The Kendrick gazette., 1920-03-19
CHAPTER i-contInued.

CHAPTER CONTINUED.
.
She looked about the place some
what hopelessly. Her father read her
perplexity.
1T seems as though you would be
In charge here for while, Reenie,"
he said, $50 you will save time by
getting acquainted at once with your
equipment. Look the house over and
see what you have to work with"
"Well, can, commence here" she
answered. "This is Dawes room. I
suppose should say Mr.. Elden's,
but-what was it he said about mis-
tering'? 1t would be splendid If 1t
were cleaned up," she continued, with
kindling enthusiasm. '"These bare
logs, bare floors, bare rafters-we've
got back to essentials, anyway. And
that's his bed" She surveyed q
framework Of spruce poles, on which
lay an old straw mattress and some
very gray blankets. II suppose he
ia very tired when he goes to bed,"
she said, drolly, as though that could
be the only explanation of sleep amid
such surroundings.
In the south end Of the larger room
stood a fireplace, crudely made of
slabs Of native rock. The fires of
many winters had crumbled the rock,
SO that 1t had fallen in in places and
was no longer employed for its origi-
nal purpose. A very rusty and greasy
stove now occupied the space imme-
diately In front Of the fireplace, the
stovepipe leading into the ample but
tottering chimney. Near the stove
was bench supporting a tin wash
basin. wooden pail and certain frag-
ments Of soap-evidently all the equip
ment necessary for the simple ablu-
tions Of the Elden household. The
remnant of grain-bag, with many evil
dences Of use and abuse, performed
the functions of aatowel, and a broken
piece of looking-glass gave the faintest
intimatiOn that a strain of fundamen-
tai relationship links the sexes. BY
the western wall was table, with nu-
mer0us dishes, and to the wall itself
had been nailed wooden boxes-salmon
and tomato caSeS-nOw containing an
assortment Of culinary supplies. A
partially used sack of flour and an
other of rolled oats leaned against the
wall, and trapdoor in the floor gave
promise Of further resources beneath.
There was window in the east and
another In the west, both open and
unscreened; myriads of flies gave the
! only touch of life to the dismal scene.
Irene looked 1t all over, then leaned
against the window sill and laughed.
Her father had brought her west for
holidays, with the promise of changed
surroundings and new experiences, but
he had promised her no such delight
as this. With the Elden kitchen still
photographed in her mind she called up
the picture of her own city home-the
order; the precision; the fixedness
the this-sits-here-and-th d-that-stands-there-
ness; the fiatness and emptiness and
fOrmality of 1t all; and she turned
again to the Elden kitchen and laughed
"a soft, rippling, irrepressble laugh,
as irrepressible as the laughter of the
mountain stream amid the evergreens.
Then she looked again from the open
window, this time with eyes that saw
the vista of valley and woodland and
foothill that stretched down into the
opening prairie. Suddenly she realized
that she was looking down upon a pic
nf nh
pieces-painted in brown and green
and saffron against an opal canvas. It
was beautiful. not with the solemnity
OF the great mountains, nor the SOL
emnity Of the great plains, but with
that nearer, more intimate relationship
which is the peculiar property of the
foothill country. The girl drew a
great breath Of the pure air and was
about to dream a new daydream when
the voice Of her father brought her to
earth.
Cant you find anything that will do
for a bandage?" he asked
"Oh. you dear Daddykins I" she re-
piled. her voice tremulous with self.
reproach. II had forgotten. There
was spell, or something 1t just came
down upon me In the window. The
bandn.'e2 Dear, no! The only cloth l
see is the kitchen towel, and l can't
recommend 1t. But what a goose l
am! Our grips are in the car, or un-
der 1t, or somewhere. I'll be back in
a jiffy." And she was off at sharp
trot down the trail along which she
had so recently come in Dave Elden's
wagon.
The grips were duly found, and Irene
con graduated herself that she and her
father were in the habit of travelling
with equipment for overnight. Arrived
at the house, she deftly wrapped a
ban lage about her fathers injury and
set to work at the preparation Of sup
per "a task not strange to her. as her