Evening star., 1926-04-11


| said savagely. "if / could"
"It can't be done." he answered
airily, with a steady look. but I'm
grateful for the wish. Selah.'
He rose. paused at the open door
TO turn and look back: then he went
out into the soft, warm Arizona
night-and Cactus Carrie secured
everything in sight. as an outlet to
the strange disturbance in her soul.
IN the weeks thai followed the gray
l. eyed renegade came often to par
take of his accustomed cakes and
coffee. There were times, even when
unusually drunk, that he had money
in his pockets. but more often he had
none. When he was flush" the bar
rem times were provided for by the
simple expedient of depositing with
Carrie the whole of a silver dollar. 1t
was surprising how long those dol
lars lasted. too.
why don't you get a Job?" the
woman asked him once.
His shoulders lifted in a Shrug.
with the blankets spread for monte
on the sand?' he asked, smiling.
with the lanterns throwing shadows
and the smoke of cigarettes drifting
by in clouds? And there is always
pulque''
Gambling with Mexicans" she said
sharply. where's your pride?"
Across the sea- he answered
promptly. where left every good i'm
pulse I was lowered with
"Why don't you go back?"
Please" he said with dignity. ''for-
get 1t. I'd cut my worthless throat
first"
IT. a:..~v 49,. 80 e.aJ,.- ~..-a
the girl beyond her bounds of re-
serve. To save her life she could not
help the fleeting touch she gave his
hand. At that he looked at her and
smiled-as elusive, as wistful as mist
on mountain meadow.
But Annie Bruce. the ferreteyed,
saw.
Seems like Old Ironside's melting.
Yevonne," she said. do you get
the look in her eye when his Nibs
comes in? I mean tn guy with the
open-work pants an the permanent
jag. It's Indian Summer around here
about four times a week"
rs that so?" said Yvonne. who
still resented Annie. "Itll take more
than bein' sorry for a down a n outer
TO melt wise guy like yourself"
"Can tn amenities, girls" said
Miss Epps., IF tn Boss don't fire
you both. I'm sure a bum fortune
teller"
Mr. Hinton. overhearing, sauntered
down the room.
Miss Eppel is right" he said quiet
ly. II wouldn't deal too closely in
personalities. There is such a thing
is the milk of human kindness. Annie.
you know; though 1t is somewhat rare
these days"
~
flashed the undaunted Annie; but
pretty little Yvonne looked at the Boss
with soft eyes.
"You--an' mean Cactus Carrie.
Mr.. Hinton she said. we know
what It is
The manager smiled at the little
Irish waitress. Annie flung up her
head with note of laughter.
Good night" she cried. We don't
hate ourselves. do we?"
THE hot days passed with their
usual routine. The cross-conti.
nent trains roared in; poured their
streams OF tourists, for q brief time,
along the lunch counter--in the din
ing room beyond: footed their warn
ings of haste; gathered up their hordes
again and departed with monotonous
regularity. III seemed 10 CaCtuS Oaf-
rie that the whole East was travelling
this Summer. Cactus Carrie sighed
and set out the neat cases of salt.
pepper. catsup. and toothpicks on the
long. shining counter.
She lived for the late shifts, the
warm nights when there was little to
do: merely the passing of the 11:10
with its few trainhands who came
in for their midnight lunch; lived and
watched for the nights when the
gray-eyed man blew in" No matter
how drunk he was, there was always
the wistful smile, the courtly manner
that sat so airily upon him. Each
time of his arrival he performed low
and perilous bow-his hat sweeping
the ground. Several times he appear
ed without the hat. He had. he said,
lost 1t. The woman longed to buy
him another: but there was something
about him-something which she
fiercely cherished and idolized that
precluded patronage.
1t was on these nocturnal visits that
they talked most together-the hard.