Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-03-07
CHAPTER VIII.
Under the Veneer,


the sun, stepped into the tent, which
had been partitioned with rough red
wood boards into a bed chamber on
the riZSSt, a combination dining room
and "parlOr" on the left. Her glance
Immediately segregated the three
stalks of pink geraniums in the center
of the Mexican drawn-work cloth that
covered the table. Gerty, herself, in a
fresh pink gingham frock, was dancing
around the table to the tune of forks
and spoons. 1t was just like Gerty to
dress up to her setting, even though it
were only pitiful wAter-starved bou-
quet. She had often tried to analyze
her sister-in-law's hold on her brother;
certainly they were not happy. Was it
because she made him comfortable?
Was it the little air of formality, or
mystery, which she drew around her?
Her rooms when Innes was allowed to
enter them were always flawless;
Gerty took deep pride in her house
keeping. Why was 1t, Innes wondered,
that she could never shake off her sus-
picion of an underlying untidiness?
There was always a closed door on
/ Gerty's processes.
May l help?" The sun was still
yellowing the room to her.
"Helloi" Hardin looked up from
the couch where he was lying. Innes
suspected it of being a frequent re-
treat. She had found it tumbled once
| when she ran over early. 1t was then
that Gerty made it understood that she
likedNmore formality. Innes was rare
Fly in that tent except for meals now,
or during her alternating week of
house chores.
II was afraid was late" said the
girl.
Lunch will be ready in few min
| utes," announced Gerty Hardin. won't
you sit down? There's the new Jour
nal. Sam came to clean this morning,
and l couldn't get to the lunch until
an hour ago."
Innes, settling herself by the reading
table, caught herself observing that it
would not have taken her an hour to
get cold lunch. Still, it would never
look so inviting! If Gerty's domestic
machinery was complicated and pri-
vate, the results always were admir-
able. The early tomatoes were peeled
as well as sliced, and were lying on a
bed of cracked ice. The ripe black
olives were resting in lake of Cali
fornia olive oil. A bowl of crisp let
i tuce had been iced and carefully dried.
The bread was cut in precise triangles
the butter had been shaved into for
eign-looking roses A pitcher of the
valleys favorite beverage, iced tea
stood by Hardin's plate. There was a
platter of cold meats.
1t came home to Innes for the hun.
dredth time, the surprise of such q
meal in that desert. A few years ago
and what had meal been? She threw
the credit of the little lunch to sulxy
Tom Hardin lying on the portiere-cov
cred couch, his ugly lower lip out
thrust against an unsmiling vision. Il
was Tom, Tom and his brave men, the
sturdy engineers, the dauntless sur
veyOrs, the Indians who had dug the
! canals, those were the ones who ha(
spread that pretty table, not the buxon
little woman darting about in pinl
: gingham.
'Is i'll because don't like herr" sh,
mused, her eyes on the pictures in tn,
; style book which had just come in tha
morning. Certainly Gerty did have tn
} patience of q saint with Toms hu
] mOrs. If she would only lose that sc
: look of martyrdOm! 1t was not for al
: outsider to judge between a husban
4 and wife, even if the man were he
E own brother. She could not put he
l. finger on the germ of their painful
scenes; she shrank from the recolleC
: tion of Toms temper; his coars
3 streak, the Gingg fiber, her own mothe
v called 1t. Tom was rough, but sh
y loved him. Why was it she was sur
t that Gerty did not love her husband
h Yet there was the distrust, as fixe
, and as unjust perhaps as the suspicio
e of Gerty's little mysteries.
= She said aloud: "This is your las
e day. My week begins tomorrow"
e Mrs. Hardin adjusted q precise nal
d kin before she spoke.
IS 81 think will keep the reins for
month this time" Her words were r
re Elective, as though the thought wei
IL new. 81 get my hand in just as sto
q. l will be running out for my visit in
3. few weeks. 1t will be only fair for n
Is to do it as long as can"
-. Again the girl had sense of subtl
s. ty. Whenever Gerty put on that air
rs childish confidential deliberation, 81
hunted for the plot. This was not f
is to seek. Her sister-in-law was passil
ed out the hot season to her.
II "It's all ready" Gerty's glance W
le- winging, birdlike. over the table. Not
ch ing had been forgotten. She gave
IN. little sigh of elastic satisfaction. HI
.ty din misinterpreted it.
re- 81 ought to be able to keep a sci
nv ant for her." 1t was like him to ha
lid forgotten the Lawrence days; he W
re never free of the sense of obligation