The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-13
(Continued)

edo,
 Isn't one dude enough for you?" growled her surly lord. Innes recog- nized the mood and shrank from the ordeal ahead. It was the mood of the Hardin in the rough, the son of his frontier mother, the fruit of old Jasper Gingg, whose smithy had been the rendezvous for the widest roughs, the fiercest cattlemen in Missouri.
 'Td let him see you knew what's what. even if we do live like gipsies." The answer to that was another Erowl. Innes could hear him dragging out the process, grumbling over each detail. That confounded laundry had torn his shirt. He hadn't a decent collar to his name. Where was his black string tie? If Cert would keep his things in the lowest drawer! Hang that button Gerty emerged from the encounter, her face very red. Innes could see her biting her lips to keep the tears back as she put the last touches to the table.
 "She's tired out," thought the sistSc of Tom Hardin. "She's probably fussed herself to death over this din. ner."
 A few minutes later Rickard ar rived in a sack suit of tweeds. Gerty's greeting was little abstracted. How could she make Innes understand to tell Tom to change his coat? The duty of a host, she suddenly remem- Dered, was to dress down rather than up to the chances of his guest. She regretted bitterly her insistence. Was ever anyone so obtuSe as InneS? MT. Rickard would see that they thought 1t big event. She was watching the curtain where Tom would emerge. And his coat was a style of several seasons ago and absurdly tight! She made an unintelligible excuse and darted behind the portiere.
 Toms face was apo 'ecttc. He was wrestling with mussCu tie; the col lar showed a desperate struggle.
 Gerty made wild signals for him to change his clothes. She waved a hand indicating Rickar1; she pointed to Toms sack suit lying on the floor where he had walked out of it.
 What is it all about2"
 "Ssh," whispered bis wife. Again the wild gestures.
 Well, aren'{ vvu satisfied? Don't looh like q gIy?"
 He could be heard distinctly in the next room. Gerty gave it up in de hn 1oIN Jof. on her nose and went out looking like a mertyr-a very pretty martyr!
 Rickard praised the miracles of the tent. Gerty's soft flush reminded h. nes of their old relation. Exit Innes," she was thinking, when Tom, red and peTspiring, brought another element of discomfort into the room.
 Gerty ushered them immediately to the table. She covered the first min utes which might be awkward with her small chatter. Somewhere she had read that it was not well to make apologies for lack of maid or fare. Besides Mir. Rickard remembered Lawrence! That dreadful dining room, the eyer-set tablet How she dad hated it, though she had not known how fearful it was until she had escaped.
 eve are simple folk here, Mir. Rick ard," she announced, as they took their places around the pretty table. That was her only allusion to deficien- cies, but it covered her nOiseless move ments around the board between courses, filled up the gaps when she made necessary dives into kitchen or primitive ice chest, and set the key for the homeliness of the meal itself. The dinner was triumph of apparent simplicity. Only Innes could guess the time consumed in the perfection of detail, details dear to the hostess heart. The almonds she had bIanched of course, herself; had dipped and saIted them. The cheese straws were her own. She did not make the mis- take of stringing out endless courses An improvised buffet near at hand made the serving a triumph.
 Rickard praised each dish; openly he was admiring her achievement Innes, remembering the story Gerty had told her in dots and dashes, the story of the old rivalry, glanced GOV. ertly at Tom sulking at the head of his own4able. q
 "2oor sulky Achilles" she thought Ior, honest old bear!"
 aanes p cried Mrs. Hardin.
 Fe turned to find that the guest k Pstaring at her. She had not heard e, fort to include her in the con
 Anton.
 < bPco:. Rickard asked you if you like "s hsre?"
 'Thank you-why, of coursew Hel answer sounded pert to herself.
 Her sister-in-law hastened to ado that Miss Hardin was very lonely, wa! really all alone in the world; that the. Insisted on her making her home witt them.
 Innes had with difficulty restrained a denial. After all, what other hom had she? Still the truth had been de fected. She recalled the sacrifice had been to cut her college course il order to make home in the deser for the brother who had always S, gently fathered her, who had helpe her invest her small capital that i might spell a small income. She re called his resistance when she ha called in q mortgage; who could watc that mad scapegoat of river playin pranks with desert homes and nc .raorn fn hnln2 NOt Hardin Gh