The L'Anse sentinel., 1919-04-18

Gerty teasing Tom to- wear his Tux
edo.
isn't one dude enough for you?"
growled her surly lord. Innes recog-
niZcd 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 fercest cattlemen in Missouri.
"Td let him see you knew what's
what. even IL we do live like gipsies."
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 decent
collar to his name. Where was his
black string tie7 II 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 rs she put the last
touches to the table.
"Shes tired out" thought the sister
of Tom Hardin. "She's probably
fused herself to death over this din
ner."
A few minutes later Rlckard ar
rived in sack suit of tweeds. Gerty's
greeting was a little abstracted. How
could she make lines understand to
tell Tom to change his coat2 The
duty of host, she suddenly remem-
bered, was to dress down rather than
up to the chances of his guest. She
regretted bitterly her fnsistence. Was
ever anyone so obtuse as Innes? Mr..
Rickard would see that they thought
1t a big event. She was watching the
curtain where Tom, would emerge.
And his coat was a style Of several
seasons ago and absurdly tight! She
made an unlntelligible excuse and
darted behind the portiere.
Toms face was npoplectic. He was
wrestling with n mussed tie; the col
lar showed a desperate struggle.
Gerty made wild signals for him to
change his clothcs She waved n
hand indicating Richard; she pointed
to Toms sack suit lying on the floor
where he had wniked out Of it.
"What Is it all about7"
"Ssh," whispered his wife. Again
the wild gestures.
"Well, aren't you sntis6ed2 Don't
I look like a guyT
He could be heard distinctly In the
next room. Gcrty gave it up in de-
spair. She dabbed some more powder
on her nose and went out looking like
u martyr-a very pretty martyr!
Rickard praised the miracles of the
tent. Gerty's soft flush reminded In
nes of their old relation. exit Innes,"
she was thinking. when Tom, red and
perspiring. brought another element
of discomfort into the room.
Gerty ushered them Immediately to
the table. She covered the first min.
utes which might be awkward with
her small chatter. Somewhere she
had read that 1t wns not well to make
apologies for lack Of maid or fare
Besides Mr.. Ricknrd remembered
Lawrence That dreadful dining
room, the ever-set table! How she
had hated 1t. though she had no,
known how fearful It wns 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 nliusion to deficien
cies. but II covered her noiseless move
mcnts around the board between
courses, filed up the gaps when she
made necessary dives into kitchen OF
primitive Ice chest. and set the key
for the homellncss Of the meal itself
The dinner was n triumph Of apparent
simplicity. Only Iunes could guess
the time consumed I'm the perfection
of detail. detnils dear to the hostess
heart. The almonds sue Ind blnnched
Of course. herself: had dipped ant
saltcd them. Tho cheese straws were
her own. Shc did not make the mis-
take of stringing out endless courses
An improvised buffet near at hand
made the serving triumph.
Rickard praised each dish: openly
he was admiring her achievement
Innes, remembering the story Gcrty
had told her In dots and dashes. tls.
isSoty OF the cJ -ivairv- glanced Gov