New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-05-16

SHe all time lnakee trOuDIe. ont
claZy. She think woman vellee fine
cook. She show Ling cOOkee plunes
Teachee Ling cOOkee plunes! ne
stay that woman" Unutterable final
ity in the leathern face. Richard ant
MncLean. Jr., exchanged glances
which d%eepened from concern into
p%erplexity. They could not afford tC
lose Ling. And offend Mrs. Hardin
the camp already Hnrdinesque?
Richard grew placatlng. He spent
n half hour wheedling. They met al
the starting place. Ling go tamale.'
"Oh. Lord" groaned the manager,
captivating, "All right, Ling"
With the dignity of an oriental
prince, Ling battered out Of the tent,
Richard was pickering his lips at his
secretary. 'Id rather take castor
OIL"
A half hour later, MacLean saw his
linens.
II wouldn't swap places with him
this minute! She'll be as mad as a
wet hen. !"
Mrs. Hardin, from her bed by her
screen window, saw him coming. She
slipped into a seminegllgee Of alter
nate rows of lace and swiss construct
ed for such possible emergencies. She
did not make the mistake of smooth
Ing her hair; her instinct told her
tbot thn fufpv tIcnrIar hnra ant tho
us" of the n~egligee. She was sew
ing in her ranlada when Richards
knock sounded on the screen door.
Despite his protests she started wa
ter boiling in her chatting dish. He
had not time for tea, he declared, but
she insisted on making this call Of II
social nature. She opened n box of
sugar waters, her zeal that of n child
with n toy kitchen; she was playing
dolls house.
Richard made several openings for
his errand. but her wits sped like
Il gopher from his labOred digging.
She met his mood with womanly dig
nifty; she tutOred her coquetries. with
held her archness.
He found he would have to discard
diplomacy, blurt out his message; use
b%ludgeons for this scampering agility.
MY mission is Il little awkward,
Mrs. Hardin. I hope you will take 1t
all right, that you will o be Of
Tended"
"Oifended?" Her face showed
alarm.
ITS about Ling. He's a queer fell
low; they all are, you know" He
was laundering like n %schoOlbOy I'M
der the growing shadow in Gerty's
blue eyes. "They resent authority
that is. from women. He Is Il tyrant, |
Ling is"
",es" All, she would rot help him.
Let him founder!
"Iie wants TO be let alone: he
doesn't appreciate your kind help,
Mrs. Hardin"
oh" Her eyes were hot with
fearS-angry tears. She could not
speak or would not. She sat in her
dolls house. all her pleasure
n her toy dishes, her pretty finery,
ruined. He could not care If he could
humlliate her so. 1t was the most
vivid moment of her life. Not even
when Richard had left her, with his
Kisses still warm on her lips, had she
cit so outraged. He was treating her
Is though she were a servant-dis-
'harging her-because she was the
wife of Hardin. Her eyes grew black
With anger; she hated them both be-
ween them. their jealousy, their RI
airy. what had they made Of her life?
She remembered the wOman she had
cen in his rnmada; she had heard
hat the Mexican was In camp, en-
'loyed by Richard. Her thoughts were
ike swarming hornets.
Hes an ungrateful beast, Mrs.
I told him l would not let
ou waste your kindness one instant
Dnger-"
Oh, she understood! A bitter pleas
re to see him so confused. Richard,
whose superior appraisement
had so often wilted. She would
OF help him out, never! She rose J
hen he paused. He thanked her for
him half way, and her smile
as inscrutable.
$50 I'm discharged?"
you can't be discharged II you've
ever been employed. can you? Thank I
on once again, and for your tea. 1t
as delicious. | wish Ling would give A.,
$ tea like that" I
BOOrish, all Of 1t, and laundering
Thy wouldn't he gO2 When he had
urt her 50. had hurt her so! ,
Her hand met his, but not her eyes. '
he did not go quickly something
Ould happen; he would see her cry r
Ig. The angels that guard blunderers
Dt Richard out of the tent without |
suspicion Of threatening tears. She \
rev of her negligee and the pale v
ne slip; the tears must wait for n
Then she flung herself on her
ID and shook 1t with the grief of
ounded vanity.
That evening the chief had a visi- a
r. The wife of Maldonado. some Of
fear pressed out Of her eyes. S
ought in his Numbered khakis.
'cks. darned and matched; all the J.
issing buttons replaced. +
~ haven't worn n matched SOCK"
told her, '.fOr months. That's great, d
nora" a
He wanted to get to bed, but she lin d
red. She wanted to talk to him
,out her troubles; he had cautioned Il
r against talking about them In "
md, so she overfiowed to him {,
henever she found a chance-about 81