Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-12-28
CHAPTER az

OUR HONEYMOON progressed
IN sort of maze Of haphazarc
housekeeping. Sally's ministra.
lions kept us from actual chaos
ana when the ugliness Of golden
oak and maroon brocade got toe
much on Minis nerves she found
refuge in our own rooms, which
shone with the crystal and silver
winch she had brought, and from
which she had banished everything
but the walnut furniture and our
own belongings.
had a desk by my window and
Mimi always kept flowers on it. 1
mad believed that the view of the
mountains and Minis presence
would inspire me to write master
Ipieces-but was doomed to dis
appointment. found it, indeed.
difficult to write anything at all.
For some reason my pen lacked
fire. It was as if in living so avid
ly l had robbed myself of the
power to express that vividness on
paper.
Moreover, yearned to be out of
doors with Mimi, riding over our
domain. and beyond it-up the
trails to little lakes cupped in the
top Of the lower peaks, with yell
low lilies reflected in their depths
and the slim trunks Of the pale
aspens. It was wonderful to be
alone in all that vast loneliness
going up and up through spruce
and pine-to see coyote like a
gray shadow crossing our path, or
q deer with startled eyes, and the
lovely wild leap which took it out
Of our sight.
It was as if our lives had two
sldes-the side Of the ugly house
with the hateful shadows of drudg-
cry which hung over it: the side
which had to do with ugly mem
ories Of the things Mimi had said
to me on the night of our arrival
and the morning after; the ugly
side Of my financial uncertainties.
And that other side, Of Mimi
in the orchard, with cherries
Topped over her ears, Mimi in the
sweet hay Of one of the barns, with
puff-ball Of a kitten in her lap,
Mimi brushing her bright hair
with a silver brush, Mimi whip
ping the streams with her trout
line, and beating me at it with
skill she had learned in the Maine
woods.
l cooked the trout for our din
ner-and we had vegetables from
our own garden-and perhaps
sweet loaf of Mrs. Hayes baking
or dish Of cream cheese which
she had made for us.
Idyllic? Yes. And it couldn't
last. There was always that haunt
ing thought Of the other side of
things, and the crash came in a
letter from my lawyer. There
were, he said, practically no funds
at my disposal. IF I could make
the farm pay might tide over the
present crisis. Otherwise, he would
advise me to sell.
There was a letter, too, from
the employment agency at Denver.
They gave me little hope-they
might be able to send a cook If I
was. willing to give very high
wages. There was much objection
on account Of the remoteness of
the ranch. The sum they named
as wages took my breath away.
l had never dreamed Of such re-
wards for domestic service.
had made up my mind when
we were first married I would have
no secrets from Mimi. In an ideal
singleness of soul, man and his
wife should bear their burdens to-
gether. But it seemed to me now
that would better let well enough
alone. e Why worry Mimi with
things which might straighten
themselves? would give more
time to the management of the
ranch and less to writing. L
might even get along without
Hayes. He had. himself. sug-
gested it. He wanted to accept an
offer to take charge, for the sum-
mer of the livery stable at the