The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-04-25

quarry between Los Angeles and Tue
son reQuisitioned for their undertak-
ing.
A shadow fell on the pine desk.
Ling, In blue ticking shirt and white
butcher apron. waited for the "boss'
to look up. He stood wiping the per-
spiration from his head, hairless ex-
cept for the long silk-tapered queue.
well, Lingo"
81 go tamale." His voice was soft
as silk. II NO stay"
It was a thunderclap. There was
no one to replace Ling, who was
drawing down the salary of a private
secretary. Lose Ling? 1t would be
more d~emoralizing to the camp than
to lose an engineer.
'Money all lite. Bossee all lite. No
likee woman. Woman she stay, Ling
60"
"Mrs. Hardin !" Richard woke up.
'She all time makee trouble. She
clazy. She think woman vellee fine
cook. She show Ling cookee plunes.
Teachee Ling cookee plunes! ! no
stay that woman" Unutterable final
ity in the leathern face. Richard and
MacLean, Jr., exchanged glances
which deepened from concern into
p~erplexity. They could not afford to
lose Ling. And offend Mrs. Hardin.
the camp already H%ardinesQue7
Richard grew placating. He spent
a half hour %wheedling. They met at
the starting place. Ling 60 tamale.'
"Oh, Lord" groaned the manager,
captivating. "All right. Ling"
With the dignity of ar oriental
prince, Ling battered out Of the tent,
Richard was pickering his lips at his
secretary. I'D rather take castor
OIL"
A half hour later, MacLean saw his
chief leave his tent. He was in fresh
linens. 4
II wouldn't swap places.-with him
this minute! She'll be as mad as
wet henl" =.
Mrs. Hardin, from her bed by hel
screen window. saw him coming. She
slipped into a s~eminegligee Of alter
nate rows of lace and swiss construct
ed for such possible emergencies. Sht
did not make the mistakes Of smooth
ing her hair; her instinct told. hel
that the fluffy disorder bore out tn,
use Of the n~egligee. She, was sew
ing in her ramada when Richard!
knock sounded on the screen door.
Despite his protests she started wa
ter boiling in her chatting dish. HI
had not time for tea, he declared, bu
she insisted on making this call of
social nature. She opened a box O.
sugar waters, her zeal that Of a chile
with a toy kitchen she was playin,
dolls house.
Richard made several openings 70
his errand. but her wits sped Tx
a gopher from his labored digging
She met his mood with womanly dig
nifty she tutOred her coQuetries, with
held her archness.
He found he would have to discar'
diplomacy. blurt out his message; us
%bludgeons for this scampering agility
my mission is a little awkward
Mrs. Hardin. / hope you will take l
all right, that you will not be OF
Tended"
"Ofended" Her face showe'
alarm.
Its about Ling. He's a queer fel
low; they all are, you know" II
was laundering like q schoolboy un
der the growing shadow In Gerty'
blue eyes. ''They resent authority
that Is, from women. He Is a tyrant
Ling is"
"Yes?" All, she would not help him
Let him flounderl
"He wants to be let alone; h
doesn't appreciate your kind helI
Mrs. Hardin"
"OhI" Her eyes were hot wifi
tears-angry. tears. She could no
speak or would not. She sat in he
spoiled dolls house. Ill her pleasur
In her toy dishes, her pretty finery
ruined. He could not care II he coul
humiliate her 30. It was the mos
vivid moment Of her life. Not eve
when Richard had left her, with hi
kisses stu warm on her lips. had sh
felt 90 outraged. He vas treating he
as though she were Z servant-dis
charging her-because she was tn
wife Of Hardin. Her eyes grew blac
with anger she hated them both; be
tween them. their Jealousy, their n
valry. what had they made Of her life
She remembered the woman she ha'
seen IN his ramada: she had hear
that the Mexican was IN camp. en-
ployed BY Richard. Her thoughts wer
like swarming hornets.
! Hes an ungrateful beast. Mra
. Hardin. ! told him l would not lie
you waste your kindness q instan
Iionger-"
Oh, she understood A bitter pleas
, ure to zee him 20 confused. Richard
before whose superior appraisemen
, she had 80 often wiltedl She woul
J not help him out, neverl She ros
! when he paused. he thanked her 70
! meeting him half way. and her smil
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