Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-12-19

meanness. u might be only q form 9
} 10 nsahe xsaess peemAe nke her; expepE Q
course. LerHa HARE vine ieeFe&s
"Rutl She knows she's IN love witt
Max. and nothing else matters 20 her
Why else dad she persuade John q
POSTPONE his leave until the spring
though he'd set his heart on SHOWING
her off to his family st their Christ
mas reunion2 Because Max wasn't dus
to go home until the spring. Why dix
Max broke both his silly shins In tina
motor smash. and the doctor ordered
him home at once
And poor old John is sure she made
the sacrifice for him." Tom Delane
.sWasl" Lorna sneered. looking al
John Wykes still, grave face. ne
knows now. Well, there's no fool IKE
an old fool-any man who marries
featherbrain half his own age ought
I to know what's coming TO him."
They could understand and discount
/ Iorna's anger. There had always been
the chance of John Wyke looking her
/ way. before Thirza came on the scene
/ All the same, there was some truth IN
what she said. John Wyke, who had
been a quiet and steady -going bachelor
until Thirza had appeared like a bright,
wild elemental thing from out the
China backlands with her dying, mar
,ITo-scaruua explorer father, had been
unwise to forget that sober 40 should
not marry youthful 10, however en-
n was merely asking for trouble
once youth. especially In the shape OF
Max Scaria, appeared on the scene.
Max Scaria was nothing at all beside
John Wyke; q mere inc0nsequenkaat
iunior empIoye Of Mid-China LuDri-
cants, and none too secure at that,
aaaInst the position, power, and solid
fortune Of a district political officer.
But Max had youth, yivactty and
strength, a dashing manner and quite
outrageous good looks. How could SOHO
Those who watched knew he was
conscious OF that tragedy OF ages as
he walked to Max's chair. Max was
dark, vivid and brilliant even as
cripDle and beside him John Wyke
looked dry. stiff and sapless. Yet what
ever he felt John Wyke played the
PANE according to his lights. He was
calm and friendly to the boy; what
ever crashed inside him he had not only
IN save ais own face" before the crowd,
but Thirza's. 1t was the little he could
"a lot of the great gentleman about
old john" Major Stamper murmureo
as he watched. ,x..o,,
Lorna iibed. Look how they gloat over
each other. All she thinks OF now Is
that she won't be separated from hlIa.
yves" Mrs. Stamper sighed, even
AGAINST her affection for John. There
was always a queer honesty about her
aAnd she's darn good locker, Tom
DeIano said, watching the radiant ana
golden girl who was John Wykes VIE
Never saw her looking prettier
nsThat's what's called the love light
In her eyes" Lorna Knocked,
Perhaps John Wyke was thinking
that. too. He was watching ms wlIe5
mot staring but studying her quietly;
wondering, maybe, why ne had never
heen able 20 call up just that lowell
r,exs In her. But it didn't make him
bitter. only more protective. He saw
that she was at the mercy OF her emo
tions and inclined to expose herself
too heedIessIy TO eyes such as Lorna's-
He Joined her as she helped the
Chinese ground-staff lift Max into the
plane and settle him into his extended
chair at the rear. He even said quietly
in the face of Lorna's singer:
you've given her the chance OF her
life Max. She's never happy unless
she's mothering someone"
Thirza's mOthering was nothing 70
the way John Wyke fathered her. In his /
quiet, sure way he saw TO 1t they got
seats at the rear. 1t meant that Ihirza /
had the last chair across the aisle from /
Max, and that he himself must sit with
his back to her IN the chair ahead
but at least he cut her off from the /
$1,000 .-.wo ord eaeror f,F xrssF7o
That was all that mattered TO John.
He could stiII gEaar@ the woman he
loved, even when he meant nothing to
1er. That was his type. he was one of
The quiet, 0xe-wOsnan men, who having
met his woman late I'm life, took IL even
harder than others of his kind.
Max watched his maneuvering with
vary, furtive eyes that recently began
20 smirk. He wasn't the type to under
stand the real significance OF john
'Vyke's action; In fact he thought It
,nIy middle-aged complacency. Max
vas young, too, very young; younger
han Thirza IN mind, If not years. She,
It least, had been trained in the hard
.xerience oe exploration, while he had
My lived on the easy triumphS Of his
God looks. She could never do any
hing but respect John Wyke. but Max
zas only contemptuous Of all husbands.
Iere, he saw, was just another old
DOL too sure Of himself-he'd show
i'm.
When the uproar Of the motors helped
he awkwardness Of the seating ar
angements and cut them off in a world
( their own, Max made the best pos
Ible use of his eyes and hands behind
ohm Wyke's back. He was master Of
UGH cIandestine parlor tricks, but also
1day Thirza was In the melting mood
Since that day i'm the private ward
Z the hospital when the shock OF the
cciGsenk had driven Thirxa into his
rms, she was sure she loved Max. Her
alive honesty had made her want to
II John at once, but Max was against
Not until they were back in Eng
md and he could look after her, must
icy declare themselves; he insisted;
ainting lurid picture Of what he'll
small China station might be to them
sf0re they could escape She was