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About The Times-herald. (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1919)
-a ' I River When the Colorado Burst Ita Banks and Flooded the Imperial Valley o California (By EDNAH AIKEN i ' ii (Coprtijhi. Robba-Marrlll Corapinr. ) CHAPTER XXIII. A White Woman and a Brown. For a few Week! Mrs. Hardin round the iix'ss tent diverting, Befora the Delta had expanded the capacity of iln camp In-r soft niink had been nvi-r-tiixiii. her hospitality strained. The man of the reclanflhlon aarvlce, thrown into temporary Inactivity! ware aagar to accept the opportunity created (or another. Falling that other, her zeal had flagged. Events were moving quickly at the break; Rlckard was ab oorbed. Mrs. HartBn told bersell that it. was the beat she wished to escape; not to her own ear did Hhe whisper that she was following Itlt-k.'ird, nor that the percolator and chafing dish, her shelves and toy kitchen ware a wasted effort. She kept on good terms with herself by Ignoring self-eonll- daneea. Itlckard. the discovery unfolded esswly, took his meals Irregularly, ins breakfast was jru'ped down before the women appeared ; his dinners where he found them. "No wonder!" reflected Oerty Hnr dln. "Ling's cooking Is so bnd." Small She Waved Ih. Her Hand G.iyly. manager foraged for his i wonder meals. ,Sh" worked nut a mission us she Jay across her bed that hot afternoon. Her duty became BO clear that she cnid no longer He still. Immediately she must retrieve her weeks of Idle ness: what l!in.f Ilhknrd think of her? she buttonod herself thoughtfully Into n frock of pole colored muslin, cream slipping toward canary. White was I too glaring on a red-hol day a this. I'Wil. WO tOO hot, blUC too defWllte. paroaol "T pastel green, aiti Mrr looki 9 like a .--jir itr of fragrant rolgnonettn, Bhe found tbe open apace of the ' t raped um swarming with strange dnrk faces, So silent, tbelr coming be had not beard the arrival of the tribes. She Isolated the Cocopahs, stately n bronze statues, their long hair (ream ing, or wound raudaked under the brilliant beudcloths, foregathering with (hem were men of oilier tribes; these must be tbe Yumas and Degnl nos, tha men needed on the riwr. These were the men who were to work on the rafts, tgeava the great mnt tresses. A ajuad of short haired PI rnas with Hair squaws and babies arid their gaudy bundles, gaped at the falr-balrcd woman i ha passed. The estral apace was fllllt g up with I'l and Maricopa . . goes, too : he knew them col lei ilvi iy by tbi Ir abort hair. Th. m .' ti i :n ), 1 11 Thlt . then, meant the 1 1 it tl actlvli . . Tom wi last be Dad. Me would no longer sulk and rage alternate), .,. . . ,, 0f I lie v . r Bafe re tha reached Rlckard'a m mada she saw ihut another woman was there, Bhe enu-.'iii an Impassioned gesture, Her only aurmlsa rested en (lines. Oerts saw thai aha waa dark) she looked tbe balfbreed. The brown woman drew hack n. the wblta woman entered. Oerty trailed an olry r surance. ana nereeif would wait, sh- did nei want to be hurried. She totd Blekard thol she bad plant of time. "There It tome thing you wont to fell ute?" Illrknrd'a natlence was eour teoua but linn, lie would hear her t r 'and tir-t. Oerty, remembering the Imploring attitude of tha Ntrauger di termini tl Ihui - he would nol he sent away. "Will you x 111 a tni . .' it .viii lie duly a minute." Him win, ii teii bar errand, and ji-ieti; : (jeiiy ajyv-pi j,ir i.: I. trader. 811 tl rt n, Mr . I lardln." Reaentlng the Inflection, she said ii e wnntd stand, Her voice wai a little hard. In r eyea Were veiled, as she told her mission. Her usual llu nii dragged; she felt a lack of sym pathy. In short, shoiriipiiscd a com mlssary departnieid, herself In charge. "I'll like to feel 1 wits of some ne," urged tierty. "My heart Is bound up In this undertaking: If I'm allowed to May, I'd like to help along. This Is the only way I can, the woman's way." "Aren't you taking it good ileal on yourself, Mrs. Hardin?" Then she forgave bis hesitation quite, ns It was of her he wns thin -Ing. "Not If It helps." Her voice was low and soft, as If this were a secret between them. "Why, of COUrae, anything you want. Mrs. i laniin." And, remembering her former position, he added. "Tln-s-nmp's yours as much as mine." A glad smile rewarded him. She went out, reluctantly. There was a niuv significance In Maol.cun's absence from the ramada. What could that woman have to say that MacLean must net hear? Kor the first time the weak tenure on her old lover Came to her. Vol a sign had he yet given of their understanding, of the piquant situation. Themselves old sweethearts, thrown together In this wilderness. What bad she built In r hopes on? A Wort here, u translated pheiise, or magnified glance. She would not har bor the new worry. Why, It would be all right. In the meantime hhe would show them all what a woman With executive ability could do. "Bit down, senora." said Richard to i ih,. iiver bed the brown woman, Mahhuiado's wife. "Kon't he frightened. We won't lor him hurt you." Itickard vulgarized his Oastlllan to the reach of her rude dialect. Familiar ns was Itlckard with the peons' speech in their own coun try, he could not keep up with her story. I.urld words ran past his