Evening star., 1930-05-04


Ill take the stage"
That this would not explain in the slightest,
its author knew full we'll; but after several more
elaborate attempts, she had left 1t in the full
assurance that at any rate, she would be be-
yond reach of questions by the time it was read.
Now she was gazing straight ahead where the
boulders and the wind-distorted yuccaS cast
stark shadows on the arid earth, and she was
reviewing the real explanation, which was some
Is hours old.
When one is young and high of spirit and
inexperienced in the game of give and take, a
lovers quarrel is no joke. It can rankle with
increasing bitterness for several times 16 hours.
And this was the first issue that had arisen
between Eileen and Lee Sfattuck to mar the
glamour of their courtship during these months.
Three times week he had been coming; 20
miles to her and 20 back. And the intervals
between his visits were seeming longer every
week. The two were looking forward to the
days when there would be none of those inter-
vals-when life would be one uninterrupted
courtship That is to say they had been look
ing forward thus until last evening.
In the first place that had been sultry eve
ning-a rarity in Southeastern Arizona-an
evening to set ones nerves on edge. AS 1t went
on. the thunderstorm which was brewing some
where back in the range failed to arrive. And
Ed Sampson, who had long since arrived, failed
to depart Ed tended the stage station for
living, and for his own delectation he played
an accordion. This he had brought along
Aside from a fixed belief that others found no
abomination In his attempts toward music, his
more potent characteristics included sandy
hair, carefully slicked down, a rasping voice
and a thick skinned amiability.
And Lee was there. He had been there
nearly two hours before Ed took his accordion
beneath his arm and started back for the stage
station.
One of the things-so Eileen had told her
sister-which had made her fall in love with
Lee was the constant disposition of his lips to
curve into smile. But during those two hours
the disposition had not betrayed itself. Re-
turning from the front door, where she had
done her best TO speed the departing guest, she
managed to muster a weary smile OF her own.
It had met with no response.
II didn't notice you were in such hurry
for him to CO."
Now. as the blackboard ratified on up the
grade she was hearing his soft drawl again.
But she was not hearing her own retort
"Please don't be stupid" Those were the
words. And as has been said, the air was
sticky, hot.
"of co'se, if I'd known you was such a
music lover
Thinking back on that, she felt again the
flush of hot anger: but it failed to remind her
of the reply which it had begotten.
Really, he plays pretty well, and I'm quite
fond of himl" Perversity had prompted this,
and the conviction that it served Lee right.
THUS it had begun. And for half hour
gone
in the doorway, his hat in his hand, looking
a good two inches taller than usual; his eyes
bleak his young face set, and his voice very
quiet.
'That being the case I'll not bother you
any more. I've been thinking for some time
of California Tomorrow I'm pulling out"
"It's not a bad idea" She remembered that
last speech of hers. She remembered 1t with
cold feeling in her heart, as If the world
had of a sudden reversed its movement and
started turning the wrong way.
But she was not sorry for what had hap
pened. It was good thing She told herself
this twice while the blackboard was ascending
the long grade. Yes, there was no doubt about
it; she was lucky to have found out Lee Shat
tuck. Last evening, after his departure. she
had waited expecting to hear the rasp of his
spur on the veranda again. His failure to re-
turn and patch it up had fully revealed the
extent of his unreasoning jealousy. Well, she
was free of him.
The mules stopped of their own accord.
She found herself before the stage station. Ed
Sampson was coming to the door. She held
her chin higher and smiled at him
Down on the mesquite fat the road wound
through patches OF glaring sunlight and
checkered shadow. The tall thickets gave brief
vistas of dusty ruts hedged in by thorny stems.
covered at times by ceiling of fretted green
cry. The stage station and the long grade
leading to it were invisible. But the fresh
wheel tracks gave vivid evidence of the buck
boards passing. Ordinarily Lee would have
read this testimony together with the imprints
Of the mules small hoofs, thereby to draw his
own deductions. This, however, was an extraor-
dinary day in his young life.
Long habit kept his pony to the running walk.
The reins lay slack The rider remained heed
less of the gait. His hat was pulled far down:
the eyes beneath its wide rim were bleak.
What did surroundings matter when the world
had ceased to be worth while?
He, too, had left q note. tenpenny nail
spiked it to the door Of the pine board shack,
where his partner would be sure to find it, re-
turning from the San Pedro on the morrow.
&or inir AZ kna