The Lamar register., 1919-01-22

to eat. l nad my oruers from the
missus before left town, and I know
better than to go home without you.
Never mind the commissary khaki. II
won't be the first time that the work
ing clothes have figured at the HIM
crest table-not by long shot"
And because he did not know how
TO frame II refusal that would refuse.
Smith got his coat and went.
Given his choice between the two.
Smith would cheerfully have faced
another hand-to-hand battle with the
claim jumpers In preference To even
50 mild dip into the former things
as the dinner at Hillcrest foreshad-
owed. The reluctance was not forced
II was real The primitive man In him
did not wish to be entertained. on
the fast auto drive down to Brewster,
across the bridge. and out to the Bald.
win ranch. Smiths humOr was frankly
sardonic He cherished n small hone
that Mrs. Baldwin might be shocked
ut the soft shirt and the khaki. II
would serve her right for taking II man
from his job.
AT the stone-pillared portal he got
out Ia open the gates. Down the
road horse was coming at smart
gallop. the rider, Corona Baldwin.
booted and spurred and riding mans
saddle.
Smith let the gray ear 90 on Its
wny up The drive without him.
IN
disappointed in you" was Miss Bald
wins greeting. you've made me lose
my bet with colonel-daddy. said you
wouldn't come"
81 had no business to come" he an
swered morosely. But your father
wouldn't let me on"
"Of course he wouldn't daddy never
lets anybody of. unless they owe him
money. Where are your evening
clothesl"
Smith let the lever of moroseness
slip back to the grInning notch. They
are about two thousand miles away.
and probably In some secondhand
shop by this time. What makes you
think ] ever wore dress suit ?" lie
had closed the gates and was walking
beside her horse up the driveway.
"Oh, just guessed it," she returned
lightly. "and IL you'll hold your breath,
I'll guess again."
Don't" he laughed.
At the steps a negro stableboy was
waiting to take Miss Baldwin's horse.
Smith knew how to help woman
down from a side-saddle: but the two
stlrruped rig stumped him. The young
woman laughed as she swung out of
her saddle to stand beside him.
''The women don't ride that way In
your part OF the countryl" she queried.
'Not yet"
'Tm sorry for them" she scoffed
And then: Come ON In and meet naam-
ma /: you look as II you were dreading
II. and. colonel-daddy snys. IT'S always
hest To have the dreaded things over
with"
Smith did not find his meeting with
the daughters mother much of trial.
She was neither shocked Mt his clothes
nor disposed to he Historically CRATE
fnl over the railroad-croSslng Incident.
4 large. calm-eyed sensible matron.
some ten or u dozen years younger
than the colonel. Smith put her. and
with an air OF refinement which was
reflected In every Interior detail Of
her house
The dinner was strictly family
meal. with the great mahogany table
shortened to make II convenient for
four. There Were cut glass and silver
and snowy nHpery. out OF the past
thousand tentacles were reaching up
Ia drag Smith back into the net of the
conventional when the table-talk be-
came general. he found himself joining
In. and always upon the lighter side.
lie found himself drawn more and
more to the calm-eyed. well-bred ma
tron who had given plquant Corona
to an otherwise commonplace world.
Mrs. Baldwin saw nothing Of the
rude fighter Of battles her daughter
had drawn for her. and wondered a
little. She knew Corona's leanlngs.
and was not without nm amused i'm
preston that Corona would not ind
this later Smithsonian phase altogether
to her liking.
Smith got what he had earned. good
measure. pressed down, shaken to-
gether and running over. a few min
etes after Mrs. Baldwin had left him
to finish his cigar under the plllared
nnrtico with Cnrono TO keen him conn