The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-04-20


fingers closed ON her glass and she
yielded with half laughing, half pro-
testing aStOnishment. lie took both
glasses in one hand, moved deliber-
ately toward the hearth and tossed
their contents into the flames. He
then set the empty tumblers on the
mantel and turned about with a ques-
tioning smile on his lips.
The sharp, slowly dwirdling hiss OF
quenched flame which followed COM
pletely died out before she spoke
Color had leaped into her cheeks and
cbbed as quickly; her lips had shut
in n tight line and for a fraction OF
time II was as though she would
angrily demand explanation.
But she said evenly enough: II
don't understand that"
I'm glad you didn't show how mad
1t made you" Ito replied.
But why What luade you
do it?"
you said. you know, that you
wanted that liquor to go where it'd
help your future. l thought the fire
was about the best place for it under
the circumstances"
But why dr.
And l believed you when you said
you had a lot to learn and that you
called me down to start the job. You
have way of maxim people think
YOU mean what you say. I'm mighty
glad TO give you advice; | thought
this was a good way TO begin"
Jane gave a queer laugh and sat
DOWN looking blanltly into the fire.
She turned her face after n moment
and found him studying her as he
sat at the other end of the dHven-
port.
II understand your meaning" she
said, but you're as startling in your
actions as you must be in your rea-
soning. You didn't object to the idea
of n drink; didn't think many OF
you people did out here"
we don't, ma'am. Most of US
drink our share. l do
But just now you threw yours
away"
You see. was bound to throw
yours away. 1t wouldn't have been
polite, would it, for me TO drink and
not let you?" His smile Knocked her
Besides" dryly--"I amt much on
these fancy drinks. You warned me
that it wouldn't be 50 very good
| anyhow"
She stared at him in perplexity.
You have no scruples against
drinking"
Moderate drinking: no."
Then why did you take this liberty
with suggesting Indignation.
You see, you're a woman. You
guessed a minute ago that there
wasn't much objection to hard liquor
here. told you you were right: fnost
of us boys drink, but we can afford
/ to and you can't" His manner was
light, almost to the degree of banter
| as II that which had aroused hel
was the simplest of matters.
"A man in this country don't build
/ a reputation on many things. Sc
long as he's honest, he gets along
pretty well. But a woman; that's diff
| ferent. She has to make pc ople know
she's right in everything she does"
An occasional drink will make he1
less right?"
mot bit less, ma'am, but 1t won
help other folks to know she's right
And that's all that counts. Every
body, man or woman, who comes
into the West has to make or breal
by what he does here; nothin' that
has been, good or bad, matters. They
commence from the bottom again and
by what they do people judge them
Reputation is the first thing you've
got to make for yourself Everybody
is watchin' you: the boys here on thj
ranch, the neighbors down creek, tn,
people in town. You've got to SHOW
that you're honest, that you've go
courage; il you were a man it CO llC
stop there, but you're woman, an
that makes it. -.
well, men out here expect thin :,
from a woman that | guess men II
cities don't think so much about, anC
you might as well know now as AM
time that men in this country don
like to see a woman do some of III
things they do. We amt as polite a,
some; we amt as gentle, when III
necessary to act quick and for sure
but maybe we make up for some Of on
roughness in the idea we have of won
en-. We think a good woman is abou
as fine a thing as God has made
ma'am, and we have our ideas o
goodness.
"You see, you've got to handle men
you've got to have their respect, ant
you won't have their respect IL yor
dent understand how they think, anC
then act accordingly.
Besides, you're on a job that's go
ing to take all the brains and grit ant
strength you've got Booze never
helped anybody on job like that
you was a man and your job was jus
ridin' after cattle it'd he different. Ru
neither one is the case...
MY advice, ma'am!"
She watched his face for a momen
before saying;
"As long as | can remember womeI
about me have been drinking Eve
since ] grew UP I've been drinking
I've never taken too much: I've neve
needed II; I've done il because
because il was being done"
yeah. Well, it amt done here. It.
n new country and a new life 70
you, and one of the first things you'v
got to learn iSs how to get on wit