The Washington times., 1937-10-01

a soaring hand on his back. Blu
in sour young misery.
1t was six weeks since he'd seer
Beth. She'd sent back all his let
tiers. Unopened! She didn't ever
know he had this fine engineering
job down here on the desert. Neal
his mothers ranch.
Johns fists clenched in misery
as he strobe, thinking of Beth
Beth who was gay and slender.
John! Johnny" A wild halloc
urgent as a fire siren snapped the
young man around.
Mike O'Meara gasped. Been
yowling at you for a block" Bis
Mike, his mothers portly foreman
trotted up. He clutched the young
mans arm.
John! There's q car and trailer
at Mesa Verde waterhole. And
they won't scat"
JOHNNY GLOWERs
Tall Johnny glowered down at
the ranch foreman, "A car and
trailer squatting at our best wa.
terhole! Is that what you're say
ing. Mixer"
OrMeara nodded glumly. "And
we've got to have that waterhole.
For q small roundup tomorrow.
Your mother told me to 60 for
you'll"
They logged down the hot street
and halted by Johns ragged-fen'
der car. But Johns mind kept
sliding back to that scene with
Beth six weeks ago at the UniVer-
sity.
Her voice quivering in outraged
misery, Beth had accused him OF
three timing"-of giving his
Frat pin to three different girls
Inarticulate with blushing panic
(and Beth's anguished face John
had been unable to more than
humble.
The twentieth time he tried to
see Beth and she refused him,
John got mad; graduation over,
glufnly he had come to the ranch.
Plump O'Meara oozing in beside
John, clutched his breath to
shrink his ponderouS girth. IF
7ou can't do anything with her
and her trailer have to drag
out the sheriff with a warrant
It's Q dangerous spot"
Five minutes later Johnny was
stalking down the cool canyon Of
Mesa Verde toward the grove o.
pepper trees that arched the black
bubbling mountain stream.
The young man demanded, sud
denly, Mike. How far does the
stream rise in the rains? It over
flows in freshetS, doesn't it?"
The bald head Of the foreman
royed on his shoulders as HI
stared around.
Good gosh! Overflows!" He
leveled a finger, fat as an eclair
at. the rocky canyon wall. What
do you think I'm talking about
danger for?
you can see the watermark
q fourth Of the way UP. Lost ten
head down here last week."
NERVY STRANGERS
Johnny'S mouth was tight as a
battened hatch. "Well, I'll have
to get them out Of here" He glared
far up the canyon at the coupe
and the chrome-Streamed trailer
under the trees. Merry strangers
Squatting on their land!
In his racing stride he stared
upward. The sky was blue as lac
quered china. There was the hot
glow on its face as of sun on por-
celain. Only, at one rocky corner
was there a scum Of cloud.
Johnny stared at that spot Of
scum as If its gray foam held the
fettered Observation-Disclosures
derS-waterfalls Of tempest rain.
Frowningly he glared at the
fringe Of scum spreading to the
east.
A girl stepped out Of the trailer.
A girl, young and lovely as a
small sloop straining before the
wind, came flying toward them.
It was Beth; 1t was his own
Beth! Johnny'S knees began buc-
king under him. His Beth, after
six weeks! She came running over
the rocky path. T h en- a wild
thought flooded his mind.
Beth wouldn't listen to him. She
wouldn't believe him. Let alone do
anything he told her! That the
rains were bursting in cloudbursts.
A freshet in the mountain feeding
this stream
His voice forced itself to cold
sourness.
well, Beth! This is a surprise!
But I'm afraid can't let you stay
here. Can you get out of here in
half an hour? We're branding
cattle here. Tomorrow morning.
The drivers will begin drifting the
COWS down here in an hour" Beth
stared at him dazedly, shock in
her eyes as if the good solid earth
had chaSmed at her feet.
But Johnny glared at the great
glow Of blazing blue heaven-he
shifted on his feet. The gray scum
scudding down the eastern noun.
tains in swiftly proving black
storm! Lord!
SICK SISTER
Reth,s SCARED boot smacked the