Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-10-26
CHAPTER XIII-Continued

20
Jane sat huddled in her chair,
painting a little, her eyes wide.
"Silly," she said with a sob.
The sound of her voice echoed and
re-echoed, "Silly, silly, silly"
The noise without was deafening
the wind shook the walls. She
stood up, her hands clenched, then
ran swiftly into the hall.
A laundering crash and the lights
went out.
She heard Frederick calling,
"Jane, janet"
She called back, 'I'm here" and
saw the quick squirt of a match as
he lighted it, holding it up and peer
ing into the dark.
''There you are, my dearest" He
lighted another match and came to-
wards her, as Waldron, with brace
of candles, appeared in one door
and Badly and Edith in another.
Frederick lifted Jane in his strong
arms. "Why, you're crying" he
said; "don't, my darling, don't"
Then Badly came up and demand
ed, whats the matter, Kitten?
You've never been afraid of
storms"
She tried to smile at him. "Well,
I've gone through such lot lately"
But Badly wasn't satisfied. A Jane
who dissolved into tears was a dis
turbing and desolating object. He
glowered at Frederick, holding him
responsible.
At this moment Waldron re-
appeared to say that Briggs had
pronounced the streets impassa-
BILE. Branches had been blown down
and there was other wreckage.
'That settles it," Frederick said.
"You two young things may as well
stay here for the night. James not
fit to 60 out anyhow"
"Oh, I'm all right" she protested.
Edith suggested bridge, so they
played for a while. The big room
was still lighted by the candles, so
that the shadows pressed close. Jane
was very pale, and now and then
Frederick looked at her anxiously.
"You and Edith had better go
up" he said at last. "And you
must have Alice get you some hot
milk-I'n send Waldron with a bit
of cordial to set you up"
She shook her head. IT don't
want it."
"But / want you to have it,"
There was note of authority which
almost brought her again to tears.
She hated to have anyone tell her
what she should do. She liked to do
as she pleased. But later, when
the glass of cordial came up to her,
she drank it.
She did not go to sleep for long
time. Edith sat by the bed and
talked to her. IT shouldn't" she
apologized; "Uncle Fred told you to
rest"
Jane curled up among her pill
lows, and said rebelliously, "Well,
I don't have to obey yet, do II"
"Don't ever obey" Edith, in her
winged chair with her Viking braids
and the classic draperies of her
white dressing-gown, looked like
Morse goddess. Don't ever obey,
or you'll make a tyrant out of him."
"But I hate-fghting."
'You won't have to fight. I do it
because it's my temperament. But
you can manage him-by letting
things 60 bit-and coaxing will
do the rest"
II don't want to manage-my hus-
band" said Jane.
Cali women do"
''Would you want to manage
Baldy?"
Edith flushed. "That's different"
she evaded
'Not different. You know you
wouldn't go through life with him,
pulling wires, making puppet of
him-of yourself-you want COM
radeship - understanding You'll
flare up now and then. Badly and I
do. Butch, we love each other"
James voice shook.
Edith looked at her thoughtfully.
"Jane, are you happy?"
81 ought to be-"
''But are your"
''I'm tired I think. / don't know.
Ever since I came home I've been
nervous. Perhaps it is the reac-
ton"
"Jane, I'm going to say some
thing. Don't marry Uncle Fred I'M
less you're-sure. I went through
all that with Del. And you see how
little I knew of what I had in my
heart to give" She stopped, her
lovely face suffused with bushes.
Give learned-since then. And you
mustn't make my-mistake. And,
Jane DEAR" she leaned over the
younger girl like some splendid an
gel, "don't worry about material
things. Badly and I will want you
always with us"
Jane sat up. care you going to
marry Baldy?"
81 am" signing little, "some
day, when his ship comes in. He
isn't willing to share my. cargo
yet"
"He loves you," said Jane, dear
ly."
Edith bent down and kissed her.
81 know" she said, land my heart
cipoc II -