The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-06-19

sDn re9ginto0sd for their uncerfaE-
Ing.
A shadow fell On the pine desk.
Ling. In blue ticking shin ssd white
butcher apron. waited for the -bOss~
70 Ink up. He stood uiplnz the per-
splration from his head. hairless er-
cept for the long ssik-,spered queue.
"wsIi, LngT
Il 70 tamaie." His voice was sof;
az siIk. Il no stay
IL was q thgndercIsp. There was
no one to replace Ling. who was
drawing down the salary Of q private
secretary. Loee LIng7 ], would be
more cerDoraIizing 10 the camp than
70 lose an engineer.
Money all lite. BONsee all lite. No
likee woman. Woman she stay, Ling
TO-"
Mrs. Hardinr Rlckard woke up.
"She all time makee trouble. She
clay. She think woman yeIlee fine
cook. She show Ling cookee pluneH.
Teacbee Ling cookee pIunes, no
stay that woman" UnutterabIe final
ity In the leatheTn face. Richard and
MscI>ean, Jr- exchanged gIances
which deepened from concern into
perplexity. They could not afford TO
lose Ling. And offeud Mrs. Hardin.
the camp already Hardinesquei
Rickard grew pIscatlng. He spent
n half hour wheedling. They met at
the starting place. Ling 20 tamale." /"
"Oh. Lord" groaned the manager,
captivating. "AIl right. Ling"
With the dignity Of an oriental
prince. Ling battered out Of the tent,
Ricknrd wns puckering his lips at his
secretary. I'D rnther take castor
OIL"
A half hour later, MacI.ean saw his
chief leave his tent. He was In fresh
linens.
II wouldn't swap places with him
this mInutei She'll be ss mad a. 4
wet heni"
Mrs. Hardin, from her bed by her
screen window. saw him coming. She
slipped Into a semlnegilgee Of alter
nate rows Of lace and swiss construct
ed for such possible emergencies. She
did not make the mistake Of smooth
Ing her hair: her instinct told her
that the fluffy disorder boie out the
use Of the DeglIgee. She was sew-
Ing In her rnmada when Richards
knock sounded on the screen door.
Despite his protests she started wa
ter boiling In her chnfing dish. lie
Ind not time for ten. he declared, but
she Insisted on making this call of
social nature. She opened n box OF
sugar waters. her zeal that OF n child
with n toy kitchen; she was playing
dolls house.
Richard made several openings for
his errnnd, but her wits sped like
n gopher from his lnbored digging
She met his mood with womanly dig
nifty; she tutored her coquetries. with
held her archness.
lie found he would have TO discard
diplomacy. blurt out his message; use
bludgcons = this scnmpering agility.
my mission IL little awkward.
Mrs. Hardin. ! hope you will take II
NIL right. that you will not be Of
| Tended"
"ofrcndedr Her face showed
alarm.
''It's nhout Ling. He's a queer fel-
low; they nll nre. you know" He
wns blundering like schoolboy un-
der the growing shadow In Gerty's
blue eyes. "They resent authority
that Is. from women. lie Is a tyrnnt,
Ling ls."
"YesT An. she would not help him.
Let him founderl
"Iie wants to be let nione: he
doesn't appreciate your kind help.
Mrs. Hardin"
"Ohi" Her eyes were hot with
tears-angry tears. She could not
speak or would not She sat in her
spoiled dolls house. all her pleasure
In her toy dishes. her pretty fincry.
ruined. He could not care IL he could
humillate her 80. II was the most
vivid moment OF her life. Not even
when Richard had left her, with his
kisses still warm on her lips. had she
felt 80 outraged. He was treating her
ns though she were servant--dIs.
charging her-because she was the
wife OF Hardin. Her eyes grew black
with anger; she hated them both; be-
tween them, their Jealousy. their RI
valry. what had they made of her life
She remembered the woman she had
seen In his ramada she had heard
that the Mexican was In camp. en-
ploycd by Richard. Her thoughts We're
like swarmlng hornets.
Hes an ungrnteful beast. Mrs.
Hardin. I told him I would not let
you waste your kindness one instant
longer"
oh, she understood! A bitter pleas
ure TO see him 80 confused. Rlckard.
before whose superior appraisement
she had 80 often wllted She would
not help him out, neverl She rose
when he paused. He thanked her for
meeting him half way. snd her smile
was inscrutable.