The Clio messenger., 1921-05-19
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

She made herself say these words
calmly, looking him frankly in the
face, yet as he went outside, closing
the door behind him, seemingly quite
satisfied with her readiness to abide
the situation. she bowed her head on
the dirty table, and her body shook
with sobs which could no longer be
restrained. SO this was what she had
come to-this She had kept herSelf
up all day with dreams; and this was
the realization. She lifted her face
and looked about, the tenrs still mist
ing in her eyes; then she suddenly
laughed, and stood up with cheeks
glowing, and lips firmly set. 1t was
q horrible mess, to be sure, yet the
place Itself was not so bad; she had
lived I'm far worse; and once put In
some degree of order and cleanliness
It might prove fairly comfortable in
deed. She surveyed the scene, as re-
vealed by the yellow flame OF the
lamp, her heart beating faster. This
was TO be her home. She had come
here as mistress. 1t mattered not so
much what 1t was now, but what she
should make of II. Her slender form
Strengthened with new determination
There was vet another door, and she
looked out through 1t into a small
lean-to, the lamp held high over her
head. This was evidently the kitchen,
containing, as 1t did, small COOK
stove. a sort Of roughly built closet,
and sink, the latter stacked with un-
washed dishes. An armful of split
wood Iay on the floor, and half slab
OF bacon hung TO nail.
Olga gave vent to another laugh,
but this time there was no hint OF hys-
terra In It. She had found herself.
Dressed still in the long duster, she
set down the lamp on small table,
and dropping upon her knees, swiftly
Nindled q fire in the stove. AS the
wood began to crackle cheerfully, she
searched the closet for materials. re-
1oicing to discover some dishes yet
unused. together with remnants of
food sufficient for her purpose. There
was sugar. condensed milk, few
Rnarly potatoes q small sack of. flour,
and q half can Of coffee. She dumped
these out on the liable, and began hum
ming a tune. as she added the slab OF
bacon to these treasures. She was too
busy by now to give another thought
TO the dsrt and disorder about her.
Shelby was kept outside considera-
bly, longer than he had anticipated.
The buckskin, In spite Of sixty-mile
Journey, retained viciousness enough
TO kick the lantern out of the Kids
hand and smash 1t into smithereens,
thus compelling the two to work In
darkness. Macklin, unacquainted with
the surroundings, was Of little use,
and most Of the work had to be done
by Shelby In person. When 1t was all
over with both men were sweating
profusely, tired and angry, the Kid
cursing everything from the creation
OF the world. Shelby, suddenly re-
membering the girl left alone in the
house all this time, lost the last grip
on his temper.
'Shut upw he barked savagely.
I've had just enough Of that. What
did you expect anyway reception
committee an a banquet? Come on
IN, now; well hustle up some grub.
Here. you might as well tote few Of
those things along with you"
Both men loaded up with packages
from the blackboard, the Kid still
swearing under his breath, but Shelby
grimly silent. He was remembering
what that interior looked like, and
wondering how she was taking such a
homecoming. He could not but con-
trast the dirt and disorder to which
he had brought her with the immacu-
late cleanliness Of the shack where
she lived In Ponca. The memory
made him half afraid to 60 In and
face her eyes. He lifted the latch
hesitatingly, the bundles on the other
arm piled to his chin. and stepped
across the threshold. Then he stopped
suddenly, with his mouth wide open,
the Kid pushing in behind him, even
mere heavily laden. She stood in the
middle Of the floor, with cheeks
flushed, and eyes smiling.
"You boys can pile that stuff on the
table" she announced brightly. 'Tve
sorsr~d those papers mp In one corner,