Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-03-01

should wear blue, because of her eyes.
Innes from the next room could hear
Gerty teasing Tom to. wear his Tux
edo.
isn't one dude enough for your"
growled her surly lord. Innes recog-
nized the mood and shrank from the
ordeal ahead. 1t was the mood Of
the Hardin in the rough. the son of
his frontier mother, the fruit of old
Jasper Gingg. whose smithy had been
the rendezvous for the widest roughs,
the fiercest cattlemen in Missouri.
"rd let him see you knew what's
what. even if we do live like gipsies."
The answer to that was another
growl. Innes could hear him dragging
out the process. grumbling over eacn
detail. That confounded laundry had
torn his shirt. He hadn't a decent
collar to his name. Where was his
black string tie? If Cert would keep
his things in the lowest drawer! Hang
that buttonl Gerty emerged from the
encounter, her face very red. Innes
could see her biting her lips to keep
the tears back as she put the last
touches to the table.
"She's tired out" thought the sister
OF Tom Hardin. "She's probabl.
fused herself to death over this din
ner."
A few minutes later Rickard ar
rived in q sack suit of tweeds. Gertyi
greeting was little abstracted. Hov
could she make Innes understand t
tell Tom to change his coat? Th'
duty Of host, she suddenly remem
bered, was to dress down rather thai
up to the chances Of his guest. Sh'
regretted bitterly her insistence. Wai
ever anyone so obtuse as Innes? MIR
Rickard would see that they though
it big event. She was watching thu
curtain where Tom would emerge
And his coat was a style Of seyera
seasons ago and absurdly tight! Sh'
made an unintelligible excuse ant
darted behind the portlere.
Toms face was apoplectic. He wa
wrestling with mussed tie; the col
lar showed a desperate struggle.
Gerty made wild signals for him t.
change his clothes. She waved ;
hand indicating Rickard; she pointed
to Toms sack suit lying on the foo
where he had walked out Of it.
"What is it all about?"
"Ssh," whispered his wife. Agail
| the wild gestures.
"Well aren't you satisfied? Dom
| look like guy?"
He could be heard distinctly in thu
next room. Gerty gave 1t up in de
spair. She dabbed some more powder
on her nose and went out looking like
a martyr-a very pretty martyr!
.Rickard praised the miracles of thu
tent. Gerty's soft flush reminded In
nes Of their old relation. "Exit Innes,
she was thinking, when Tom, red ant
persplring, brought another elemen
of discomfort into the room.
Gerty ushered them Immediately tc
the table. She covered the first min
utes which might be awkward witt
her small chatter Somewhere sh'
had read that it was not well to MAKE
apologies for lack of maid or fare
Besides Mr.. Rickard remembered
Lawrencel That dreadful dining
room, the ever-set table! How sh'
had hated it, though she had no
known how fearful 1t was until She
had escaped.
"We are simple folk here, Mr.. Rick
ard" she announced, as they tool
their places around the pretty table
That was her only alluslon to deficlen
cies, but 1t covered her noiseless move
ments around the board between
courses, filled up the gaps when sh'
made necessary dives into kitchen Of
primitive Ice chest and set the Ike!
for the LONELINESS of the meal itself
The dinner was a triumph of apparen
simplicity. Only Innes could guess
the time consumed In the perfection
Of detail, details dear to the hostess
heart. The almonds she had blanched
Of course, herself; had dipped ant
salted them. The cheese straws wer,
her own. She did not make the mis-
take of stringing out endless courses
An improvised buffet near at han'
made the serving a triumph.
Rickard praised each dish; openl,
he was admiring her achievement
tnnes. remembering the story Cert.
had told her in dots and dashes, tn,
story of the old rivalry, glanced GOV
srtly at Tom sulking at the head o
ais own table.
"poor sulky Achilles" she thought
Dear, honest old bear!"
"Innesl" cried Mrs. Hardin.
She turned to find that the CUES
vas staring at her. She had not hear,
his effort to include her in the con
versation.
"Mr. Rlckard asked you If you lik
II hereT
"Thank you-why, of coursew He
answer sounded pert to herself.
Her slster-ln-law FASTENED to adj
that Miss Hardin was very lonely, wa
} really all alone in the world; that the
insisted on her making her.home wit
them.
Innes had with difficulty restrainc
n denial After all vhof nfhar bon