The Dolores star., 1918-11-15

comfortable as 1 can-particularly IL
II VIII put you to any trouble"
You're bound to scrap. eh7" be
grlnned. But 1t takes two to build a
hght' and l positively refuse to fight
with you"
lie dragged the trunk back into the
room, and came out carrying a great
armful of masculine belongings. Two
such trips he made, plling oil his things
onto chair.
| There! ~ he said at last. "That end
or the house belongs to you, little per-
son. Now, get those wet things of be-
fore you catch cold. Oh, wait a min
ute"
He disappeared into the kitchen end
OF the house. and came back with a
wash-basin and pail of water.
Your room Is now ready, madam,
an 1t please you" He bowed with
mock dignity. and went back into the
kitchen.
Hazel heard him rattling pots and
dishes, whistllng cheerfully the while.
She closed the door, and busted herself
with an inventory Of the tenderfoot
lady's trunk. In 1t she found every
thing needful for complete change, and
n variety Of garments to boot. Folded
in the bottom of the trunk was a gray
cloth skirt and short blue silk
kimono. There was q coat and skirt,
too. of brown corduroy. But the femi-
nine Instinct asserted itself, and she
laid out the gray skirt and the kimono.
For dresser Roaring Bill had fash
ioned wide shelf. and on it she found
n toilet set complete-hand mirror,
military brushes, and sundry articles,
backed with silver and engraved with
his initials. Perhaps with q spice of
malice, she put on few extra touches.
There would be some small satisfac-
tion in tantilizing Bill Wagstaff-even
If she could not help feeling that 1t
might be dangerous game. And, thus
arrayed in the weapons of her sex, she
slipped on the kimono, and went into
the living room to the cheerful glow of
the fire.
Bill remained busy in the kitchen.
Dusk fell. The CLEAN of light showed
through crack in the door. In the
big room only the fire gave battle to
the shadows. throwing n ruddy glow
Into the far corners. Presently Bill
came in with pair of candles which
he set on the mantel above the fire.
place.
"By Jove!" he said, looking down Mt
her. "You look good enough to eat I
I'm not cannibal, however" he con-
tinued hastily, when Hazel flushed.
She was not used to such plain speak
Ing. "And supper's ready. Come on I"
The table was set Moreover, to her
surprise-and yet not so greatly to her
surprise, for she was beginning to ex-
pect almost anything from this para
doxical young man-it was spread with
linen. and the cutlery was silver, the
dishes china, in contradistinction to
the tinware Of his camp outfit.
AS cook Roaring Bill Wagstaff had
no cause to be ashamed of himself, and
Hazel enjoyed the meal, particularly
since she had eaten nothing since six
In the morning. After time, when her
appetite was partially satisfied. she
took to glancing over his kitchen.
There seemed to be some adjunct of a
kitchen missing. A fire burned on
hearth similar to the one In the living
room. Pots stood about the edge Of
the fire. But there was no sign of a
stove.
Bill finished eating, and resorted to
cigarette material instead of his pipe.
"Well, little person." he said at last,
"what do you think of this joint of
mine. anyway"
'I've just been wondering" she re-
piled. II don't see any stove. yet you
have food here that looks as If it were
baked, and biscuits that must have
been cooked in an oven."
"You see no stove for the good and
sufficient reason" he returned, "that
you can't pack stove on horse-and
we're three hundred odd miles from
the end Of any wagon road. With a
Dutch oven or two-that heavy, round
iron thing you see there-I can guar
antee to cook almost anything you can
cook on stove. Anybody can II they
know how. Besides, like things bet
ter this way. II didn't, 1 suppose
I'd have a stove-and maybe a hot-wa-
ter supply. and modern plumbing. Az