The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-05-02
CHAPTER XIV.

char En- AAlN.
It was battle Of big numbers, a
duel Of great force where time was
the umpire. Any minute hot weather
might fall on those snowy peaks up
wonder. and the released waters, rush
Ing down, would tear out the defenses
as q wave breaks over child'S fort
made of sand. This was race, and
all knew it. A regular train dispatch
system was in force that the inrushing
cars might drop their burden Of rock
and gravel and be off after more. The
Dragon was being fed rude meals, its
appetite whetted by the glut Of pour
ing rock.
Tod Marshall came down from Tue
son In lis car. The coming Of the
PALMYRA and Claudia rippled the so
cial waters at the front for days
ahead. Gerty Hardin, too proud Il
tell her astonished family that sh'
wanted to desert the mess tent, shooi
herself from her injury, and "did up
all her lingerie gowns. Mrs. Marshal
was not going to patronize her, ever
II her husband had snubbed Tom. II
was. hot, ironing in her tent, the doort
closed. Everything carried sting
those indoor hours. She was afiame
i, with hot vanity. Twice, She hac
iopenly encouraged Rickard; twice, he
had t2outed her. That was his kind !
4; Men who prefer Medcans-! She
would never forgive him, never!
She followed devious channels to In
,volye Toms responsibility. There was
a cabal against the wife of Hardin
Working like a servantl she called II
necessity. Everything, every one pun
.ished her for that one act OF folly
Life had caught her. She saw no way,
as she ironed her null rufaes, no way
out of her cage. Her spirit beat Wild
wings against her bars. If she could
see way outl Nothing to do but to
stay with Toni ..
Maddening, too, that at the mess
table, she caught Richards eyes turning
toward, resting on, Innes Hardin. The
girl herself did not seem to notice
artful, subterranean, such stalking !!
That was why she had come running
back to the Heading! That the reason
Of her anger when she had limited OF
the Maldonado. She learned to hate
Innes. Bitterly she hated Rickard.
sTom," she said one day. He
turned with a swift thrill Of expecta-
tion, for her voice sounded kind; like
the Gerty of old. 81 have always
heard that Mr.. Marshall has terribly
strict ideas. I think he ought to hear
Of that Mexican woman. 1t is demor-
alizing in a camp like this"
II tell Marshall anything against his
pet clerk?" The Hardin lip shot out.
"He'd throw me out Of the company"
The pretty scene was spoiled. To
his dismay, she burst into storm Of
tears, tears of self-pity. Her life lay
In tatters at her feet, the pretty fabric
rent, torn between the rude handling
of those two men. She could not have
reasoned out her injury, made it con-
vincing, built out Of dreams as 1t was,
heartless, scheming dreams. Because
she could not tell it, her sobbing was
the more violent, her complaints inco-
herent. Tom gathered enough frag-
ments to piece the old story.
ASHAMED Of him. He had dragged
her down into his humiliation" His
sweet moment had passed.
He spent few futile moments try
Ing to comfort her.
"Don't come near me-" It burst
from her; a cry Of revulsion. He
stared at her, the woman meeting his
eyes in flushed defiance. The hatred
which he saw, her bitterness, corroded
his pride, scorched his self-love. Moth
ing would kill his love for her; he
knew that in that blacklist Of mo-
ments. He would never forget that
lock Of dread, Of hate. He left her
tent.
That night, the cot under the stars
had no tenant. Hardin had it out
with himself down the levee.
That valley might fulfill Estrada's
vision and his labor; might yield the
harvest Of happy homes; but his was
not there. He had been the sacrifice.