The midland journal., 1945-10-12

his vital flame was quenched. That
salel She had to bend her head over
her plate to conceal her face as she
vividly imagined the agony 1t must
have been to him as one after the
other Of his cherished horses went
under the hammer for a fraction
Of their worth. And they were the
accumulation Of many years OF gru-
cling work. The ranch was stripped
now Of all except the young stuff
and the band of brood mares.
"Will you be able to buy more
brood mares?" she interrupted her,
self suddenly.
"No."
IA new stallion?"
'No."
How soon should she tell him7
Should she tell him now, so that
they could discuss it while they were
driving home? How should she begin
it? Rob-I've been thinking. And
I've got an idea
She stole a look at his face and
decided not to tell it now. He looked
so-how exactly did he look? Not Bit
ter today. No-nor as angry as he
had been before he left, but hard.
And very much on guard. That
could only be against her. And de-
termined--what was he determined
about now? Perhaps just to keep on
Furnishing her. He always said when
he got angry he was angry at him
self, not her. But even If that was
so, it amounted to the same thing.
He simply oozed ugliness and it dis
turbed everyone around him.
"Rob, I've been thinking. And
I've got an idea"
Dinner and a highball had mel
lowed him a little. He put down
the periodical he was reading and
looked at his pipe and discovered
that it had gone out. "What about?"
he asked.
"Well-about our finances"
Rob hunted for a match. "What
about 'em?"
"Well-I really think that I've
thought of something we could do to
make the ranch pay"
"When did you think this up?"
asked Rob, pausing in the act Of
lighting his pipe to look at her.
"This week, since-since you were
here the other night and said that
that the sale hadn't-paid-the way
you expected it to-"
ooh! So you thought you would
step in and save the pieces!"
Nell felt CONSERVATION. Was it 60
ing to seem like that to him? She
was silent.
'Well, let's have it," said he with
forced joviality. His blue eyes were
staring at her over his pipe, and it
made her remember Ken's words,
"Dad's eyes are the fiercest of all"
"Shootl" he prodded her.
"Well-it really began with some
thing you said some years ago."
"Ah! Kind of you to remember
that! But don't bother to break it
tactfully to me, Nell, let's hear what
it is"
"You said that the income tax man
said that the only ranchers in Wy
oming who made money were dude
ranchers. And then you said, And
he knows" She glanced up at Rob
questioningly, hoping he could not
see the fine nervous trembling that
shook her body.
81 remember. Go on"
ESQ that made me think Of having
dudes."
"On this ranch!'
"Yes. We had talked about it a
few times already, years ago, you
remember?"
"And you always said 1t would kill
it as home for you, If we did,"
reminded Rob.
"I know did" Nell plodded dog
gedly ahead. II always hated the
idea. Buff we were in trouble
if you needed money--it seemed to
me, Rob, I should not let my per-
sonal inclinations stand in the way"
She looked hesitatingly at him, and
away again. His face was full Of
anger - rage really - and it was
shocking to have to look at him.
Sand so," said he in his best sar-
QOIllC IlldlhiCl, JOu o1iiiPiy oCSlOCu
that I was a complete flop. Had
failed beyond recovery. And that
you had better give up all hope of
retaining the thing you love the best
your home. Give that up, make
this place-that I have broken my
heart trying to make beautiful for
you-the camping ground of any
Tom, Dick and Harry that wants to
squat here"
Nell looked at him Indignantly.
"It's not fair Of you to put it that
way. It would only be dude ranch
in the summer time. In the winter
it would just be our home as it al
ways has been. And what if I did
have the notion that didn't want
to have any dudes here? People can
change their minds. And if we need
the money, and this would make the
difference between being able to pay
our bills and not being able to
would be a wash-out if / could not
| adjust myself to a different way of