The Ordway new era., 1919-04-25

fly today as 1t scared yesterday? Rick.
ard was finding that Gerty's more ma.
ture charms did not accelerate his
heart-beats. but they were certainly
fiattering to his early judgment. And
he had expected her to be shockl
He was staring into his plate OF
chilled soup. Calf-love! For he had
loved her, or at least he had loved her
chin. her pretty childish way Of lifting
it. She was prettier than he had pic.
tured her. Queer that man like Har-
din could draw such women for sister
and wife-the blood tie was the most
amazing. For when women come to
marry. they make often queer choice.
It occurred to him that that might
have been Hardin-he had not wanted
to stare at them.
| That was not Hardin's face. 1t held
strength and power. The outline was
sharp and distinct, showing the strong
lines, the determined mouth of the pio-
neer. There was something else. some
thing which stood for distinction-no,
It couldn't be Hardin.
And then, because an outthrust lip
changed the entire look of the man,
Richard asked his table companions,
who was the man with the two ladies',
near the door.
"That. suh," his nelghbor from Ala
bama became Immediately oratorisal,
"that is a big man, sub. If the I'm
perial valley ever becomes a reality, a
| fixtuah. 1t will be because Of that one
man. sub. Reclamation is like a seed
thrown on a rock. VIII 1t stick7 VIII
1t take root? VIII 1t grown That is
what we all want to know
Richard thought that he had wanted
to know something quite different. and
reminded the gentleman from Alabama
! that he had not told him the name.
1.-THE father of this valley, of the
reclamation of this desert, Thomas
Hardin, suh."
Rickard tried to reset, without at
tracing their attention, the group of
his Impressions of the man whose per-
sonality had been SO obnoxious to him
in the old Lawrence days. The Hardin
he had known had also large features,
but of the flaccid Irritating order. He
summoned picture of Hardin as he
had shufIled into his own classroom, or
up to the long table where Gerty had
always queened 1t among her mothers
boarders. He could see the rough un-
polished boots that had always Offend
| ed him MS a betrayal of the mans in
ner coarseness; the badly fitting coat,
the long awkward arms, and the salts
| fed, loudspeaking mouth. These fea-
lures were more definite. Could time
bring these changes? Had he changed.
like that? Had they seen him2 Would
Wasn't 1t his place to make himself
known; wave the flag of old friendship
| over an awkward situation?
He found himself standing In front
of their table, encOuntering first, the
| eyes of Hardin's sister. There was no
| surprise, no welcome there for him. He
felt at once the hostility of the camp.
His face was uncomfortably warm.
Then the childish profile turned on him.
A look of bewilderment, flushing into
greeting-the years had been kind to
Gerty Holmes
'Do you remember me, Rickard?"
If Hardin recognized a difficult situa-
tion. he did not betray 1t. 1t was a
man Richard did not know who shook
MIN warmly by the hand. and said that
indeed he had not forgotten him.
"I've been expecting you. My wife,
Mr.. Rlckard. and my sister,"
why. what are you thinking of,
Tom? To introduce Mr.. Rickard! I
introduced you to each other. years
ago!" Gerty's cheeks were red. Her
bright eyes were darting from one to
the other. you knew he was coming,
and did not tell me?'
"YOu were at the Improvement club
when the telegram came" put in Innes
Hardin, without looking at Rickard. No
trace of the Tucson cordiality In that
proud little face! No acknowledgment
that they had met ut the Marshalrs!
"oh, you telegraphed to usI" The
blond arch smile had not aged. "That
was friendly and nice"
Rlckard had not been self-conscIous
for many year. He did not know
what to say. He turned from her up
turned face to the others. Innes Har
din was staring out of the window
over the heads of several crowded
tables; Hardin was gazing at his plate
Rickard decided that he would get out
of this bef-re Gerty discovered that II
was neither friendly nor nice"
"If had known that you were here
1 would have insisted on your dinini
with us. In our tent. For it's terrible