The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-05-01
CHAPTER vIi--contlnued.


The windstorm the previous week
had made a ~sickening devastation of
her iabors. The morning glories alone
were scatheless. A pink oleander
dro0ped many broken branches from
which miracles Of perfect flowers were
unfolding. The. prettiest blossom to
Hardin was the gardener herself. She
was vivid from eager toll. Hardin
looked at her.approbatively. He liked
her khaki suit, simple as a uniform.
with Its flowing black tie and leather
belt. She looked more like herself to-
day. She had bleached out. IN Tucson.
she had been letting herself get too
tanned, running around without hats.
Sunburn paled the value OF those
splendid eyes Of hers. He could always
tease her by llkening them to topazes.
His eyes ran over the pink aud pur-
pie lines OF c~ord-trained vines which
made floral screens for her tent. Free
of the strings overhead, they rioted
over the ramada, the second roof, OF
diving boughs. He acknowledged their
beauty. They gave grace to bare ne
eessity; they denied the painting.
thirsty desert just beyond.
He remembered his own ramada.
Gerty had hated II, had complained of
u SO bitterly when she CANT home
from New York that he had mad II
pulled down and replaced by a V roof
ef pine boards, glaring and ugly. Gerry
was satisfied. for It was clean; she no
longer felt that she lived In a squaw
house. Let the Indians have ramadas /;
there was no earthly reason she should.
He had urged that the desert dwellers
had valuable hints to give them. But
what was a remada to him. or anything
eIsef Hardin turned to leave. =
She did not want him to go so soon.
She pointed out a new vine to him.
She had brought Il from Tucson;
"kudzu." they called It: a japanese
vine. And there was another broken
rose. quite beyond the help Of stripped
hsndkerchlefs and mesquit splintS
; He followed her around the tent, her
psattle falling from his grim mood. He
was not thinking Of her flowers except
as a mocking parallel. The desert
storm had made a havoc OF his garden
"a sorry botch Of his life. He and
snnes had been trying to make a gar
aen out or a desert; the desert had
mouted them It was not his fault.
Something had happened: something
lsits beyond his power. Luck was
iurning against him
! hnes. why. abe was playing as with
10y. IL was the natural instinct of q
sNuuaan TO make things pretty around
@ss. hut 10 had sacrificed his youth,
'sks chances. His domestic life. too
N should never have carried a dainty
sksf1e woman like Gerry into the des-
prA He had never reproached her for
eszving him. wen last time when he
thought Il was for good. The word
bsyned his wound. Whose goodY His
- 9erty'sf Somehow. though they
ssangfed he always knew Il would
cnrn out all right; life would run
sraocthly when they left the desert.
.Sat things were getting worse; his
tseoth puckered over some recollec-
lions. Yet he loved Gerry : he couldn't
life without her. He decided
that n was beenuse there had never
anyone else. Most fellows had
had swesthearts before they married ;
ee had not nor o mistress when she
eft him. though God knows. Il would
have been easy enough His mouth
fen into sardonic lineA Those half
hreed womeni No ona even when q
1lvoves had hung over him. Oh, he
lnew what their friends made Of each
n Gcrty's Heightened flights; he knew !
dut that had been spared him. that
vulgar grisiy spectacle Of modern life
when two people who have been lovers
Rag the carcass Of their love over the
yrfmy door of . curious gaping court.
I3e shuddered Gerry loved him. Else.
Why had she come back to himf Why
md she NOT kept her threat when he
TO abandon his desert project
md turn bis abilities into a more
,roitabls dsdicationf He could see
les facs a. she stared Gushing up into
- that nipping cold day when he had
un into her on Broadway. He remem-
her coquetry when she suggest
d that there was plenty Of room In
,sr APARTMENT His wifei She spoke
{ scefng his pictures In the papers.
bad grown to be q great mani"
9tAAt piQuant needn& the week fol-