, 1923-11-28
Ry Katharine Newlin Burt
Copyright by Katharine N. Burt
CHAPTER u
~

NJ persecution. Sklll1ully Dy
Jaspcr and Betty, against the ferocity
NJ a 1t was a persecution impos-
sIble to Imagine In any other setting,
even the social simplicity Of Lazy-Y
found itself a trifle amused. For JAS
per. the stately Jewish figure. would
carry pals of water for Jane from the
well to the kitchen, would help her in
the vegetable garden, and to straighten
out her recalcitrant stOve-pipe; Betty
would put on an apron a mile too
large, to wash dishes and shell peas.
She would sit on the kitchen table
swinging her long. childlike legs and
chatter amiably. Jasper talked, too.
to the virago. talked delightfully."-.
about horses and dOgs-he had a
charming gift of humorous observa-
tion-talked about hunting and big
game shooting, about trapping. about
travel. and. at last, about plays. I'm
deubtedly Jane listened. Sometimes
she laughed. Once In a while she
calculated. unsteady. "Welll" Occa-
sionally she swore.
One afternoon he met her riding
home from al errand to a neighboring
ranch, and, turning his horse, rode
with her. In worn corduroy skirt. fan
mel shirt. and gray sombrero, she
looked like a handsome. haggard boy.
and, that afternoon, there was q GER
tain unusual usefulness In her eyes,
and her mouth had relaxed a little
from Its bitterness. Perhaps 1t was
the beauty of a clear. keen summer
Jo,.. prttho,,t ln,,bt orro
touched by the courteous pleasure of
his greeting and by his giving up his
ride in order to accompany her. She
even unbent from her silence and, for
the first time, really talked to him.
And she spoke, too. In a new manner,
using her beautiful voice with beauti-
full c~arefulness. II was like a master
musician who. after a long illness.
takes up his beloved instrument and
tentatively tests his shaken powers
Jasper had much ado to keep his sur
prise Ia himself. for the rough ranch
girl conld speak pure enough English
II she would.
You and your wife are leaving
soon" she asked him. and. when he
nodded, she gave a sigh. "IIl be miss
Ing you" she said. throwing away her
~brusquerie like n rag with which she
was done. you've been company for
me. You've made use of lots of
patience and courage, but ! have real
ly liked II. I've not got the ways of
being sociable and l don't know that
| want ever to get them. ] am not
seeking for friends. There isn't an
other person on the ranch that would
dare talk to me as you and Mrs. Mo-
rena have talked. They don't know
anything about me here and l don't
mean that they should know" She
paused. then gave way to an impulse
OF confidence. zone Of the boys asked
me to marry him. He came and shout
ed II through the window and ]
caught him with a pan of water" She
sighed. II don't know rightly II he
meant 1t for a Joke or not, but the
laugh wasn't on me-"
Jasper controlled his laughter, then
saw the dry humor Of her eyes and
lips and let put his mirth.
why, sir" said Jane. you'd be
surprised at the f~oolishness of men.
Sometimes 1t seems that. just for pure
contrariness, they want to marry her
that least wants them about. The day
l came tramping into this valley, /
stopped for food at the ranch of an
old bachelor down yonder at the ford.
And he Invited me to be his wife while
was drinking n glass OF water from
his well. He told me how much money
he had and said he'd start my stove
Tor me winter mornings. There's a
good husbandl And he was sure kind
TO me even when l told him no. Twas
That same evening that the boy from
Lazy-f rode In and claimed me for IA
COOK. MIR. Yarnall Is a trusting man.
lie took me n didn't ask any Ques-
tons. ! told him ! was Jane and
mat l wasn't planning to let him
know more. He hasn't asked me an
other question since. He's a gentle
man, figure 1t. and he's kind of quiet
himself about what he was before he
came to this country. He's n man of
nfty and he has lots back OF him.
only he's taken a fresh start" She
signed, Folks like you and Betty seem
aWtuily open-hearted. It's living In
oltes, l suppose. where every one
SHOWS every n else so we'll"
This astonishing picture OF the cnn.
uld simplicity OF New York's social
NE absorbed Jasper's attention for
some time.
wouldn't you like to live In n city,
Jane?"
h laughed her short. boyish
hooV' 1T isn't what ! would like,
OF. Morenn." she said. "why. I'd like
70 see the world. I would like 10 be
,nat fellow who was condemned to
wnnder nl over the earth and never
70 die. He was a jew, too, wasn't
her"
'nsper flushed. People were no In