Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-03-28

fly today as it scared yesterday? Rick
ard was finding that Gerty's more ma
7 ture charms did not accelerate hi
: heart-beats, but they were certainl,
; fiattering to his early judgment. Ant
he had expected her to be shockl
He was staring into his plate O.
chilled soup. Calf-lovel For he haC
loved her, or at least he had loved hel
chin, her pretty childish way of lifting
it. She was prettier than he had pic
tured her. Queer that man like Har
din could draw such women for sister
and wife-the blood tie was the most
amazing. For when women come to
marry, they make often a queer choice
1t occurred to him that that might
have been Hardin-he had not wanted
TO stare at them.
That was not Hardin's face. 1t held
strength and power. The outline was
sharp and distinct, showing the strong
lines, tie determined mouth of the pio-
neer. There was something else, some
thing which stood for distinction-no,
it couldn't be Hardin.
And then, because an outthrust lip
changed the entire look of the man,
Richard asked his table companions,
who was the man with the two ladies,
near the door.
'That, suh," his neighbor from Ala
bama became Immediately oratorical,
''that is a big man, sub. If the I'm
perial valley ever becomes a reality, a
fixtuah, it will be because of that one
man, sub. Reclamation is like q seed
thrown on a rock. VIII it stick? Will
it take root? VIII it grow? That is
what we all want to know"
Richard thought that he had wanted
to know something quite different, and
reminded the gentleman from Alabama
that he had not told him the name.
''The father of this valley, of the
reclamation of this desert, Thomas
Hardin, subj"
Richard tried to reset, without at
tracing their attention, the group of
his impressions of the man whose per-
sonality had been so obnoxious to him
in the old Lawrence days. The Hardin
he had known had also large features,
but of the fiaccid irritating order. He
summoned a picture of Hardin as he
had shuffled into his own classroom, or
up to the long table where Gerty had
always queened it among her mothers |
boarders. He could see the rough IN
polished boots that had always offend |
ed him as a betrayal of the mans in |
ner coarseness; the badly fitting coat, |
the long awkward arms, and the salts |
fed, loud-speaking mouth. These fea-
lures were more definite. Could time |
bring these changes? Had he changed,
like that? Had they seen him? Would
Gerty, would Hardin remember him?
Wasn't it his place to make himself
wave the flag of old friendship
over an awkward situation?
He found himself standing in front
IF their table, encountering first, the
eyes of Hardin's sister. There was no
no welcome there for him. He
,elt at once the hostility of the camp.
His face was uncomfortably warm.
Then the childish profile turned on him.
look of bewilderment, flushing into
years had been kind to
5erty Holiness II
. DO you remember me, Rickard?"
IF Hardin recognized difficult situa- ]
ion, he did not betray it. 1t was |
nan Richard did not know who shook I
i'm warmly by the hand, and said that $
indeed he had not forgotten him. L
1--WE been expecting you. My wife, {
Ir. Richard, and my sister" l
"Why, what are you thinking of, {
'om? To introduce Mr. Rickardi 1 I
you to each other, years f
!" Gerty's cheeks were red. Her
right eyes were darling from one to
De other. "You knew he was coming,
nd did not tell me?"
"YoE were at the Improvement club
hen the telegram came" put in Innes "
ardin, without looking at Richard. No d
ace of the Tucson cordially in that a
roud little facet No acknowledgment b
lat they had met at the Marshall'sl Z
''Oh, you telegraphed to usT' The a
ond arch smile had not aged. "That Il
as friendly and nice" N
Richard had not been self-conscious II
r many year. He did not know OF
hat to say. He turned from her up
rned face to the others. Innes Har- q
n was staring out of the window, D:
eF the heads Of several crowded fe
bles; Hardin was gazing at his plate. In
ckard decided that he would get out "a
this before Gerty discovered that it tn
IS neither friendly nor nice" CO
IF had Known that you were here, or
would have insisted on your dining tn
III us. In our tent For It's terrible, oil