The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-08-30
CHAPTER VII.


ofutN tNe veneer.
An hour later lnnee, blinking from
the sun, stepped into the tent. which
had been p%artitioned with rough red
wood boards into a bed chamber on
the right, a combination dining room
and "parlor" on the left. Her glance
immediately segregated the three
stalks Of pink eeraniums I'm the center
of the Mexican drawn-work cloth that
covered the table. Gerty. herself. In n
fresh pink bingham frock. was dancing
and spoons. II was just like Gerry to
dress up To her setting, ever though N
were only q pitiful water starved bou-
uuet. She had often tried to analyze
her sister-in-law's hold on her brother /:
certainly they were not happy. Was II
because she made him comfortable7
Was If the little mir of formnlity. or
mystery, which she drew around her,
Her rooms when lines was allowed to
enter them were always fawless
Gerty tool deep pride in her house
Keeping. Why was II. Innes wondered,
that she could never shake Off her sus-
plcion of M underlying untldinessi
There was always n closed door on
GertyS processes.
May | helpf' The sun was still
yellowing the room to her.
"Hellol" Hardin looked up from
the couch where he was lying. Times
suspected 1t of being n frequent re-
treat. She had found It tumbled once
when she ran over early. II was then
that Gerry made II understood that she
liked more formnlity. Innes was rare
" in that tent except for meals now
or during her alternating week Of
house chores.
II WIS afraid | was late" said the
girl.
Lunch viii he ready IN n few min
utes.' announced Gertv Hardin. Wont
you sit down? There's the new Jour
nal. Sam came to clean this morning.
and | couldn't get TO the lunch until
an hour agos'
lines, settling herself by the reading
caught herself observing that II
would not have taken her III hour TO
ret a cold lunch. still, II would never
look so inviting! IT Gerty's domestic
machinery was complicated and pri-
vate. the results always were admir-
able. The enrly tomatoes were peeled
rs well ms sliced. and were lying on a
bed of cracked ice. The ripe black
olives were resting In n lake of Cali
rornia olive oil. A bowl Of crisp let
.uce had been iced and carefully dried.
rhe bread was cut in precise triangles
he butter had been shaved into for
algn-looking roses. A pitcher Of the
favorite beverage. iced tea,
stood by Hardin's plate. There was a
Of cold meats.
II came home TO Innes for the hun
iredth time. the surprise of such q
neal In that desert. A few years ago,
ind what had a meal beenl She threw
he credit Of the little lunch to suIky
Tom Hardin lying on the portiere-cov-
red couch. his ugly lower lip out
hrust against an unsmiling vision. 1t
vas Tom. Tom and his brave men. the
sturdy engineers. the dnuntless sur
'eyors. the Indians who had dug the
those were the ones who had
pread that pretty table. not the buxom
little woman darting about In pink
bingham.
rs II becnuee I don't like her p she
nused. her eyes on the pictures In the
lyle book which had just come In that
morning. Certainly Gerty did have the
'atience of a saint with Toms hu-
aors. If she would only lose that set
ook of martyrdomi II was not for an
outsider to Judge between a husband
nd wife. even IL the man were her
wn brother. She could not put her
niger on the germ of their painful
Genes: she shrank from the recollec-