The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-04-28
CHAPTER Xxx.
Gale Persists.

Joined Nan, tense with suspense anu
anxiety, at the hospital, she tried nard
to read his news in his face.
"Have you seen him?" she asked
eagerly. De Spain nodded. what
ioes he say?"
Nothing very reasonable"
Her face fell. II knew he wouldn't.
Tell me all about it, Henry-every-
hing"
She listened keenly to each word. De
Spain gave her pretty accurate re-
.ital of the interview, and Mans appre-
tension grew with her hearing of it.
II knew it," she repeated with con-
fiction. II know him better than YOU
Know him. What shall we do?"
De Spain took both her hands. He
leld them against his breast and stood
ooking into her eyes. When he re.
sarueu ner III sucn q way her dous,ts
and fears seemed mean and trivial. He
spoke only one word, but there was
world of confidence in his tone:
"Stick."
She arched her brows as she re-
turned his gaze, and with little trou.
bled laugh drew closer. "Stick, Man,"
he repeated. ut will come out all
right"
She paused moment. GLOW can you
known
II know because it's got to. talked
1t all over with my best friend in Medi'
cine Bend, the other day."
"Who, Henry?"
"Whispering Smith. He laughed at
your uncle's opposing us. He said If
your uncle only knew it, it's the best
thing that could happen for him. And
he said If all the marriages opposed
by old folks had been stopped, there
wouldn't be young folks enough left
to milk the cows"
'Henry, what is this report about the
Calabasas barns burning?"
1.-THE old Number One barn is gone
and some Of the old stages. We didn't
lose any horses, and the other barns
are all right. Some Of our Calabasas
or gap friends, probably. No matter,
we'll get them all rounded up after q
while, Nan. Then, some fine day,
we're going to get married"
De Spain rode that night to Gala
basas to look into the story Of the fire.
McAlpin, swathed in bandages, made
no bones about accusing the common
enemy. No witnesses could be found
to throw any more light on the inquiry
than the barn boss himself. And De
Spain made only pretense of 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 u mat.
ter Of energetic policy to get into it.
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
hardships 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 f1ercely
resentful. SassoOn was in his com.
pany great deal, and Nan knew Of
old that SassOOn was 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.
nounced he was bound for Calabasas
himself, and dismounted near Nan,
professedly to cinch his saddle. He
fused with the straps for q minute,
trying to engage Nan in the interval,
without success, in conversation. "Look
here, Man," he said at length, studious.
Iy amiable, "don't you think you're
pretty hard on me, lately?"
"No, 1 DON'T" she answered. IT
Uncle Duke didn't make me, I'd never
look at you, or speak to you-or live
In the same mountains with you"
II 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 a red.
blooded man can't help loving her, she
ought to hold it 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
q 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 f1xedly. Paying no
attention to him, but bending in the
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