The Arvada enterprise., 1919-07-17


The bread was cut in precise tzianyiss
the butter had been shaved into for
sisn-looking roses. A pitcher Of the
valleys favorite beverage. Iced tea,
stood By Hardin's plate. Thsrs was q
platter Of cold meats.
Il came home to Innes for the hun
dredth time, the surprise Of such Q
meal in that desert. 4 few years ago.
and what had q meal beenI She threw
the credit Of the little lunch to sulky
Tom Hardin lying on the portiers-e COW
cred couch, his ugly lower LIP out
thrust against an unsmiling vision. Il
was Tom, Tom and his brave man. The
sturdy engineers, the dauntlsss sur
veyors. The Indians who had dug tie
canals those were the ones who had
spread that pretty table, not the buxom
little woman darting about In pink
gingham.
"Is Il because don't like nerr' she
unused. her syss on the pictures In the
style book which had Just come In that
morning. Certainly Ger1 did have the
patience Of Q saint With Toms hu-
mors. II she would only lose that ut
look Of martyrdomi It WAS not for an
outsider to Judge between husband
and wife. even II the man were her
own brother. She could not put her
finger ON the germ Of their painful
scenes; che shrank from the rscollec.
tion Of Toms temper; his coarse
streak. the 0ingg nber. her own mother
called It. Tom was rough, but she
loved him. Why was It abe WAS sure
that 0efty did not love her husbandf :
Yet there was the distrust, % nxed
and ~ unjust perhaps ~ The suspicion
Of Gerty's little mysteries.
She said aloud: This b your last
day. Ny week begins tomorrow"
Mn. Hardin adjusted Q precise nap.
kin before she spoke.
RI think I win keep tie reins for q
month this time" Her words were 70.
asctive. - though the thought wsrs
new. II get my hand in just a. I stop.
I win be running out for my visit in Q
few weeks. It win be only fair for ~
to do Il ~ long a. can"
Again the giri had q sense of subtle.
y. Whenever Gsru put on that cir oe
childish confidential deliberation, she
hunted for the plot. This was not faf
to Geek. Her sister-in-law was passing
out the hot season to her.
TITS all ready" Gerty's glance was
winsins. blrdliks. over the table. Moth
Ing had been forgotten. She eave Q
little sigh Of elastic Satisfaction. Har.
din misintsEprsted It
Il ought 10 be able to keep Q seFv.
ant for her" II was IKE him b have
forgotten the Lawrenee days; he waS
never free Of the sense Of Obligation 10
the dainty little woman who was born,
he. felt for the purple. There was
nothing too good for Gsrty. Hs felt
her unspokea disappointments: hse
deprivationA ''Of course. shs can have
no respect for me. I'm q failure"
Doesn't this give you IN appetizer
demanded lnaes heartily. .And I'm
to b. Q lady for three more weeks"
The remark Was thoughtless. 4 beiSAt
nush spread over 0erty's face. ~
caught an allusion 10 her origin.
lnnes saw the blush and re0e0.
bered the boarding house. She could
think Of nothing to say. The three
relatives sat down to that most uneom.
Portable traveSty, q social meal Wheeo
sociability 10 lacking. lines said II
had been Q pleasant morning. 0sety
thought Il had been bot And then
there was silenes again.
lnnes began to tell them Of her Tue.
son visit, when Gsfty laid down hsf