Evening star., 1934-04-08
Judith Lane
Sv JEANNE BOWMAN

"Slim Sanford" gasped Judith. III
I didn't know you had wings I'd be-
lieve you were your own ghost. How
ever did you get here?"
with my wings. Cunard sent me
down as soon as you made up your
mind to come. He wired Laredo for
lumber to be sent in and the boys
worked In their of hours to put this
up"
Il repeat, you're a great gang"
Judith, who knew the dearness OF
lumber SO far from shipping centers.
appreciated the little wooden shack
for its true value. It was just one
long barren room with boarded
lean-to for a kitchen and . curtained
alcove for Delphy, but it spelled lux
ury.
Delphy took in the situation and
called Slim Sanford aside. Slim had
been around Hillendale enough for
Delphy to have assumed a proprie-
tary air over him and his services.
Mas Slim, reckon I'd best make
coffee and sangwichens?"
He decided it would be a fine idea
and he presided over the oil stove,
which Delphy eyed with considerable
| apprehension while she made sand
wiches, devoured by the men who sat
in the big room talking to Judith.
Judith was silent for the most part,
| listening to them talk and cleaning
the real news from Big Tom Town.
When Slim came in with the coffee
pot she looked up and surprised his
eyes in an unguarded moment. SYM
pathy and tenderness were there, and
fierce protectiveness.
'Delphy says just chocolate for you,
Judith, he explained when she held
up her cup for coffee.
| After the men had left Judith went
| TO her comfortable bed, brought in
on the work train for her, and tried
to sleep, but her mind sped back to
Houston. What would Norman think
when he realized she had left? What
would he do? Would he write?
Where was he now-still in Calves
/ ton, perhaps? His case promised to
/ last for a week at least. She Won
dered if Mathile was with him?
| Restlessly she turned and tossed.
Mathile would be with him If 1t were
within her power. Perhaps she would
/ talk him into taking her to their
| farm house for dinner perhaps
there would be Glove pinks and holly
hooks along the path.
| She was being silly; neither one
was in blossom this time of the year,
and Norman would not be out with
/ Mathile.
She should be thinking of the work
which lay before her. She thought
Of Slim Sanford instead, thought of
him wonderingly. OF course, Slim
had been acting as a winged courier
for Cunard, and yet there seemed to
be something deeper in his concern
for her welfare.
Judith did not want Sims regard
to go deeper than friendship-and
yet she felt twinge of pleasure when
she thought of the aviator.
She started to turn and heard Del
phys springs creak. She held her
breath. If Delphy learned she was
awake she'd have to drink some mole
chocolate, and she couldn't. She lay
there wondering what the old woman
would do when she saw the native
! children; try to fatten them? What
a time she'd have.
That was it, she'd write Norman
/ in a light vein: "Normy, dear, be-
hold your wife, Delphy accompanied
by six cans Of cholocate and the old
! red brick"
/ She curled into a comfortable DO
sition, punched her pillow into a puff
ball and burrowed her head into it
resolutely. Shed count sheep. She
began. one, two, three and then
one hundred, two hundred four
/ hundred and fifty =. was it six or
/ seven? .. there were voices outside.
She opened her eyes. the sun was
streaming in through the uncur-
tained windows and Delphy was tip
toeing to the door, warming "Sh-sh-
! Sh" Preceding her.
lie right sorry, sir, but she didn't
get no sleep till come 2:30 this mo-
min an I won't waken her"
Judith sat up and peeked out the
window. Heads, mems and women's.
ScogginS was in the lead . :. a dele
cation of the native families was
waiting at the door.
'Delphy," she called, "tell them
Ill be out as soon as I dress"
Tomorrow Judy meets delegation.