Cheyenne record., 1919-10-02
CHAPTER xIxll.
The White Might.

INC "hfN V'S"t-
Lord. I'm tired" groaned Ricksrd.
stumbling into camp. wet to the skin
-I>onf you say letters TO ne, Mac.
Pm going TO bed. Tell Ling I don't
went any dinner. Hen want to fuss
up something I don't want to see
food
The day. confused and 1umbied
burned scross his eyebslls; q turmoil
Of hustle and hurry Of insurrection. He
had made swift stand against that
He wss TO be minded TO the last man
1sck Of them. or anyone would 20, bis
threat including the engineers, Silent,
Irish. Wooster, Hardin himself. This
wss no time for factions, for leader
feeling.
Ia bed, the day with its irritahons
fell away. He could see now the step
shesd that had been taken; the Last
trestie was done; the rock-pOuring
well on; he called that going some
He felt PLEASANTLY laDguid. but not yet
sleepy. His thought wandered over the
resting camp. And then Innes Hardin
came To him.
Not herself. but as soft little
thought which came creeping around
the corner OF his dreams. She had
been there. Of course. all day. tucked
away Ia his mind, as though In his
home waiting for him to come back to
her. weary from the pricks Of the day.
The way he would come home to her,
please God, Some day. Not bearing
lis burdens TO her. he did not believe
Ia that. but asking her diversions. Con
tenhnent spread her soft wings over
him. He fell asleep.
kicksrd wakened as to a call. What
had startled himf He listened, rsis-
Ing himself by his elbow. From dis
tsnce. u sweet high voice, unreal In its
pitch and thrilling quality. came TO
him. 1t WAS Godfrey. somewhere on
the ievee. singing by the river. 1t
brought him again TO Innes Hardin.
He pulled aside his curtain which
hung over the screening Of his tent
and looked out into d moon-fOoded
world. Richards eyes fell on a little
tent over yonder. white shrine.
"Wl;:e ~ that fine sweet soul Of
hers!'
Wandering into the night, Godfrey
passed down the river. singing. His
voice. the footlights. the listening
great audiences were calling to him.
no him. the mOOn-f0cdsd levee, the
HiisteDing water, made star-set
scene. He was treading the boards,
sHe rushing waters by the bank gave
the orchestratiOn for his meIOdy-"La
Donna e Mobile" He began II to Gerty
Hardin she would hear It In her tent;
She would take II as the tender re-
prOach he had teBsed her with that
afternoon In the ramada.
He gave for encore II ballad long
forgotten; he had pulled 1t back from
made It his own.
"But. my darling. you will be,
Ever young and fair to me-"
II came. the sOaring voice. to Tom
Hardin. outside Gerty's tent on his
lonely cot. lie knew that song. Dis
dained by his wife, II pretty figure II
man cuts! II his wife emit stand
him. who CAM He wasn't good enough
for her. He was rough. His life had
kept him from fitting himself to her
taste. She needed people who could
talk like Nlckard. sing like Godfrey.
People. other people, might mlscOn-
strue her preferences He knew tncy
were not hirtatj0ns; sh" needed her
kind. She would always keep straight;
bhe WAS straight as II whip. Life was
Hs hard for her MS II was for him he
could feel sorry for her: his pity was
III vided between the two OF them, the
husband. the wife, both lonely In their
own way.
ON the other side OF the cnnvas
walls. Gcrty Hardin lay listening to
The message meant for her. The ficklc
sex. he had called hers no c0nstancy
Ia woman. he had declared. fOndling
her hair. He had tried to cOnx her
into pledges, pledges which were also
disay0wals to the man outside.
silver threads! Age shuddered at
tier threshold. She hated that song
Iruel life had been to her: none Of Its
is,Iinises had been kept To be happy.
shy. that was n humans birthright;
grab It. that was her creed There
was n chance yet youth had not gone.
lie wns singing It to her. her escape
Darling. you will he.
Ever yonng and fair to me-"
Godfrey, singing to Gerty Hardin.
had awakened the camp. Innes. In
her tent. too. was listening.
Darling. you will be,
Ever young and falr to me"
10 that is the miracle. that wild
-ush OF certain feeling Yesterday.
doubting, tomorrow. more dOubts-but
Tonight. the song. the night isolated
them. herself and Rickard. into a
world of their own. Life with him on
sny terms she wanted.