The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-12-19
CHAPTER l-Continued.

what hopelessly. Her father read her
perplexity.
ut seems as though you would be
In charge here for a while, Reenie,"
he said, $50 you will save time by
getting acquainted at once with your
equipment. Look the house over and
see what you have to work with"
"Well, I can men here" she
answered. ~ his Is Dawes room. I
suppose / should say Mr.. Elden's,
but-what was it he said about mis-
terlng'? 1t would be splendid If 1t
were cleaned up she continued, with
kindling enthusiasm. "These bare
logs. bare floors. bare rafters-we've
got back to essentials, anyway. And
that's his bed" She surveyed a
framework Of spruce poles, on which
lay an old straw mattress and some
very gray blankets. 81 suppose he
Is very tired when he goes to bed"
she SAIL. droliy, as though that could
be the only explanation of sleep amid
such surroundings.
II. the south end OF the larger room
stood a fireplace, crudely made of
slabs OF native rock. The fires Of
many winters had crumbled the rock,
so that 1t had fall IN in in places and
was no lCnge~ employed for its origi-
nnI purpose. A very rusty and greasy
stove now occupied the space imme-
diately In front of the fireplace. the
Sfnv0ntn.a nodinn infn thu ornn1n h,,<
t%otterins chimney. Near the stove
was a bench supporting a tin wash.
basin. a wooden pail and certain frag-
ments Of soap-evidently all the equip
ment necessary for the simple ablu-
lions of the Eden household. The
remnant Of a grain-bag, with many evil
dences OF s and abuse, performed
the functions of a towel, and a broken
piece Of l0oking-glass gave the faintest
tntimntiOn that a strain of fundamen-
tai relationship links the sexes. BY
the western wall was q table, with nu-
merous dishes. and to the wall itself
had been nailed wood6 bOxes-salmon
and tomato caSes-nOw containing an
assortment of culinary supplies. A
partially used sack of -four and an.
other of rolled oats leaned against the
wall, and a trapdoor In the floor gave
promise Of further beneath
There was q window In the east and
another in the west, both open and
u~nscreened: myriads of flies gave the
only touch Of life to the dismal scene,
Irene looked it all over, then leaned
against the window sill ana laughed,
Her father had brought her west FOL
holidays, with the promise of changed
surroundings and new experiences, but
he had promised her no snch delight
as this. With the Eden kitchen still
photographed In her mind she called up
the picture OF her own city hOme-the
order; the precision; the fixednass
the his-sits-hcre-and.th
8 the fairness and emptiness and
f0rmality Of 1t all; and she turned
again TO the Eden kitchen and laughed
"a soft, ripping, irrepressible laugh
Is i~rrepressible as the laughter Of the
mountain stream amid the evergreens
Then she looked again from the oper
window, this time with eyes that saw
the vista OF valley and woodland and
foothill that stretched down into the
opening prairie. Suddenly she realized
that she was looking down upon q pic
ture-One of natures obscure master
pieces-pa.nted in brown and greer
and saffron against an opal canvas. II
was beautiful. not with the solemnity
Of the great mountains. nor the sol.
emnity of the great plains, but with
tina: nearer, more intimate relationship
which Is the peculiar property of the
foothill co.yatry. The girl drew Q
great breath of the pure air and was
about to dream a new daydream when
the voice Of her father brought her to
earth.
Cant you find anything that will dc
for q bandAse?" he asked.
"Oh, you dear Daddykins l" she re
piled, her voice tremulous with self
%reproach. II had forgotten. There
was q spell. OF something; 1t just came
down upon me In the window. The
bandage? Dear, no! The only cloth
see Is the kitchen towel, and / CAM
recommend it. But what q goose
am! Our grips are In the q or un
der It, or somewhere. I'll be sack iI
a jiffy." ana she was OF at a SHARP
rot down the trail along which she
had so recently come In Dave Elden's
wagon.
The grips were duly found. and Irene
congratulated herself that she and hel
father were In the habit Of travelling
With equipment for overnight. Arrived
0st the house, she deftly wrapped
,andage about her fathers injury ant
III 70 work at the preparation q sup
.r--a task not strange 70 hNr. - bel