The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-09-07
CHAPTER III
Two Pictures In the Fire.

| IHe perlou WHICH lOiiOWtu hdu
quality OF breathless, almost unearthly
happiness They were young, savage
simple, and their love, unanalyzed,
was as joyous as the loves OF animals
joyous with that clear gravity charac-
teristic OF the boy and girl. Pierre
had been terribly alone before Joan
came and the building-up of his ranch
had occupied his mind day and night
except now and again, for dreams. Yet
he was Of passionate nature. Joan
| felt In him sometimes a savage posi-
bility of violence. Two Incidents of
this time blazed themselves especially
on her memory: the one, her fathers
| visit, the other, an irrelevant enough
picture until after events threw back
a glare upon 1t.
They had been at Pierre's ranch for
fortnight before John Carver found
them. Then. one morning, as Pierre
opened the door to go out to work,
| Joan saw a thin, red pony tied to
the fence and a small figure walking
toward the cabin
"Pierre, IT'S fatheri" she said. And
Pierre stopped In his tracks, drew
himself up and waited, hands on his
cartridge belt
How mean and old and furtive her
father looked In contrast to this beau
tiful young husbandl Joan was en-
tirely unafraid She leaned against
the side Of the door and watched as
silent and unconsulted as any squaw.
while the two men settled their prop
erty rights In her.
$50 you've took my GEL" said John
Carver, stopping a foot or two In
front of Pierre, his eyes shifting up
and down, one long hand lingering
his lips.
Pierre answered courteously. "Some
man was bound to hev her, Mr.. Car
yer, soon or late. You can't set your
face ag'in' the laws Of natur'. VIII
you be steppin' In? Joan will give
you some breakfast"
Carver paid no heed to the invita-
ton. "Hev you married herr" said he.
The blood rose to Pierre's brown
face. Sure hev."
"Yell, sir, you hev married the dar-
ter Of az Carver used brutal word.
"Look out for her. II you see her eyes
lookin' an lookiE' at another man,
you kin know what's to come" Pierre
was white. 1--WE done with her. She
kin never come to me fer bite or bed.
Shoot her If you hev to, Pierre Lands,
but when she's kotched at her mothers
game don't send her back to me.
That's all come to say"
He turned with timber agility and
went back to his horse He was on It
and off, galloping madly across the
sagebrush fiat. Pierre turned and
walked into the house past Joan with
out a word.
She still leaned against the door,
but her head was bent
Presently she went about her house
work. Every now and then she shot a
wistful look at Pierre All morning |
long he sat there, his hands hanging |
between his knees, his eyes full of a |
brooding trouble. At noon he shook |
his head, got up, and, still without
word or caress, he strobe out and did |
not come back till dark Joan suffered
heartache and terror. When he came
she ran into his arms. He kissed her,
seemed quite himself again, and the
strange interview was never men,
toned by either of them. They were
silent people, given to feelings and
to action rather than to thoughts and
words.
The other memory was of certain
sunset hour when she came at Pierre's
call out to the shed he had built at
)ne side of their cabin. Its open side
faced the west and as Joan cnme her
shadow went before her and fell
across Pierre at work. The same of
he west gave a weird bnfor to the
lanes over which he bent. He was
and hammerlng at long
)iece of iron. Joan came and stood
beside him.
Suddenly he Strengthened up and
leld In the air a bar of metal, the
ihaped end white hot. Joan blinked
That's our brand. GEL" said Pierre.
Don't you fergit 1t. When I've made
ny fortune there1l be stock all over
he country marked with them two
'ars. That'll be famous-the Two
Bar brand. Don't you fergit it, JOAN"
And he brought the white Iron close
o that she felt its heat on her face
nd drew back, fiinching. He laughed,
ct II fall, and kissed her. Joan was
cry glad and proud.
ITO M COnyTrNTTEn-A