny that" !
Ter silence was Irritating. "Can your" !
Ia demanded Come, put up your
york and talk Il out. l didn't use TO +
ave 10 coax you for word aud a |
mile. What's come over your" |
Nothing has ccme over me. Gale. |
Ia use TO like you--whea | first came |
ack from school. You seemed So big |
nd fine then, and were SO nice to me.
dld Ike you"
why didn't you keep on liking meT' |
Nan made no answer. Her cousin T
erslsted. "lOu used 10 talk about I
linking the world OF me, she said at /
,st then | saw you one Frontier day. |
ding around Sleepy Cat with car I
Hge fun OF women"
Gale burst into huge laugh. Mans
ace flushed She bent over her work. T
Oh, that's what's the matter with you, |
itT' he demanded jncularly. 'You
ever mentioned that before"
'That isn't the only thing" she CON L
nued after pause.
why, that was just soue Frontier
ny fun. Nan. A mans got to be lit
e bit Of sport once In while, hasn't Il
sr H
''Nct II he likes me-" She spoke with III
D omlnous dlstiuctness, but under he, II.
-eath. He caught her words and VI
ughed again. "Pshaw, | didn't think II
,u'd get jealous over a little thing [
Se that, Nan. When there's a cele-
alton on in town, everybody's friend
with everybody else. II you lay a VI
tile thing like that up against me. nd
here would the rest OF the men get NJ
z? Your strawberry-faced Medicine di
end friend is celebrating in town re
ost Of the time" IA
Her face turned white. HWhat a CT
lsehOOdi z" she exclaimed hotly. Look to
g az her, satisfied, he laughed whole tn
.artedly again. She rose, furious. in
rs a falsehood." she repeated, "and az
know It." Sc
Il suppose" retorted Gale, regarding tn
r loosely. you asked him about 1t"
He had never seen her so angry. She til
amped her foot. "How dare you say tn
ch a thing One of those women an
as at the hospItal-she Is there yet, to
ID she Is hng to die there. She told ST.