The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-10-19
The Branding Iron
By Katharine Nelulin Burt
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| cigarette. She was short woman, sc
slenderly, even narrowly built, as to
| appear overgrown, and she was a ma
ture woman so immatureiy shaped and
featured as to appear hardly more
than a child. Her curly russell hair
was parted at the side, her wide. long
dashed eyes were set far apart, her
nose was really finely modelled snub
more. a boys nose even to a light
sprinkling of freckles-and her mouth
was provokingly the soft, red mouth
of sorrowful child She lounged far
down in her chair, her slight legs, clad
in riding-breeches of perfect cut.
stretched out straight, her timber
arms along the arms of the chair, her
chin sunk on her fiat chest, and her
big, clear eyes staring into the fire.
1t was an odd figure of a wife for
Jasper Moreno, a Jew of thirty-eight,
producer and manager of plays.
When Betty Kane had run away
with him there had been iamentation
and rage in the houses of Kane and
Moreno. To the pride of an old He
brew family, the marriage even of this
wandering son with Gentle was
fully as degrading as to the pride of
the old Tory family was the marriage
with a Jew. Her perverse Gaelic
blood, on fire with the insults heaped
upon her lover, Betty, seventeen years
old, romantic, clever, would have
walked over flint to give her hand to
him. That was ten years ago. Now,
when Jasper came into her room, she
drew her quick brows together, pulled
at her cigarette, and blnked as though
tasteful and at the same time rather
"Have they stopped dancing, Jas
perY she asked in a voice that was at
once brusque and soft.
Jasper rubbed his hands delightedly. !
He was still merry, and came to stand |
near the fire, looking down at her with |
eyes entirely kind and admiring.
"Have you ever noticed Jane, who |
cooks for the outfit Betty?'
Eyes. She's horrible"
"She's extraordinary, and 1 mean to
get hold of her for Luck's play. Did
you read it?'
Eyes"
"The play is absolutely dependent
IN the leading part and l have found
t simply impossible to fill. Now,
lere's a woman of extraordinary grace
Ind beauty"
Betty lifted skeptical eyebrows.
visited her timber mouth, but forbore
o contradict.
"And with a magical voice-a wom-
N who not only looks the part, but
5 it. You remember Luck's heroine?"
Betty fiicked off the ash of her ciga-
cite and looked away. "a. savage,
sn't she? The man has her tanned,
axes her back to London, and there
ives her cause for jealousy and she
prings on him-yes, I remember.
his woman, Jane, is absolutely with
ut education and hasn't a notion Of
citing, I suppose"
Jasper rubbed his hands with in
reased delight. "Not notion and
he murders the kings English. But
he is Luck's savage and-in spite of !
our eyebrows, Betty-she is beauti-
IL. l can school her. 1t viii take
loney, no end of patience, but l can I
0 it. It's one of the things I can !
D. But, of course, there's the initial ]
ficulty of persuading her to try it." ,
"That oughtn't to be any difficulty
! all. Or course she'll jump at the r
lance." +
I'm not so sure. She was ready to Y
row me out of the kitchen tonight. s
he is really a virago. Do you know :
hat one of the men said about herr" h
lsper laughed and initiated the gentle t
estern drawl. James plumb movin' h
me. She's about halfway between o
GU go to h-l' and You take me in h
'ur arms to rest" Y
Betty smiled. Her smile was vastly v
ore mature than her appearance. 1t b
as clever and cynical and cold. The n
Rental, looking down at her, lost his II
erriment. fl
'Do you feel better, dear?" he asked @,
mildly. "Do you think you will be r,
lie to go back next week." c,
iOHC olOOn dp % hC NoibC hCdANA m
d walked over to the little table "
at played the part of dressing table
der a wavy mirror. "Oh,, yes. / >.
quite well. / don't think the doc >,
IS have much sense. I'm sure I -
dn't anything like a nervous break :,
wn. l was just tired out" s,
Jasper drew back the hand whose n
Ich she had eluded. and nervously, y,
long supple fingers a little I'M n,
lady, lighted a cigarette. AT that 70
'ment he did not look like a spider, q,
I like a lover who has been hurt. 90
tty could see in the mirror dis a,
ted image of his detected graceful
IS. but, entirely unmoved, she put
her thin, brown hands and began
take the pins out of her hair.
4 like your Jane experiment." she en-
d. LET me know how you get on ca
h It and whether can help. ! shall in
We to, turn in now. I'm dead beat. Sc
rnall took me halfway up the noun "I
n and back. Goodnight" To-
Jasper looked at her, then pressed W