Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-02-15
CHAPTER v.
A Game Of Checkers.

Gdme OF SneCkerS.
The uneasy mood of the desert, the
wind-blown sand, drove people indoors
the next morning. Rickard was served
substantial, indlfferently cooked
breakfast In the dining room Of the
Desert hotel, whose limitations were
as conspicuous to the newcomer as
they were nonexistent to the other
men. They were finding 1t soft con-
trast to sand-blown tents, to life in the
open.
Later he wandered through the
group of staring idlers In the Office,
past the popular soda stand and the
few chalr-tilters on the sidewalk, go
ing on, as IL without purpose, to the
railroad sheds, and then on, down to
the Offices Of the Desert Reclamation
company. He discovered 1t to be the
one engaging spot in the hastily
thrown-together town. There were
0leanders, rose and white, blooming In
the patch of purple blooming alfalfa
that stood for lawn. Morning glories
clambered over the supports of the
veranda, and on over the roof. Rick
ards deductions led him to the Har-
dins.
What school Of experience had so
changed the awkward country fellow?
He had resented his rivalry, not that
ha xyac a rival hrt that ha ,.za. :, t,oo,.
His kisses still warm on her lips, and
she had turned to welcome, to coquet
with Tom Hardin The woman who
was to be his wife must be steadler
than that II had cooled his fever.
Not for him the aspen who could
shake and bend her pretty boughs to
each rough breeze that blewl
Men tossed into a desert, fighting to
keep a foothold do not garland their
offices with morning glories Was 1t
the gracious quiet influence of wife,
a Gerty Hardin? The festive build
Ing he was approaching was as unex-
pected-as Captain Brandon! Rickard
walked on, smiling.
He was fairly blown into the outer
room, the door banging behind him.
Every one looked up at the noisy inter-
rupHon. There were several men in
the long room. Among them two alert,
clean-faced youths, college graduates,
or students out on furlough, the kind
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of stuff In his class at Lawrence. Three
of the seasoned, r0ad-coached type
We're leaning their chairs against the
cool thick walls. One was putting at
II cigar. The other, big, shy giant,
was drawing clouds Of comfort from
pipe. There was n telegraph operator
at work In one end Of the room her
instrument rapidly clicking. In an OPP
p0site corner was telephone ex-
change A girl with metal band
around her forehead was punching
connections between the valley towns.
Rlckard lost the feeling of having
gone into a remote and isolated re-
glon. The twin towns were on the
map.
One of the older men returned his
nod. The young men returned their
hastily withdrawn attention to their
game OF checkers. The other smoker
was watching with cross-eyed absorp-
tlon the rings his cigar was sending
into the air. Rickard might not have
been there.
One Of the checker players looked
up.
Anything l can 10 for you? Do you
want to see anyone In particularY"
"No," II was admitted. "No one In
particular. | was just looking round"
'It's the show place of Calexico I'll
take you around. II Is the only place
In town that is comfortable when it's
hot. or when the wind blows. and
that's the program all summer. Take
my place, Pete"
Pete, the young giant, with the face
of his infancy enlarged rather than
slipped into the vacant chair.
He had been the first to discover the
stranger, but he had evaded the re-
sponslbilty. The game Immediately
absorbed him.
Its nice here" repeated the young
fellow. leading the way. They were
by a few idle glances.
Rickard looked with approval at the
tan slim figure which was assuming
the courtesy of the towns. The fine
face was almost too glrlish,
the muscles of the mouth too sensitive |
yet for manly beauty, but he liked the |
type. 1.-the as young desert-reared ]
Indian. his manner and carriage told !