The Washington herald., 1922-01-01

with a low-spoken wish that she sleep well
he hung the lantern on the pole hook and
strolled back to the IRE.
Tears e humiliation and helplessness
blurred her uncertain gaze a. she tusssd at
her boot iaces. The dark. shrewd eyes Of
the loiterer had seen one thing too clearly.
with all of his lack Of comprehension: the
incomplete fulhllment - emptiness - where
her life all but brimmed over in repleuon.
On the third day after their homeconirg.
In the early afternoon. Al Lawley returned
unexpectedly to the corrals to replace .
lamed horse He found Barclay struggling
with the harness Of his hired team and
making botched work OF hitchins the restivs
ponies to his blackboard. The mans travel
Ing bags and overcoat were piled back Of
the seat. He glanced Up sharply at Lawiry
with q furtive expression Of dismay. bot
quickly covered his confusion by frankly
asking for help. LAwiey finished the hitch
ing for him without comment, but watched
Barclay covertly and with the alert sus-
picion which goes with instructive dislike.
Barclay fingered about the blackboard while
the cowboy caught up another horse and
threw on his saddle. With a feeling OF re-
laxed tension he watched the man ride away.
In the big room Barclay found Helen
where he had left her an hour before. She
was attaching some pressed flowers to LABELED
cards for Don's botany nles The boy he
had seen earlier. playing about his rabbit
hutch. Dropping into a deep chair. Barclay
watched Helen in silence for a few moments
then rising restlessly he sauntered over to
the fireplace and stood facing her.
The same old habits. / see. Of orderly
method in recording" he remarked. An
Indifferent gesture indicated the cards as
Helen looked around toward him.
AN illustrative point, by the way he
added, little too pointedly to make the open
ing appear incidental. Habits endure
habits of thinking. habits of doing, and par
ticularly certain attunement to nfelcnr
environment"
Whatever impressiveness Barclay intended
to convey seemed to have glanced on un-
noticed.
Helen. want to talk to you seriously
lOT o 4cu udys VI eN1S4on o<o ooOoh
enough. Will you drop that dried trash for
a moment and give me your attention. be
asked with some asperity.
The evasion" she answered. has ben
because I think I have guessed what yo1
wish to consider seriousIy-and because
have not wished to consider It at all. fou
are dificult. but formerly you did not en-
barrass me. Now your business relations
with my husband present a complication and
leave me disconnected The avoidance. #
possible. OF anything personal being revivei
between US seemed to be due him and, II you
can understand It, my own selfrespect To-
sibly I have made a mistake In Judgment.
Ordinary understandings do not seem n
apply"
The trouble isn't in reviving anything
everything personal between you two. Your
everything prsonal between you two. Your
position isn't difficult because of me-only q.
It is affected by his indifference. What
started to say was that you can't set up =
normal state Of reaction to an environment
opposed to every accustomed contact in life
nor can he. Your interosts your kind OF
people. everything that can respond under
standingly and appreciatively TO you lie back
there. / want you TO come back to them"
Lanhsm was riding along the edge OF a
barranca when q hail from q rise on the or
posite side brought him facing about He
saw Lee Winton slthering his horse iown
the far bank. and presently the foreman
scrambled up to his side.
The sunny stiffness Of . lazy afternoon
hung about the ranch house as LAnhsm rode
In.
Barclays team stood by the hitching rail.
As he approached the door Of the big room
he could hear Barclays voice slightly raised
in some sort OF eIpostulation. Instinctive,y
Lanham stopped to listen.
" So you refuse to go with me-" he heard
Barclay say. You prefer to stand by the
mockery Of this bondage In isolation"
Seemingly incapable OF grasping the situs.
tion beyond the door before him, LAnham
stood In a momentary daze Trivial impress
sions-the contented cluckings OF the hens
under the umbrella tree and the distant
creakins Of the windmill veerins to q change
Of the faint breeze-came prominently to his
faltering senses. The pause, though brief
seemed minutes long and then he heard Bar.
clay speak again in a low. impsssioned tone
Here you stand waiting In . Ereat readt
ness to live and you hesitate to let love touch
the kindling spark" There came the sound.
of few swift steps the ciatter Of some.