Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-05-16

flee from. She bestowed q glad pres
sure on her husbands arm as they
walked up the street, Bill carrying the
sack of gold perched carelessly on one
shoulder
SAY, their enterprise has gone the
length of establishing . branch bank
here, see"
He called her attention to a square
footed edifice. its new-boarded walls
as yet guiltless of paint, except where
row of black letters set forth that
it was the Bank Of British North
America.
That's good place to stow this
bullion" he remarked. 81 want to get
1t on my hands,
So to the. bank they bent their steps.
A solemn. horse-faced Englishman
weighed the gold, and issued Bill a re-
ceipt, expressing a polite regret that
lack of facility to determine its fine
ness prevented him from converting it
into cash.
That means a trip to Vancouver"
Bill remarked outside. 'Well. we can
stand that"
From the bank they went to the
hotel, registered. and were shown to
a room. For the first time since the
summit of the K1appan Range, where
her tiny hand glass had suffered dis
aster, Hazel was permitted clear
view of herself in a mirror.
I'm a perfect fright !" she mourned.
"HuhI" Bill grunted. you're all
right. Look at me-"
The trail had dealt hardly with both,
in the matter of their personal appear
ance. Tanned to an abiding brown,
they were, and Hazel's one-time
smooth face was spotted with fly bites
and marked with certain scratches
suffered in the brush as they skirted
the Kispiox. Her hair had lost its
sleek, glossy smoothness of arrange
ment. Her hands were Redeemed and
rough. But chiefly she was concerned
with the sad state of her apparel. She
had come a matter of four hundred
miles in the clothes on her back-and
they bore uneQuivocal evidence of the
journey.
I'm a perfect fright she repeated
pettishly. zones manners, morals,
clothing, and complexion all suffer
from too close contact with your be-
loved North. BILL"
'1Thanks!" he returned shortly. 81
suppose I'm perfect fright, too. Long
hair. whiskers, grimy, calloused hands,
and all the rest of it. A shave and a
hair cut, a bath and a new suit of
clothes will remedy that. But I'll be
the same personality in every essential
quality that I was when 1 sweated
over the Klappan with hundred
pounds on my back"
81 hope so," she retorted. ST don't
require the shave, thank goodness, but
I certainly need a bath-and clothes.
r vuiSh no tHn
ably getting all moldy and moth-eaten
at the Pine River cabin. 1 wonder If
can get anything fit to wear here?"
Women live here" Bill returned
quietly, land I suppose the stores sup
ply 'em with buds. Unlimber that
bank roll of yours, and do some shop
ping"
She sat on the edge of the bed, re
garding her reflection in the mirror
with extreme disfavor. Bill fingered
his thick stubble Of a beard for
thoughtful minute. Then he sat down
beside her.
whats mollah. hon?' he wheed-
led. "What makes you such a crosser
patch all at once?"
"Oh, don't know" she answered
dolefully. I'm tired and hungry, and
I look a fright-and-oh, just every
thing"
"Tut, rut!" he demonstrated good
naturally. 'That's just mood again.
We're out of the woods, literally and
dguratively. If you're hungry, let's go
and see what we can make this hotel
produce in the way of grub. before
we do anything else"
81 wouldn't go into their dining
room looking like this for the world"
she said decisively.
All right; you go shopping, then"
he proposed, "while I take these furs
up to old Hacks place and turn them
into money. Then Wen dress, and
make this hotel feed us the best
they've got. Cheer up. Maybe it was
tough on you to slice a year out of
your life and leave 1T in a country
where there's nothing but woods and
eternal sflence-but we've got around
twenty thousand dollars to show for
1t, Hazel And one can't get some
thing for nothing. There's a price
mark on 1t somewhere, always. Be
my good little pal-and see IL you can't
make one Of these stores dig up a
white waist and black skirt, like you
had on the first time saw you"
He kissed her, and went quickly out.
AND after long time of sober staring
at her image in the glass Hazel shook
herself fmpatiently.
I'm silly, selfish, Incompetent lit
tie beast" she whispered "Biu ought
to thump me. instead of being kind.
l can't do anything. and 1 don't know