The Ely miner., 1929-11-29


a roast of beef
Nevertheless, before seven O'Clock
that morning, every Elan-jack of
puncher on the place. with all of his
trimmings and trappings, including
wives. squaws. papooses. children and
firearms, had set off In Givvers or on
horseback, bound for the celebration,
leaving the place hole-empty. as Sam
said. when he came into my kitchen
with a gallon of cream from the
dairy.
He pulled the stool out from under
the table, .pe=ched on 1t, and re-
marked, SIN not going to be sur
prised If we have another visitor, one
of these days. The warden of the
penitentiary told me that Daniel Can
neziano was TO be released on the
morning of the fourth Of July"
dropped into chair, feeling sort
of weakened from the news.
"You mark my words" l said, -all
these queer actions around here have
something TO do with that mans re-
lease. | know what I'd do about Can
ueziano, If he shows up here"
"Yes, | know. But he Is Danny's
father, and Danny is going to marry
John. After all, money is not much
good unless you take ii to market
If l could come to decent agreement
with the fellow And Ii he'd take
that Gaby with him. I'm dead certain
that her hanging around mere isn't
going to contribute any to Johns and
Danny's married life"
"What do you mean by that, Sam?"
Gaby asked the question. walking
right into the kitchen. was all taken
aback: but Sam didn't seem to be.
"Eavesdroppers, my girl" he said.
hear no good of themselves. | mean
that | don't think any girl who want
ed to act right would treat her sis
ter's betrothed as you treat John"
You" she said, very slowly, to
make insult baste each word. "are a
ID old fool, Sam Stanley"
shook in my shoes. | had not
man being who would dare say that.
in that tone Of voice. to Sam.
He stood up. He put his nands on
her shoulders, gently, though. and
turned her around
you are a bad, .wayward girl" he
said. March out of here, now, and
get your manners mended before '
see you again"
He sobered even her, for a minute.
She walked to the door. without an
other word. There, she whirled
around like crazy thing, and / de-
clare to goodness. don't know what
she said II was rhe sort Of talking
| had never heard in my life; my
ears were not enough accustomed to
the words TO take in their meanings.
But one thing that she kept scream
ing, screaming so loudly that she
could be heard all over the place, was
that Sam had threatened her once too
often. Sam stood there, paralyzed,
think, as | was, for perhaps a couple
Of minutes, before he turned and
walked of, into the backyard.
Hubert Hand came rushing in. Gaby
threw her arms around his neck. and
kept on with the screaming and Sob
bing. Chad came in through the pan
try. Hubert Hand led Gaby into the
dining room, and through it into the
living room.
"What in Gods name happenedT
Chad said 10 me.
"Chad," | said, Gabrielle Cannezl-
ano has lost her mind She is insane"
His face went white as lard. Il
don't believe it"
EITHER that" said, "or else she Is
the wickedest, the"
stop it" he shouted at me. you,
nor anyone. can talk to me- like that
about the girl | love. None Of you
understands her, nor tries to. She is
in some sort of trouble--terrible trou-
BILE. Anyone can see that I'd give
my soul to help her To serve her"
"If you are so crazy about serving
her." I said. you might go into the
dining room and set the table, and
help me serve her, and the rest Of
you. some breakfast"
He went into the yard. Like a lot
of men, / thought, who went to give
their souls and so on to women, he
didn't care to be bothered with
smaller details, such as feeding them.
wronged him. Whether or not
man has the giving Of his soul, in his
own hands. l do not know. man
can give his life. That Is what Chad
gave.
After dinner John surprised Us all
by saying that he was going to take
the sedan and drive down to Rattail
for the mail.
suspicioned, right then, that he
was up to something. He could not
fool me into thinking that he would
take fifty-mile trip-twenty-fve
miles each way-thrcugh the desert
heat for no other reason than to get
the mail. When Danny seemed hurt
and troubled about him going, and
when he went riding right of. any
way, l decided that Sam must have
sent him, expecting some word con-
corning Canneziano. l was wrong.
II was too tarnation hot to do any
the dinner dishes, 20 wash In the eve
ming. and joined the others. sitting
around in the living room with the
electric fans going full blast.
was expecting, every minute, to
see Gaby break out again. She didn't
She yawned around, AID fused about,
and then went and sat beside Danny,
who was looking at the pictures in
magazine, and put her arm around
her. and petted her up a Iittle-a
most unusual performance for her.
When Chad, who mad been monkey
ing with the radio. got a rip-roaring