New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-04-04
CHAPTER VIl--Continued.

s.
The WinlStOrm the previous Wccl
mad made n sickcning devastation %
ner labors. The morning %glories alone
were scatheless. A pink oleandr
dropped many broken branches from
which miracles of perfect flowers were
unfolding. The pretticst blossom II
Hardin was the gardener herself. Sh'
was vivid from eager toll. Hardin
!ooked at her approximately. lie like
her khaki suit, simple as Il uniform
With its flowing black tie and leather
Oelt. She looked more like herself to
lay. She had hlcnched out, in Tucson
She had been letting herself get too
tanned, running around without hats
Sunburn paled The value of those
splendid eyes of hers. He could always
ease her by likening them to topnz"s.
His eyes ran over the pink and pur
,le lines Of cord-trained vines which
made floral screens for her tent. Free
If the strings overhead, they riOted
over the ramada. the second roof, of
living boughS. He acknowledged their
1eauty. They gave grace to bare ne
:essity; they denied the painting,
thirsty desert just beyond.
de remembered his own ramuda.
ierty had hated it, had complained of
t so bitterly when she ann hOme
from New York that he had had it
pulled down and replaced by a V roof
Of pine boards. glaring and ugly. Gerty
vas satisfied. for 1t was clean; she no
longer felt that she lived in Il squaw
touse. Let the Indians have ramndas ;
there WAS no earthly reason she should.
He had urged that the desert jewellers
had valuable hints to give them. But
what was n remada to him, or anything
else? Hardin turned to leave.
She did not want him to 90 so 500
She pointed out II new vine to him.
She had brought 1t from Tucson
"Kudzu." they called it; a Japanese
vine. And there was another broken
rose, quite beyond the help of stripped
handkerchiefs and mesquit spllnts.
He followed her around the tent, her
prattle falling from his grim mood. He
was not thinking Of her flowers except
as n hooking parallel. The desert
storm had made a havoc of his garden
II sorry botch of his life. He and
lnnes had been trying to make II gar
den out of a desert the desert hud
fOuted them. 1t was not his fault.
Something had happened; something
quite beyond his power. Luck was
turning against him.
Innes. why. she vas playing as with
a toy. 1t was the natural instinct Of Il
woman to make things pretty around
her. But he had sacrificed his youth,
his chances. His domestic life, too
he should never have carried a dainty
little woman like Gerry into the des-
ert. lie had never reproached her for
leaving him. ever last time when he
thought 1t was for good. The word
his wound. Whose good? His
or Gerty's? Somehow, though they
wrangled. he always knew it would
out all right life would run
smoothly when they left the desert.
But things were getting worse; his
mouth %puckered over some recollec-
Yet he loved Gerty he couldn't
life without her. He decided
that 1t was because there had never
been anyone else. Most fellows had
had sweethearts before they married;
he had not, nor II mistress when she
eft him, though God knows, it would
nave been easy enough. His mouth
ELL into sardonic lines. Those half
breed women No one, even when a
iiVorce had hung over him. oh. ne
Knew what their friends made of each
If Gerty's heightened flights: he knew,
But that had been spared him, that
yulgar grisly spectacle of modern life
two people who have been lovers
'rag the carcass of their love over the
,rilny floor OF n curious gaping court.
lie shuddered. Gerty loved him. Else.
Why had she come back to him? WHY
lad h not kept her threat when he
to abandon his desert project
nd turn his abilities into q more
'rOfitable dedication? He could see
Ier face as she stared flushing up into
is that nipping cold day when he had
into her on Broadway. He remem-
cred her coquetry when she suggest
d that there was plenty Of room in
er apartment. His wife, She spoke
( seeing his pictures in the papers.
He had grown to be a great man :" F.
That piquant meeting. the week fol-
owing had been the brightest of his {
fe. He was sure then that Gerty 3
wed him. The wrangles were only
heir different ways of looking at
hings. OF course, they loved each
But Gerty couldn't stand pio- I
eer life. She had loved him, or she $
not so easily have been per-
naded TO try IL over again. She 7
to make him comfortable, she Z
aid. So she had gone back. and pulled !
his ramada. and put his clothes q
the lowest bureau drawer! q
at wasn't either of our faults" he @
at was the fault of the in f
Esntxxe ,>~<.s IL q failure. S