The Arvada enterprise., 1919-07-24

Gerty teasing Tom to wear his TUX
edo.
Isn't one dude enough for jour
growled her suriy lord. Innss rscoe-
mixed the mood and shrank from the
ordeal ahead. It WAS tie mood sf
the Hardin In the rough. the son Of
his frontier mother. the fruit Of old
Jasper 0ingg. whose smithy had been
the rendezvous for the widest roughs,
the nercest cattlemen in Missouri.
"Td let him see you knew what's
what even II We do live like sipsies."
The answer to that was another
growl. Innes could hear him dragging
out the process, grumbling over each
detail. That confounded laundry had
torn his shirt. He hadn't q decent
collar to his name. Where WAS his
black string tie1 Il Cert would keep
his things In the lowest drawsri Hang
that buttoni 0erty emerged from the
encounter. her face very red. lnnes
could sec her biting her lips to keep
the tears back as she put the last
touches to the table.
"she's tred out" thought the sistef
Of Tom Hardin. "She's probably
fused herself to death over this din
nsf."
A few minutes latse Riekard ~
rivsd In sack suit Of twesds. 0srty's
greeting WAS little distracted. How
could she make Innes undefstand 10
tell Tom to chanee his coatf The
duty Of . host, she suddenly remsm-
bered, was to dress down rather than
up to the chances Of his guest. She
regretted bitterly her insistence. Was
ever anyone 20 obtuss ~ lnnesf Mr..
Rickard would ~ that they thought
It q big event. She WAS watching the
curtain where Tom would emerge.
And his coat was . style Of several
seasons ago and absurdly tighti SAe
made an unlntelligible excuse and
darted behind the portiere.
Toms face was apoplectic. He vas
wrestling with mussed tie: the col
lar showed . desperate struggle.
Gefty made wild signals for him ia
change his clothes. She waved q
hand indicating Richard: she pointed
to Toms sack suit lying ON the noos
where he had walked out OF It.
"What u It all aboutr'
"8sh," whispered bis wife. Again
the Wild gestures.
"wsll. aren't you satisnedf Don't
look like . guyr
He could be heard distinctly IN the
next room. Gerty gave It up n de-
spsir. Che dabbed some more powder
on her nose and went out looking like
q martyr-a very pretty martyrl
Richard praised the miracles Of ths
tent. 0erty's soft fush reminded ln'
mes Of their old relation. EXIT Innes.'
she was thinking. when Tom. red and
perspiring. brought another element
Of discomfort into the room.
0erty ushered them Immediately Il
the table. She covered the arst min
utes which might b awkward with
her small chatter. Somewhere sha
had read that II was not well to make
apologies for lack Of maid or fare
Besides Nj. Richard remembered
Lawrence! That dreadful dininl
room. the ever-set tablet How ah>
had hated Il. though che had no'
known how fearful II was until sh<
had escaped.
ave are simple folk here. NJ. Rick
ard" she announced. ~ they tool
their places around the pretty table
That was her only ailusioa 10 dencien
cles. but II covered her noissiess move
ments around the board betwssl
courses. nlled up the gaps when set
made necessary dives lnto kitchen o.
primitive Ice chest. and set the ksl
for the homeiiness Of the meal itself
Tho dinner was . triumph Of apparen
simplicity. Only lnnes could sues'
the time consumed In The peefsctlos
Of detail. details dear to The hostess
heart. The almonds she had blanehed
Of course. herself: had dipped ans
salted them. The cheese straws wss'
her own. She did not make The mis-
take Of strinking out endless courses
An impsovised buffet near at haal
made the serving q triumph.
Richard praised each dish: opsel,
h. was admiring her scAisvs@sat
lenea. remembering the stoey Cert,
hAd told her IN dots and dashes. u
story Of the old Rivalry. sisnee1 ~