The Arvada enterprise., 1923-12-27


From the northern wing OF the ranch.
house. strongly lighted. came Il tumult
or sound: music humping feet,
mans voice chanting couplcts:
Oh. You walk right through and you
turn around and swing the girl
that finds you.
Ana you come right back by the same
old track and turn the girl behind
you.
Someone was directing II uuadrille
IN native fashion. There was much
laughter confusion and applause
None Of this noise disturbed the man.
He did not look Mt the lighted win.
dows, He might really have been a
gigantic insect entirely unrelated to
the human creatures so nolsily near
at hand.
A man came round the corner Of
the house, crossed the square. and,
lurching little. made for the door
Of the lighted wing. Shortly after his
entrance the sound Of music and dane
Ing abruptly stopped. This stiffness
gave the spider pause. hut he was
about to renew his weaving, when, in
the silence, n woman spoke.
you, Mabel. don't you 20 home"
she said
She had not spoken loudly. but her
voice beat against the walls Of the
| court ms though It could have filed
the whole moonlight night with dan.
gcrouS beauty. The listener outside
lifted his head with low. stnrtled
exclamation. Suddenly the world was
alive with adventure and alarm
"Alind your own business. you wild
cat" answered mans raucous voice.
"She's my wife. which is somcthin'
that your sort knows nothin' about.
Come on. you Mabel. II You think
that outlaw can keep me from takin'
home my wife, you're betting wrong"
Another silence: then the voice
again. n little louder, as though the
speaker had stepped out into the cen
ter Of the room.
"Mabel is not n-goin' home with
YOU" It said: and the listener outside
threw back his head with the gesture
vi II IiluU StusIlNe tu "HV IlS-
tens to some ecstatic melody. "She
| happens to be stoppin' here with us
tonight. You say that she's your wife,
hut that don't mean that she belongs
10 you. body and soul. Bill Grcer-nOt
to you. who don't possess your own
body or soul. Why. you can't keep
your feet steady: you can't pull your
hand AWAY from mine. You can't hold
your tipsy eyes on mine. DO you call
that ownin' your own body?'
A deep. short. alarming chorus Of
laughter interrupted the speech. The
speaker evidently hnd her audience.
$50 you don't own anything tonight"
went on the extraordinary. deliberate
voice; "surely you don't own Mabel.
You can't get claim on her. not
thatnway. She's her own. She he
longs to her own self. When you're
NJ to take her why. then come and
tell us about II. and II we Judge you're
n-tellin' us the truth. mcbhc well let
her 20. TIL then" n pause which
was filled with rapid shufIllng OF
feet. The door flew open and IN ita
lighted ohlong the observer saw a
huddled figure behind which rose a
woman's black and shapely head.
"Till then" repeated the decp-toned.
ringing voice. ''get OUT" And the
huddled man came on staggering mn
which ended In a backward fall on
the cobhles Of the court
The man who watched trod lightly
mast him md came to the open door.
Inside. frelIght heat on the golden log
walls and salmon -colored timber cell.
Ing: lamp hanging from beam
threw down strong. conflicting arc
Of white light. A dozen brown -fRced.
booted young men stood about. three
musicians were ready 10 tnke up their
interr,,pted music. the little fat man
who hnd called out the figures OF the
Tnadrille stood on hnrrel. his nrms
folded across his pannch. A fAir-hn'r"h
girl. hcr face marrcd by recent teBrS,
droopcd near him. Two Of the Young
men were murmuring renssurnnceS to
her: others surrounded n stout. red.
faced girl who was laughing md talk.
Ing loudly. The Jews eyes wandered
| tll they cnme 70 the fireplace There
another woman leaned ngalns' the
wall.
The music struck M. the dancing
began again, the two other girls. nnlck'
ly provided with partners, hegnn TO
| waltz. the supcr'luous men stood mp
| together md went NJ II with gravity
and grace. No one asked this woman,
who stood ut case. watching III" dane
crs. her hands resting On her hips
her hcnd tilted bnck against the logs
| As he looked M her the Intruder had
n queer llt,I" thrill OF fright ic re-
mrmbcrrd something he had "n""
sccn-n tame panther which was 10 h"
used In some mo,nyrictnre plnr is
confident owner had led It on n chain
md held Il neRlIrently In corner ~
the room. whiting for HIS cue. The
| ponthcr hnd StoLd there drOwtily ifs