Nogales international., 1935-01-19

"And to think" she added lazily,
"that I'd planned to spend this
heavenly morning struggling with a
hoe"
"It's not a woman's work" he
insisted doggedly. The mere sug-
gestion seemed to make him angry.
IF you need more help, let your
neighbors take hand. Or if you
won't do that, Tranquilino has a
nephew who will come by the day,
and I'll see that he doesn't over
charge you. l hate the idea OF your
grubbing in the fields. 1t doesnt
fit you at al"
"I'm a Woodworking woman, you
know, not princess in an ivory
tower
You'd make a better princess
than anyone l know"
She caught a dark flicker in his
eyes. A warning little bell chimed
somewhere in her head. Barry
Duane was not the kind who made
careless love.
The days ran by as swiftly as
water slipping over a dam. There
was still plenty Of work to be done,
but the first furious onslaught was
over. Things were shaping up, IN
doors and out.
Every morning Anne ran out to
look at the new green OF her al
falfa fields. There were hours III
the kitchen garden or out on the
porch. Evenings she often sat with
pencil and paper and thoughtfully
puckered brow, trying to figure
profits and losses, the cost of stock
and what she ought to do next
year.
Barry was looking after some ne
elected work on his own ranch, but
every few days he found an excuse
to stop at Trails End. The oblig-
ing Boone Petry detoured to Trails
End every time he drove in to
Marston and occasionally when he
didn't. Martha developed an I'm
canny prescience in guessing when
Petry was due and piling up errands
and odd jobs for him.
They were out on the steps one
day when Petry drove up, the old
car piled with supplies.
There's your package from the
mail order house, Miss Anne, and
here's a letter for Martha No let
ters for you or me. Shall take
the groceries around back, Martha?"
He usually walked straight
through the front door TO the
kitchen, as did everybody else, but
today he hickered an eyelid at
Martha and tramped around to the
back door. Martha followed him:
Look here, Martha, some OF
those old hens in Marston are
talkin'." -,
whats the matter with them?"
"Miss Anne's the matter. Mis-
Bagley, she can't get over the shock
of findin' that there wasn't any tag
on her coat, and Mis- Caswell at
the post-office, she says it's awful
queer that Miss Gushing never gets
letters from home like other folks.
"Well," said Martha sharply,
what did you tell her?'
"What could tell herr" Petry
scratched a worried head. Her
bein' a lady, l couldn't very well
cram her remarks down her throat,
could II"
NO" said Martha dry1y. "Bein
man, you wouldn't know how
Now see here, Boone Petry, the
next time you hear any such inter-
estin' conversation goin' on, you
just slide up and tell 'em you know
for certain, only you wouldn't tell
anybody but them, that Miss Anne
hasn't any folks except cousins
she's never seen, and she run away
because her guardian wanted her
to marry rich old rake that she
hated"
Petry grinned. "All right,
Martha, just as you say"
Martha's mouth quirked briefly
and sobered again.
Look here, do you suppose
Barry's heard any of this?"
Don't believe so. If anybody'd
ever SalQ II 10 MIN, ne Il HdFC Sdl1eu
in and took 'em apart" =,
Martha looked worried. NO,
she said grimly, che wouldn't take
'em apart. He'd just turn icy mad
and freeze 'em until they cracked.
And he'd rage inside all the way
home, because he's awful fond OF
Miss Anne"
Inside of the house a voice was
singing, a lifting soprano. Petry
listened for a moment, eased the box
softly to the table and tiptoed out
again.
= =
Anne was restless. She was
alone, for Martha had gone to
Marston to spend tie day. leaving
shortly after breakfast with Petry
At first it had been rather fun. She
had roamed from the house to the
creek and back to the house again,
but little by little things that she
wanted to forget had crept in.
She must not think of them; she
didn't want to. This was new
life and she was going to be happy
in it, She aqds happy Would she
ever feel free to do the things that
other girls did-well, to marry, for
instance? Even if she told the man