The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-02-17

John Harris" she said. you know
better than to say that your women
folk are either lazy or stubborn, but
there's point where imposition. even
the imposition of a husband, has to
stop. and you've reached thai point
You didn't have TO stay in NE field
until dark. There's another day COM
ing and the pIOwing'Il keep. 1t isn't
like the harvest. IT was just your own
cOntrariness that kept you there. You
fired the best man you ever had today,
in fit of temper, and now you're try
ing to take it out on u.s."
Harris looked at her for a moment !;
then, without speaking, he continued
up the stairs. He felt that he was
being very unfairly used, but he had
no intention of shrinking from his
duty as a husband and father, even if
its discharge should bring pain to all
OF them.
He found BeuIah in her room, os-
tensibly reading.
demanded.
Il thought 1 made it clear to you at
noon that they wouldn't be MIXED by
me-" she answered, land there didn't
seem to be anybody else hankering for
the job"
"Beulah," he said, trying to speak
calmly. don't you think this nonsense
has gone far enOugh?"
TOO far" she agreed. But you
started it-let's see you stop it"
"BeuIah," he said, with rising anger,
Il won't allow you to talk to me like
that. Remember I'm your father, and
you've a right to do as you're told.
Haven't 1 given you everything
you home, and all that, and are you
gOin to defy me in my own house?'
81 don't want TO defy you" she an
swered, "but if you're going to let
your temper run away with you. you
can put on the brakes yourself. And
as for all you've done for me-maybe
Pm ungrateful, but it doesn't look half
so big from my side of the fence"
well. what more do you want?" he
demanded.
For one thing, wouldn't mind hav-
ing a father"
what do you mean? Amt I your
father?"
MOI she cried. mo! MOI There's
no father here. You're just the boss
the foreman on the farm. You board
with mother and me. We see you at
meal-times. We wouldn't see you then
if you didn't have to make use of US
in that way. If yoT have a spare hour
you go to town. You're always so busy,
busy, with your little things, that you
have no time for big things I'd like to
see you think about living instead of
working. And we're not living-not
really living. you know-we're just ex-
listing. Don't you see what 1 mean?
We're living all in the flesh. like an
animal. When you feed the horses and
put them under shelter you can't do
anything more for them. But when
you feed and shelter your daughter
you have only half provided for her,
and it's the other half. the starving
half, that refuses to starve any
longer
I'm not kickin' on religion, if t.at's
what you mean, Beulah," he said.
''You get goin' to church as often as
you like, and"
"Oh,- it's not religion" she protest
ed. s 'At least. it's not just going to
church, and things like that, although
L guess it is a more real religion, if
we just understood What are we
| here for. anyway? What's the an
swer?'
''Well. I'm here just now to tell you
those cows are TO be MIXED before"
YES, dodge It'll You've lodged that
question so long you daren't face it..
/ But there must be an answer some
where, or there wouldn't be the cues
ton. There's Rifles, now; he doesn't
know there is such a question. He
takes it for granted we're here TO grab
money. And then, there's the Grants.
| They know there is such a question.
and I'm sure that to some extent
| they've answered il. You know, 1 like
| them, but l never go into their house
! that I don't feel out of place. I feel
like they have something that I haven't
something that makes them very
/ rich and shows me how very Door ]
| am. And it's embarrassing to feel Door
among rich folks. Why, tonight George
Grant stopped on his way home TO say
a word to me, and what do YOU sun
| pose he said? Nothing about the
weather, or the neighbors, or the crops
He asked me what I thought of the
Venezuelan treaty. OF course To
never heard Of such a thing. but I said
1 hoped it would be for the best, OF
something like that. but was ashamed
so ashamed he migh* have seen it il
the dusk. You see. they're living
and we're existing"
If Beulah hoped by such argument
to persuade her father, or even to In
fiuenee him. she was doomed to disap
pointment. s'You're talking a eoot
deal OF nonsense, Beulah," he said
"When ysu get older these question:
won't worry you. In the meantime