The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1919-06-14

iClt NO outraged lie was treating nor
az though she were q scrNnnt--dis-
charging hcr--bccnuse She was The
wife Of Hardin. Her eyes grew black
with anger: she hated them both be-
tween them, their jealousy, their RI
valry. what had they mnde of her llfe2
She remembered the woman she had
seen In his rnmnda; she had heard
Tint the Mexican was In camp, cm-
ployed by Rlcknrd. Her thoughts were
like swarmlng hornets.
Hes an ungratcful beast. Mrs.
Hardin. told him ! would not let
you waste your Kindness one inStnnt
longer"
oh, she understood! A bitter plcns-
ure TO see him 80 confused RIckird,
before whose superior appralsen'cnt
she had so often wllted She would
not help him out, never! She rose
when he paused. He thanked her for
meeting him half way, and her smile
was inscrutnble.
$50 I'm dischnrgedW
"You can't be discharged II you've
never been employed, can you? THINK
you once again, and for your tea. II
was delicious. / wish Ling would give
us tea like that"
Boorlsh, all OF 1t, and laundering
Why wouldn't he go? When he had
hurt her so ! had hurt her sol
Her hand met his, but not her eyes.
If he did not go quickly something
would happen; he would see her cry
ing. The angels that guard bunderers
got Rlckard out of the tent without
n suspicion Of threatening tears. She
threw OF her negllgee and the pale
blue slip; the tears must whit for
that. Then she flung herself on her
bed and shook II with the grief of
wounded vanity.
That evening the chief had visi-
tor. The wife OF Maldonado. some Of
the fcur pressed out of her eyes,
brought IN his laundered khnkis,
socks, darned and matched; all the
missing buttons replaced.
~ haven't worn matched SOCK"
he told her, "for months. That's great,
senora."
He wanted to get to bed. but she lin
gered, She wanted TO talk to him
about her troubles; he had cautioned
her against talking about them In
camp. SO she overlowed 10 hifp
whenever she found n chance-about
Maldonado. the children, Lupe. II
was getting wearying. but he could
not shove the poor thing out.
Sonora Maldonado gave n sharp In
take of breath. an aborted scream.
Rickard. too, saw u mans figure out
side the screen door. The Mexican
woman pressed frightened hand TO
her heart. or course II was the venge-
full Maldonndo-he would kill her
"If ain lntrudlng," II was the
voice OF Hardin.
"Come right In" welcomed Richard.
"Get along, senora." The MaldOnado
slipped out into the night, her hand
still against her heart.
Hardin, u roll OF maps under his
arm. entered with rough sneer on
his face. A dramatic scene, that, he
had interrupted And Rickard, who
did not like to have women In camp.
White women
Rickard. stlll sleepy. asked him to
sit down.
"I wanted to speak TO You about
those concrete aprons. They tell me
you've given an order not 10 have
them"
Rickard resigned himself to long
argument. II was three o'clock when
Hardin let him turn In.
When he was getting ready for bed |
he remembered the melodramatlc :
scene Hardin had entered upon. He |
stared comprehcndlngly Mt the screen
door-seelng with understanding Hnr- |
din's coarse sneer--thc Mnldonado,
breathing fast, her hand over her
heart. "Of course he'll think good
lord. these people will make me into
nm old woman! l don't care what the
whole caboodlc of them think |"
Five minutes after blowing out his
candle he was deeply sleeping.