The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-08-02

Mrs. Hardin" Richard woke up. |
"She all time makee trouble. She /
Clay. She think woman vellee fine |
cook. She show Ling cOokee plunes. |
Teachee Ling cOokee plunes! l no |
stay that woman" Unutterable final |
ity in the leathern face. Richard and !
MacLean, Jr., exchanged glances
which deepened from concern into
perplexity. They could not afford to
lose Ling. And offend Mrs. Hardin.
the camp already Hardinesque?
Richard grew placating. He spent
half hour wheedling. They met at
the starting place. Ling go tamale."
"Oh, Lord" groaned the manager,
captivating. "All right, Ling"
| With the dignity of an oriental
prince. Ling battered out of the tent,
Richard was puckering his lips at his
secretary. I'D rather take castor
OIL"
A half hour later, MacLean saw his
chief leave his tent. He was In fresh
linens.
81 wouldn't swap places with him
|
wet hen!"
Mrs. Hardin. from her bed by her
screen window, saw him coming. She
slipped into seminegligee of alter
nate rows of lace and swiss construct
ed for such possible emergencies. She
did not make the mistake of smooth
ing her hair; her instinct told her
that the fluffy disorder bore out the
use Of the negligee. She was sew
ing In her ramada when Richards
knock sounded on the screen door.
Despite his protests she started wa
ter boiling in her chatting dish. He
had not time for tea. he declared, but
she insisted on making this call of
social nature. She opened a box of
sugar waters, her zeal that of child
with toy kitchen; she was playing
dolls house.
Richard made several openings for
his errand, but her wits sped like
a gopher from his labored digging
She met his mood with womanly dig
nifty; she tutored her coquetries, with
held her archness.
He found he would have to discard
diplomacy, blurt out his message; use
bludgeons for this scampering agility
my mission is a little awkward
Mrs. Hardin. I hope you will take Il
, all right, that you will not be Of
Tended"
"Offended?" Her face showed
, alarm.
Its about Ling. He's queer fel
low; they all are. you know" HI
was laundering like a schoolboy un
der the growing shadow in Gerty'
blue eyes. "They resent authority
that is, from women. He is tyrant
Ling is"
"Yes" All. she would Lot help him
Let him founder!
"He wants to be let alone; n
doesn't appreciate your kind helI
Mrs. Hardin"
"Oh~ Her eyes were hot wit
tears-angry tears. She could no
q. speak or would not. She sat in he
spoiled dolls house, all her pleasur
e. in her toy dishes, her pretty finery
ruined. He could not care If he coul
n. humiliate her so. 1t was the mos
~ vivid moment of her life. Not eve
when Richard had left her, with hi
N kisses still warm on her lips, had sh
q felt so outraged. He was treating he
as though she were servant-di:
n. charging her-because she was tn
10 wife of Hardin. Her eyes grew blac
% with anger; she hated them both; b.
as tween them, their jealousy, their r
valry, what had they made Of her life
She remembered the woman she ha
seen in his ramada; she had hear
that the Mexican was in camp, en-
, ployed by Richard. Her thoughts wei
like swarming hornets.
no Hes an ungrateful beast, Mr.
or Hardin. I told him l would not Il
ge YOU waste your kindness one instaI
he longer"
at oh. she understood! A bitter plea
he ure to see him so confused. Rickar
of before whose superior appraisemel
ito she had so often wilted! She won
Die not help him out, never! She ro
ay when he paused. He thanked her f
les meeting him half way, and her smi
rk was inscrutable.
In $50 I'm discharged?
yth You can't be discharged If you
CO. never been employed, can you? Thai
he you once again, and for your tea.
he was delicious. / wish Ling would 81
ow us tea like that"
les Boorish. all of it, and blunderin
ing Why wouldn't he go? When he HI
use hurt her so had hurt her so!
Her hand met his, but not her eye
IAN II he did not go quickly somethi
OF would happen; he would see her CT
len ing. The angels that guard blundere
ING got Richard out of the tent witho
I'VE a suspicion of threatening tears. 5
'ile threw off her negligee and the pi
er- blue slip; the tears must wait
to that. Then she flung herself on b
to bed and shook it with the grief
eu' wounded vanity.
zee That evening the chief had a vi
ut tor. The wife of Maldonado, some
On the fear pressed out of her ey
brought in his Numbered KHAKI
socks, darned and matched; all
10y missing buttons replaced.
w Il haven't worn q matched soc
he told her, "for months. That's gre