Evening star., 1940-09-02

tain?" accenting her final wore
with furious jab at the starter.
He let several miles of painted
desert slip by, marked by q tracer
Of red dust behind the station
wagon before he sat up slowly-hs
did everything slowly, his muscles
ripping almost visibly-and looked
at her. The man you were ex-
pecting to meet at that trair
wouldn't have kept you waiting al
I did. I have an idea that he!
Johnny-on-the-spot. Prides him
self on punctuality. That's the
| reason he has gotten where he ha.
in the world. He's probably big
and blond and successfully self
made. I wonder why he wasn't
on that train"
It was not necessary for her tt
feign surprise. but it did irk hel
that he should classify Carl Jami-
son so accurately without having
seen him, and she was wondering
too, why Carl didn't arrive or
schedule, but she spoke f1ippantly
to hide all this. "And could you
know. too, that I'm going to MARI.
| him?"
Tells Her Name.
"I've been trying hard to remem-
Der that" His laugh stung her al
most beyond discretion. And nov
that we know each other so well
suppose you tell me your name"
Elizabeth Magdalena Cameron.
That should stop him.
But he only scowled and ther
laughed. mo one ever calls you
by that handle" His eyes were
on her hair and when he smiled
difference in his voice and he said
Don't be like that" she weakened
Everyone around here calls me
Brick. It's easier to say than Eliz-
abeth Magdalena and that way
neither of my grandmothers fol-
whom I was named feel sighted >
| II can sympathiZe with YOU or
that score because I had two grand.
fathers-one Timothy and the other
Craigmore-and as the only grand
son I'm staggering through life un-
der the weight of Timothy Craig
more, but to most people I'm plair
Craig and I like 1t that way" HI
was watching her. his eyes linger.
ing on her hands. tight on the steer.
ing wheel. Tell me, Brick, why
should I get so undeservedly bae
q reception as I did back there ir
Mesa Grande? Were you so disap.
pointed that it was I who turned
up instead Of your fiance?"
Il hate dudes" she said flatly.
He whistled softly and then
laughter deep-down-inside doomed
out. May I ask why dudes are on
your black list?"
Says Dudes Ruin Country.
Brick turned her eyes toward the
slumbrous desert sweeping down
from Michongnovi Mesa and up the
red flank Of brooding old Chimney
Butte. They're running all this
she replied vehemently. They pile
on the trains at Mesa Grande by
the dozens and are disappointed II
you show up for them in anything
less than stagecoach. They come
out to get q taste Of the old West
and yet they want plush and silver
and plenty Of service while they
loll around in Lewis with the price
tag still on and red shirts and bead
ed vests and high-heeled boots and
spurs and hats of the biggest liquio
content. They stand on peaks ano
throw out their chests and ride with
their elbows and cling to the delu-
sion that they can steer a horse as
they would an automobile. They
never get the real feel of being
astride a fine horse bringing in the
cavy at $50 in the morning. They
never know what fun it is to roll
out OF bed when it's half dark and
have breakfast with the wrangler.
in the bunkhouse."
"And that's the reason" CRAIG
broke in, you're getting married
and leaving all this. Wouldn't you
call that cutting of your nose to
spite your face?"
She stared at him haughtily and
found his grin disarming and his
mouth better looking than she had
anticipated. I'm not marrying
Carl immediately-not until things
are settled for Liz" She stopped
60 on tell me about Liz
Brick Tells All.
His directness left her with moth
Ing to say but, why not? You'll
hear about it from some one else
the minute you arrive at Chucko-
movi, so you might just as well
hear 1t from me and get 1t
straight" In a split second she
separated the things she could tell
him from those she could not. 'Liz
is my mother. OF course. her name
Is Elizabeth. She was married when
she was II. She had me when she
was Is and Bill four years later.
Dad died two years ago. He was q
doctor and in spite of the fact that
most doctors spend everything they
make, he left us pile of money.
Liz is 50 and she has looks and
money and is the target for every
male miles around. Ever since dad
died-Beulah has had to Tight men
away from Liz and her money"
who is Beulah?"
"Beulah?" She thought q mo-
ment as II she Just now realized
who that extraordinary person
really was. "Oh, she has been with
us since I can remember. She
raised Liz and then Bill and me.
guess she knows all of us better
than we know ourselves"
who is Beulah clubbing away
from Liz now?"
Jim Bradstreet." Brick glanced
at Craig, but his eyes were fixed
on the scenery far beyond the nose
Of the station wagon. For q mo-
ment she thought he was 50 un-
interested that 1t was absurd for
her to continue. Then quite sud-
L - I'll