Evening star., 1926-04-11
by Vingie E. Roe ~

| one day" She watched. with a tor
| tured heart. the look Of dismay-what
she knew was comical dismay-cross
| his face.
"Honest?" he asked in perturbation.
lis that all can do? I thought you'd
| ask me something easy. like holding
up the Overland"
"I mean it." said Cactus Carrie,
fighting to regain self-possession and
dabbing cold water on her eyes, that 8
what / want"
He drew o. deep sigh and moved his
long hand back and forth along the
smooth counter Then he pulled him.
self erect, smiled. and waved the fine,
soIled hand airily.
"Doner' he said, II give you the
word of a Davenport" Swift as
wind he caught back the final syllable.
II give you my word" he finished.
flushing. "I'll be here tomorrow night
| in that state you command. The
novelty Of the prospect intrigues me-"
| And with another grandiloquent bow
he went ou:.
A LII the next day Cactus Carrie
"A worked with her nerves strung to
the tension of a singing wire. II
seemed as IL something vital and
tragic hung upon the night. All
through the day she felt a. tightness
In her breast and found herself holding
her breath.
The day was more than ordinarily
hot Outside the railroad station heat
| waves glimmered along the wide and
levels. In the distance a low line of
hills fringed the blue horizon. That
was Mexico not so far away. The line
Law out there somewhere, marked at
intervals by government monuments.
Carrie looked south with the insistent
pang of unrest that had stirred in her
for so many days. She worked EN-
ciently all the morning, took her after
noon hours 'off shift" with unaccus'
toned eagerness, and spent them In
new and engaging manner, namely.
i'm self disqualification. She brushed her
long, black hair until 1t shone.
smoothed her dusky skin with taicum
powder. and ironed fresh-washed.
white linen uniform with fastidious
care. Did she hope that Grey-eyes.
sober, would see in her a modicum or
youthful grace-some warm. yet mod
est. claim to charms She did not
know. And would he keep his word?
name half spoken, She told herself
that she was sure of nothing, and
yet
At 3 o'clock she went on duty again
In the sweltering, still heat OF the
breathless twilight. At 8 the other
girls went off. leaving her alone with
Celia for the shift that lasted till mid
night.
Good land. amt It hot tonight
My waist is stickin' to my back, F."
Celia said, writhing. Were goin' to
have a storm"
Time. as though slowed by the
hxy
Il. The night train humming
down the track. The train crew en-
| tered, ate and vanished; Carries head
| throbbed Sharp on the half hour she
heard the step. Surely a. degree less
lazy-less shuffiing. She would know
| 1t among a thousand whispering feet.
| 1t had changed-something i'll it not
the same. Regularity-that was It.
Her heart would not let her rest
an aching excitement blurred her
| vision And then. he stood in the
spectacle. He was pale. and the skin
had sunk in upon the bones OF his
face. Out OF him was drained the
artificial life and strength and
! imagined well.being. For the first
time in many months he was stone
| sober; an empty bag Of flesh. He
| bowed to her; one supporting hand
trembling on the door frame.
How long-O lady?" he said cap
| tiously.
"'My clay with long oblivion is gone
dry:
But fll me with the old familiar
Juice.
| Methinks I might recover by and by"
X X y
IW1THoUT word Carrie turned to
w the coffee machine-dark and
steaming coffee brimmed the cup. She
set it forth on the counter. and he
came obediently and drank 1t down.
Her own hands were trembling and
cold. The very fact that he was here.
that he had kept his word. was the
most momentous thing that had hap.
pened for 10 years of her drab life.
She understood every phase OF his
present mood.
"Tonight--for this time" she
answered concisely. Next time we'n
make 1t longer"
"My wordr' he exclaimed, in that
same comical dismay with which he