Jerome County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1919-1920, 1919-08-21


rasped as he was by his huniliatiOns
ana isappointmenfs-h could any
woman be so cruel? AS for Richard,
ne Was beneath cOntempt-if IL were
true Gerty's story. told in shrugs and
uashes She had Tilted him for Tom
ana This his revengef She had not
known that she had such feeling as
the thought reused in her. II proved
what the blood tie is, this tigerish
passion sweeping through her, as her
eyes watched that closed tent-it was
Tor love for Tom, pity for Tom. Sex
why, Gerty did not know the
meaning Of the words
How long would it be before Tom
would see what every one else was
seeing? What would he do when he
knew Hating Richard already, bitter
as he was
She was not SO biased as he. She
could see why Marshall had had to re-
organize Estrada had shown her;
ana MacLean. Her sense Of justice
had done the rest Richard had proved
his efficiency; the levee. the camp, the
miili"ry discipline all showed the gen
erai. Whether he were anything of
an engineer, time would tell that. 1t
was O. long call he was making Sup
pose Tom were to come back? She
must watch Tor him--make some ex-
cuse to pull him in if he should come
back before that other went Hate
iul such eavesdropping A prisoner
to that mans gallivantingl
For an instant she did not recognize
the figure outside Gertys tent. Her
fears saw Tom. She reached the
screen door in time to see Richard lift
his hat to disappearing furry Of ruff
iles. Angry eyes watched Richards
step swing him away.
From the levee that day, she had a
glimpse Of the Mexican woman on her
knees 10y the river, rubbing clothes
against smooth stone A pile Of
tight-Wrune socks lay on the bank. In
lies stood aud watched her.
81 must remember to speak of her
To Gerty,' Size determined. "She prob
ably dogs not know that there is
washerw oman in camp"
Il was week later before she re-
membered to speak Of the Mexican
woman "whU could wash" The two
women were on their way to their
tents from the mess breakfast. Sonora
Maldonado WIS leaving MacLean's
tcnl with large bundle of used
clothes under her arm.
she washes for the men. I'm 90
ins 10 ask her to do my khakis for Inc.
Perhaps this woman would be willing
to do all our laundryY"
Gerty had been wondering what she
would say to lines. The speech which
needed only an Introduction was
stirred into the open.
you must not" her voice trembled
/ with anger. you must not ask that
woman. She is not To be spoken to-"
The girl asked her bluntly what she
meant
You must not give her your wash
ing must not speak to her. I've not
mentioned it, before. Il hoped 1t
would not be necessary. Tom told me
not to speak of it,"
Tom told you not to speak of il?
Not to speak of WHAT"
You must have observed-Mr. Rick
ardg"
The girls ear did not catch the
short pause. "GbScrvcd Mr.. Richard p
The coolness between US. | scarce
ly speak 10 him. don't wish to speaI.
To him"
When had all this happened. lime,
demanded of herself? Had she been
asleep, throwing pity from outdated
dreams?
Il won't countenance a common at
fair like that Her eyes. sparkling
with anger. suggested jealous wrath
TO lines. who had her first hint OF the
story. She had learned never to take
the face value of her sisters verbal
coin; it was only a symbol of value
] il stood for something else.
The yellow eyes were on the dredgc
bucket as it swung across the channel
hut they did not register. She was
angry, outraged; she did not know
with whom with Gerty for telling her
/ with Richard. with life that let's sucl
things be. she jumped up. ION. stop
/ it, She rushed out Of the tent. fol
lowed by strange bitter smile that
brought age to the face Of Gerty Har-
/ din.
In her own tent. lines found excuse
/ for her lack of sclf-control She did
/ not like the color of scandal: she
hated Smudse Gerty had said the
whole camp knew it; knew why the
/ Mexican woman was in camp She
did not trust Gerty in anything else ::
why should She trust her in that? she
would forget Gerty'S gossip.
But She remembered it wildly that
week as she washed her own khabis ::
as she bent over the ironing board In
Gerty's sweltering "kitchenette." She
thought of il as She returned Rick
ards bow in the mess tent the next
morning; each time they met she
/ thought of il. And II was in her mind
when she met Sonora MaldOnado by
the river one day, and made a sudden
wide curve TO avoid having TO speak