The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-01-01
CHAPTER Viii.


though she had left part of her nature
behind-had Outgrown it, perhaps
and had created about herself an at
mosphere of reserve foreign to her
earlier life. 1t seemed as though the
| loneliness of the great plains had
settled upon her.
Whatever has come over Irene?"
| said Mrs. Hardy to the doctor one eve
ming. "She hasn't been the same since
she came home. 1 should not have let
her go west alone"
The doctor looked up mildly from
his paper. It was the custom of the
doctor to look up mildly when Mrs.
| Hardy made a statement demanding
some form of recognition. From the
| wide initiation into domestic affairs
which his profession had given him
/ Doctor Hardy had long since entirely
| ceased to look for the absolute in
woman. He had never looked for 1t
i in man. He realized that in Mrs.
| Hardy he did not possess a perfect
mate, but he was equally convinced
| that in nc other woman would he have
| found perfect mate, and he accepted
his lot with the philosophy of his
| sixty years. So instead of reminding
| his wife that Irene had not been alone
| when she went west he remarked very
mildly that the girl was growing older.
Mrs. Hardy found in his remark Oc-
easion to lay down the book she had
been holding and TO sit upright in a
rigidity of intense disapproval. Doc
tor Hardy was aware that this was
entirely a theatrical attitude, assumed
for the purpose of imposing upon him
a proper humility. He had expert
enced it many times.
Doctor Hardy" said his wife after
the lapse of an appropriate period,
''do you consider that an intelligent
remarkT'
at has the advantage Of truthful
ness" returned the doctor eOmpla-
Gently. at is susceptible OF demon
stration-"
ST should think this is a matter Of
sufficient interest to the family to be
discussed seriously" retorted Mrs.
Hardy, who had an unfortunate habit
| of becoming exasperated by her hus-
bands good humor. Irene is our
| only child. and before your very eyes
you see her-you see her Do you
| know, I begin-I really begin to sus-
pect that she's in love"
It was Doctor Hardy's turn to sit
upright. "NonsenseT' he said. ''Why
should she be in lover" 1t is the IN
fortunate Limitation of the philosopher
| that he so often leaves irrational be
| haviOr out of the reckoning. "She is
only a child"
"She will be eighteen presently.
| And the question is-whO? That is
for you to answer. Who did she
| meet?"
'She met no one with me. Ny &C
cident left me to enjoy my holiday as
best I could at a ranch deep in the
| foothills, and Reenie stayed with me
there. There was no one else"
| mo one? No ranchmen, cowboys
COW punchers-I think have heard
with nice disdain.
mo. Only young Eden"
| "Only? Who is this young Elden?"
'But he is just a boy. Just the son
of the old rancher of whom 1 have
told you"
Exactly. And Irene is just a girl.
Doctor Hardy, you are all very well
with your fevers and your chills, but
| you can't diagnose a love case worth
a cent. What about this young FL
den? Did Irene see much of him?"
The doctor spread his hands. do
you realize that there were four of
US at that ranch-four only, and no
one else for miles? How could she
help seeing him?'
"And you permitted it?"
leg. We were guests at their home.
They were good Samaritans to US. 1
couldn't chaperon her. And besides
they don't do things that way in that
country. You don't understand. It's
| altogether different"
Andrew" said Mrs. Hardy, leaning
forward, and the word was ominous,
for she used his Christian name only
| in moments of crisis, twas Irene ever
with this young man-alone?"
The doctor arose to his feet and
trod heavily upon the rich carpetings.
ST told you you don't understand" he
protested. ''The West is not the East.
Everything is different"
ST suppose human nature is differ
| ent," she interrupted meaningly. Then
her head fell upon the table and her
hands went up about her hair. 1t
had been brown hair once but was
now thin and streaked with gray. "Oh.
Andrew" she wept, "we are ruined
That we should ever have come to
| thisi''
It was now Doctor Hardy's turn to
be exasperated. There was one thing
his philosophy could not endure That
| was a person who was not and who
would not be philosophical Mrs
Hardy was not and would not be phil
osophical.
'sThis is all nonsense" said the doc
tor, impatiently. ''There is nothing
to it, anyway. The girl had to have