The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-03-28

ti1kS ldSA IuOluenL. one WdUDttI 10
prolong the conversation-had the
guests all come? Were they really
goinga Then she must be getting old,
for a night like this dismayed her
Gerty felt her goodnight was rudely
abrupt. But was she to stand there
Cabling all night, her guests wait
mgf
| She prayed that Richard would be
there when she returned What a
travesty If the guest of honor should
4 disappoint herI Though he was not
among the different groups, her CON
4 fidence In his punctiliOusuess reas-
4 sured her. She must hold them a lit
tie longer. she fitted gaily from one
standing group to another. Her eyes
constantly questioned the clock.
slow long are you going TO wait
for Mrs. HatfefdT Her husband
came up, protesting.
'Mrs. Hatfield" she explained dis
family. lis moi coming. We are wait
ing for Mr.. Richard"
HE didn't come in on that train I;
he's at the Heading" Hardin added
something about trouble at the intake,
but Gerty did not heed. Tom had
known and had not told her when
there was yet time to call it off
"A pretty time to tell mel" Had
he been looking at her, he would have
been left no illusions. Her blue eyes
flashed hate.
Il did not know it until we got
here. There was message from Mac
Lean at the desk, waiting"
MacLean was not there, eitheri
"We are all ready" she cried.
Mrs. Hatfield and Mr.. Richard cannot
come" Not for worlds would she give
in to her desire to call the whole
grim affair off; let them think she
was. disappointed, not she. Though
the world blew away, she would go.
She found herself distributing slips
Of mangled quotations. The white
slips went to the women; the green
bits of pasteboard to the men. She
! held a certain green card in her
, glove: Leads on to fortune" Rick
ard might come dashing in at the last
moment, the ideal mans way; a spe-
. cial, perhaps; it did not seem credible
that he would deliberately stay away
without sending her word.
In a burst of laughter, the com
) pany discovered then that the guess
of honor was also absent. Mrs
, Hardin hurried them out to the wait
q ing buggies.
' Drearily. they drove down the fly
ing street. The wind was at theil
backs, but it tore at their hats, pulled
q at their tempers. Their eyes were
full of street dust.
/ A fash Of light as they were Ieav
q ing town frightened the thick dus
clouds. "What was that7" cried Gerry
r She was ready for any calamity now
mot lightningP" Again, the quee
light flashed across the obscured sky
Tom reused himself to growl that h
hadn't seen anything. And the drear1
farce went on.
lines partner was young Sutcliffe
the English zanjero. He was in the
quicksand of a comparison between
English and American women, lines
mischievously coaxing him into deeper
waters, when there was a blockade
of buggies ahead of them.
'The A B @ RANCH" cried lines
peering through the veil of dust a
the queer unreal outlines Of fences
and trees. sits our first STOP"
4oh, say, that's too bad" begar
Suteliffe. Innes was already on tn,
road, her skirts whipped by the winc
into clinging drapery.
Gerty's party found itself disorgan
lied. Partners were trying to fine
or lose each other. sect in here =
Innes heard the voice Of Estrada be
hind her. He had top buggy. She
hailed refuge.
"Splendid!" she cried. 'rWhat {
relief" Climbing in, she said: a.
hope this isn't upsetting Gerty's ar
rangement."
Arrangement Look at them y
The women were fastening out Of the
dust swirl into an haven that Of
! fered. With little screams OF dismay
they ran like rabbits to cover.
Gerty found herself with Blinn. All
the next stop there was a block OF
buggies. mo use changing again 81
/, She acknowledged herself beaten
Lets go on. What are they stopping
for" Dismal farce it all wasl
She was pushing back her disheart-
. ened curls when the beat of horses
hoofs back of them brought the blood
back into her wind-chilled cheeks.
"Rickardp she thought. HE must
. have come in specialp The gloom
; suddenly disgorged MacLean.
. "HardinI Where is heT'
whats upT" yelled Blinn. as 1t
the riyer?' MacLean's face answered
him. His ranch secured again-"God
Almighty
'The riverr' screamed the women.
The men were surrounding MacLean,
whose horse was prancing as if with
~.