The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-06-21
CHAPTER VlI-continued.

The windstorm the previous week
had made a sickening devastation Oh
her labors. The mOrning-gloriesa lohe
were scatheless A pink oieanner
dropped many broken branches from
which miracles Of perfect MOWERS were
unfolding. The prettiest blossom 10
Hardin was the gardener herself. she
was vivid from eager toll. Hardih
looked at her approximately. lie llKeo
her khaki suit, simple as UNIFORM
with its flowing black tie and leather
belt. She looked more like herset To-
day. She had bleached out, in tucson.
She had been letting herself get 100
tanned, running around without mats
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 ana pur-
nile lines of cord-trained vines when
made floral screens for her tent. Free
of the strings overhead, they rioted
over the ramada. the second roof, OF
living boughs. He acknowledged their
beauty. They gave crate TO bare ne
cessity; they denied the painting
thirsty desert just beyond.
He remembered his own ramada.
Gerry had hated 1t. had complained OF
It ss~-bitterly when she came home
from New York that he had had II
pulled down and replaced by roof
of pine boards, glaring and ugly. Gerty
was satisfied, for II was clean; she no
longer felt that she lived In 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 remada to him, or anything
else? Hardin turned to leave.
She did not want him to go so soon
She pointed out new vine to him
She had brought II from Tucson
"Kudzu." they called 1t; Japanese
vine. And there was another broker
rose, quite beyond the help Of stripped
handkerchiefs and mesquit splints.
He followed her around the tent, hel
prattle falling from his grim mood. HI
was not thinking Of her flowers excep
as a hooking parallel. The deser
storm had made havoc Of his garder
"a sorry botch Of his life. He ant
lines had been trying to make n gar
n out of desert; the desert hat
hted them. II was not his fault
fnething had happened; something
butte beyond his power. Luck wa
A turning against him.
/ lnnes, why. she was playing as wit
q roy. II was the natural instinct Of
woman to make things pretty aroun'
her. But he had sacrificed his youth
mis- chances. His domestic life, too
he should never have carried a daint
little woman like Gerry into the des
ert. He had never reproached her 70
having him. even last time when b
thought Il was for good. The wor
burned his wound. Whose goodf HI
or 0erty'si Somehow. though the
wnngied, he always knew 1t woul
turn out all right: life would ru
smoothly when they left the deser
But things were getting worse; hi
mouth puckered over some recolle'
items. Yet he loved Gerty; he couldn
picture life without her. He decide
ohat Il was because there had nevs
been anyone else. Most fellows ha
bod sweethearts before they married
Ne had not, nor q mistress when sh
let him. though God knows. 1t woul
have been easy enough. His mout
fell into sardonlc lines. Those hal
breed womenl No, one, even when
divorce had hung over him. Oh.
knew what their friends made of eae
Of 0efty's Heightened flights; he knew
But that had been spared him. tn,
vulgar grisly spectacle Of modern III
when two people who have been love
drag the carcass of their love over Il
grlmy floor OF q curious gaping cour
He shuddered. Gerry loved him. Els
why had she come back to him2 WI
had she not kept her threat when
refused to abandon his desert probe
and turn his abilities into a mo
profitable dedicationf He could S,
her face as she stared flushing up In
his that nipping cold day when he b,
run into her on Broadway. He remer
bered her coquetry when she sugge:
ed that there was plenty of room
her apartment His wife She spol
Of seeing his pictures in the paper
'sH< had grown to be a great mani"
That piquanf meeting. the week (,
lowing had been the brightest Of /
life. He was sure then that Ger