The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-09-06

t'tl SHlhS A'liiHtS, Silt' lltuSii
Dear, honest old hearr
Times y cried Mrs Hardin.
She turned to find that the guest
was staring mt her She had not heard
his effort to include her in the con
versation.
Mr.. Richard asked you If you ike
! 1t here?'
THANK you-why, of course I" Her
answer sounded pert to herself.
Her sister-in-law FASTENED to add
that Miss Hardin was very lonely, was
really all alone in the world; that they
! insisted on her making her home with
| them.
lnncS had with difficulty restrained
a denial. After al. what other home
| had she? Still the truth had been de
| flected. She recalled the sacrifice il
| had been to cut her college course in
order to make n home in the desert
| for the brother who had always 50
gently fathered her, who had helped
her invest her small capital that it
might spell n small income She re-
]
called in n mortgage; who could watch
that mad scapegoat Of river playing
| FRANKS with desert homes and not
| yearn to hello? Not Hardin. She
| still gloried in remembering that she
had ut least driven one pile into that
rebellious stream, even If when she
left the valley it would be as a bread
winner. She was prepared She was
| a good craftsman; she would go as
an apprentice In an architects office
She had already settled on the archi-
tect
Are you going to Los Angeles
soon2" She heard the new manager
address his host.
I'm taking ORDERS,
There was another awkward mo.
ment when Hardin pushed back his
plate declaring he had reached his
| limit; 1t was too big a spread for him
1t was the stupid rudeness of the
small bad boy; even Innes flushed for
her sister-in-law.
With resolution Gerry assumed con.
| troll of the conversation. Her role
| sounded casual; no one could have
suspected it Of frequent rehearsal
They must not talk of the river; that
was taboo Railroad matters were
also excluded. Equally difficult
would be "reminiscences of Lawrence
days. So she began brightly with q
current book. The theater proved q
safe topic. and by that natural route
| they reached New York Innes, who
had never been farther east than Chi
cago, was grateful to play audience
| Hardin, who knew his New York per-
haps better than either. refused to be
drawn into the gentle stream.
Things must be kept sprightly. Had
Mr.. Richard met many of the valley
people? And It was then that she
threw her bomb toward the listening
silent Hardins. She would like Mr.
Richard to meet some of their friends
He said that he would be delighted
but that he was planning to leave
shortly for the Heading.
"Of course She did not give her
husband time to speak. She meant
afterward! She was planning to give
something bit novel In his honor
| She refused to see the glare from the
angry man In his outgrOwn dinner
coat. She did not glance toward the
sister. What did Mr.. Richard think
about progressive rider
at sounds very entertaining. but
what do you dor
There was loud guffaw from Tom
With deepened color Gerty told her
idea. A drive. changing partners. sc
he could meet all the guests.
II think 1t will surprise you to find
20 many nice people In here; 1t GER
tainly did me. One doesn't expect tc
find congenial people In new country
like this"
Richard remembered that he had
to get back to his hotel. He had let
ters to write. 1t had been splendid
dinner! And what wonderful home
she had made out of Standardized lot
out of a tent! He spoke Of the roses
and the morning glOries. His eyes
| fell on the open piano, the reading
table with the current magazines
Now he couldn't understand why they
ever went to that hotel!
Gerty's eyes were shining as deer
pools Of water on which the sun plays
She looked almost infantile as she
stood by the two tall men, her head
perched birdlike. 'Good-by! and
hope you'll come again y
| Of course he'd come again
"And you will let me know when
you return, so that | may set the date
for my party?'
Innes did not get his answer. She
had been observing that he was not
taller than her brother He looked
taller. He was lean, and Tom was
growing stocky. She wished he would
not SLOUGH so. his hands in his peck
etsl In Tucson, before she knew that
she must dislike Richard, she had hao
an impression of virile distinction, OF
grace. q suggestion of mastered mus
cles. He had known that it was hei
brother he was supplanting-did he
get any satisfaction from the fact that
II was the husband of the woman who
had Tilted him? Anyway. she did not
| like him. She could never forgive 6
hurt that was done to her own. She
was a Hardin.
"Innes! Mr.. Richard said goot