The Dolores star., 1919-01-10

20
A month passed.
During that thirty-day period she re-
ceived brief note from Bill. Just a
few lines to say:
Hit the ranch yesterday, little per-
son. Looks good to me. Went fishing
last night about sundown. Trout were
rising fine. Nailed a ten-pounder.
Woke up this morning at daylight and
found buck deer with two lady
friends standing in the middle of the
clearing. loafed few days IN Fort
George, sort Of thinking I might hear
from you. Am sending this out by
Jake. VIII start for the Kappan
about day after tomorrow"
She had not answered his first let
ter. She had tried to. But somehow
when she tried to set pen to paper the
right words would not come. She
lacked his facility Of expression.
There was so much she wanted to say.
so little she seemed able to say. As
the days passed she felt less sure of
her ground, less sure that she had not
sacrificed something precious to a
vagary Of self, an obsession of her own
ego.
And slowly but surely she began to
view all the activities of her circle
with a critical eye. Certain of her
friends had become tentative enemies.
Kitty Brooks and the Bray womenfolk,
who were numerous and influential
tribe, not only turned silent faces
when they met, but they made war on
her In the peculiar fashion Of women.
A word here, suggestive phrase
there, shrug Of the shoulders. 1t all
bore fruit. Other friends conveyed the
avid gossip. Hazel smiled and ignored
1t. But In her own rooms she ragged
unavailingly.
Her husband had left her. There
was man in the case. They had lost
everything. The first count was suf-
flciently maddening because it was
half truth. And any of 1t was irritat-
ing-even II few believed-since 1t
made choice morsel to digest in gos-
sipy corners, and brought sundry curl
GUS stares on Hazel at certain times.
Also Mr.. Wagstafr had caused the
stockholders of Free Gold a heavy loss
which was only offset by the fact
that the Free Gold properties were
producing richly. None Of this was
even openly flung at her. She gathered
1t piecemeal. And 1t CALLED her. She
could not openly defend either Bill or
herself against the shadowy scandal
mongers.
Slowly 1t dawned upon her, with
| htffarnaco nf hDr xvnort.
ence with Granville, that she had lost
something of the standing that certain
circles had accorded her as the wife
of successful mining man. 1t made
her ponder. Was Bill SO far wrong,
after all, in his estimate of them? 1t
was disheartening conclusion. She
had come Of family that stood well
in Granville; she had grown up there;
If lifetime friends blew hot and cold
like that, was the game worth, playing?
In SO far as she could she gave the
lie to some Of the petty gossip. Where
as at first she had looked dublously on
spending Bills money to maintain the
standard Of living they had set up, she
now welcomed that deposit Of five
thousand dollars as means to DEM
onstrate that even in his absence he
stood behind her financially-which
she began to perceive counted more
than anything else. So long as she
could dress in the best, while she could
ride where others walked, SO long as
she betrayed no Limitation of re-
sources, the doors stood wide. Not
what you are, but what you've got
she remembered Bill saying that was
their holiest creed.
It repelled her. And sometimes she
was tempted to sit down and pour 1t all
out In letter to him. But she could
not quite bring herself to the point.
Always behind Bill loomed the vast
and dreary Northland, and she shrank
from that.
On top of this, she began to suffer
q queer upset Of her physical condl-
ton. All her life she had been splen-
dIdly healthy; her body perfect
working machine, afflicted with no
weaknesses. Now odd spasmodic pains
required without rhyme or reason In
her head, her back, her limbs, strik-
ing her with sudden poignancy. disap-
| pearing as suddenly.
She was stretched on the lounge one
afternoon wrestling nervously with
particularly acute attack, when Vesta
Lorimer was ushered in.
you're almost stranger" Hazel
remarked, after the first greetings.
"Your outing must have been pleasant
to hold you SO long"
ut would have held me longer"
Vest returned, "lf didn't have to be
In touch with my market. I could live
quite happily on my island eight
months in the year. But one can't get
people to come several hundred miles
to sitting. And feel inclined to ac-
ouIre a living income while my vogue
lasts"
you're rather wilderness lover.
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