The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-06-21
CHAPTER VII.
Under the Veneer.


An hour later lines, blinking from
the sun, stepped into the tent, which
had been partitioned with rough red
wood boards into a bed chamber on
the right, a combination dining room
and "parlor" on the left. Her glance
Immediately segregated the three
stalks Of pink geraniums In the center
of the Mexican drawn-work cloth that
covered the table. Gerty, herself, In
fresh pink Bingham frock, was dancing
around the table to the tune Of forks
and spoons. 1t was just like Gerty to
dress up to her setting, even though 1t
were only a pitiful water-starved bou-
Quet. She had often tried to analyZe
her sister-in-law's hold on her brother !;
certainly they were not happy. Was 1t
because she made him comfortable?
Was II the little air Of formality, or
mystery. which she drew around her?
Her rooms when lines was allowed to
enter them were always fiawless !:
Gerty took deep pride in her house
keeping Why was II, Innes wondered.
that she could never shake of her sus-
picion of an underlying untidiness
There was always a closed door on
Gerty's processes.
May / help?" The sun was still
following the room to her.
"Hello| Hardin looked up from
the couch where he was lying. Innes
suspected 1t Of being a frequent re
treat. She had found 1t tumbled once
when she ran over early. 1t was then
that Gerry made II understood that she
liked more Formally. lines was rare
ly in that tent except for meals now
or during her alternating week OF
house chores.
81 was afraid l was late" said the
girl.
Lunch will be ready In a few min
utes," announced Gerty Hardin. won
you sit down? There's the new Jour
nal. Sam came to clean this morning
and l couldn't get to the lunch unit
an hour ago"
lines. settling herself by the readin,
table, caught herself observing that 1
would not have taken her an hour I,
look so inviting! II Gerty's domesti
machinery was complicated and pri
vate. the results always were admir-
} able. The early tomatoes were peele'
as well as sliced, and were lying on
bed OF cracked Ice. The ripe blacl
olives were resting In n lake of Call
, fornia olive oil. A bowl Of crisp lei
J tuce had been iced and carefully dried
, The bread was cut In precise triangles
the butter had been shaved into fol-
eign-looking roses. A pitcher of tn
! valleys favorite beverage. iced ties
} stood by Hardn's plate. There was
platter of cold meats.
: 1t came home to lines for the hur
; dredth time, the surprise of such
, meal In that desert. A few years age
and what had a meal been? She threv
: the credit of the little lunch TO sulk
Tom Hardin lying on the portiereco'
! cred couch, his ugly lower lip on
E thrust against an unsmiling vision.
/ was Tom, Tom and his brave men, IN
sturdy engineers, the dauntless SUI
: veyors. the Indians who had dug tn
5 canals. those were the ones who ha
y spread that pretty table, not the buxol
y little woman darting about in pin
I Bingham.
as 1t because l don't like herT' 81
; unused, her eyes on the pictures In II
e style book which had just come in tn,
: morning. Certainly Gerty did have Il
e patience OF saint with Toms h
e mors. II she would only lose that S,
d look Of martyrdom! 1t was not for a
$ outsider TO judge between a husbar
and wife, even IL the man were h
e own brother. She could not put h,
r finger on the germ Of their paint
}. scenes; she shrank from the recolle