ears. Out of the Jumble of abuse, of shame and misery he cuugTit a new note. fl"You say Maldonado himself sells qunr to the Indians?" "Ssh, senor!" Someone might bear him ! She looked over a terrified shoulder. That bnd slipped out, the selling of the liquor. She could have told her story without that ; she want ed tO deny It. Reientleasly Itlckard made her repeat It, acknowledging the truth. "Wha) makes you tell me now'" Richard hunted for the ulcer. He knew there was a personal wrong. "What has Maldonado been doing to you? Has he left you?" The veil of fenr was torn from her eyes. The trembling woman was gone, H vengeful wildcat In her place. "Left me, Maldonado? I-fl his home, where he traps the Indian with one coin in tiis pockets? No. Bettor, lie brought her to our home, there; I.upe, j the wife of Felipe, the IVgulnn. I I told him not to fool with Felipe j the Indian was daugirous; he had hot hi. ..ill. Maldonado struck me he kicked mi1 he said I was Jealous and hit me again. "Maldonado told me to get a big meal. I told htm thnt It was for Fe lipe. When I said I would not cook for that treachery he cursed me, he kicked me ngaln." She threw off the reboao, dragging her dress loose. "Don't," frowned Itlckard. He had seen a welt across her shoulder a screaming line of pain. Hhe wound the rehoso around the dishonored shoulder. "I cooked his dinner I There was a lot of liquor Felipe was drunk ; the tequila made him mad, quite mail. He seemed to know something was wrong; he fought ns Maldonado dragged him to the cell, the tenor remembers the ceil? The Bexl day Maldonado sent for two ril rales. They started the next day for ESnsenada, taking Felipe; that day Maldonado brought Lupe home, i said she could not slay ami he laughed In my face, seuor, He pul me OUtSlde tin walls. I beat that meal" He must (rap tha rogue. Thnt In fernal placs1 must DO closed. The i woman had come In (lie nh I; of time, Those tribes were to be guarded ns restless children. CHAPTER XXIV. Rlckard Makrt a New Enemy end a New Friend. The coming of the Indians gave the impetus the work bad lacked. Under to nks of the railroad company a large force was put on the river; these, the weavers of the brush mnttresses that were to tine th.' river bed. On the banks were the brush cutters; tons of willows were to be cut to weave Into the forty miles of woven wire cable waiting for the cross si rands. Hay by day the piles of willow brunches grew higher, the brush 'utters work ing ahead of the mottresa workers In the stream, tin the dense undergrowth the stolid Indians, Pit, am and Marleo pas and Pnpagocs, struggled with the fierce them of the inisq'ill and Hie overpowering smell ni the arrow weed, Aa lough as the hickory haniii is they wielded; they fought a clearing fhmngh dense thickets In the Intense tropic heat. Hewn stream the nmlullngnaglan arm of the die ige fell Into Hie mini of thesb' -ptss, dropping Its Slimy burden on Hie far I : l . DOVTO the long stiet. h of levee the "sklntui " drove their mules ami si rain s. t.u pile drivers were selling In the inaclier mis stream the piles which wars to anchor the steel-cabled matin tea to It was a well-organised, active scene. Rlcknrd, in his office, dictating letti r ami telcgrnra '" Mac T.i an. ,lr fell hit flr-l tntl faction. Things were beginning to ahow the ra mi! of months ,if planning. Cart were rushing In fro n north and east ; every quarry oelween l.os Angeles and I uc- s.in requisitioned for their undertaking. i w fell on the pine desk. ; . . ticking ahirl ntiJ w bite it iron walled for tbe '" -." ;.. He stood wiping the per from his head, hairless g the long allk-taparad qu. i.e. Ling?" male." His volco was soft "I no stay." a thunderclap. There was eil, ITn wn Ireatlnj Iter a I hough I lie v, i re a : ;' Hill ai 1 1." in-, her la cause ha was the wile of Hardin. Her eyes grew black Willi anger ; she hated them both) be tween them, their Jealousy, their ri valry, what had they made of her life? Hhe remembered tha woman she had seen In his raniiidn ; she bad heard that (he Mexican was In camp, cm ployed by Richard. Her thoughts WON like swarlnlng hornets. "He's on ungrateful beast, Iff, Hardin, 1 told him I would not let you waste your kindness one Inatnnl A M i Ling, in butcher til look , apirntlon cent for "Well. "1 go as silk. It was aw v MBBBka Will Htlp Me, Senori" "You ' until my lingers bled. I reniem 1 hered Hie klud face uf the assort and then I came here. You will help me, I i in .r?" Kiel nrd (book his bead. "I shall hare to look Into this thing. If this Is true it's prison for your hir liaml. Vou won't have to fear Lupe." ' iVIuii he gets out he will kill inc, i Dor." The terror was seising her again, B abe could begin her plttidlug he called lo Marl, can. "Ash Ling to find u tent for Scnont M.'MoiiihIo 'it'll him to give her u no one to replace Ling, who was drawing down the salary of n private Secretory. Lose Ling? It would be mora demoralising to the camp than to lose an engineer. "Money all lite. Hossee all lite. No llkee womuil. Woman atM slay, Ling go." "Mrs. Hardin!" Itlckard woke up. "She all lime makee trouble. She cla.y. She think woman vellec fine cook, she show Ling coolie,, pisnas. Teaches Ling cooi.ee ptnnesl i go stay that woman." Unutterable Dual ity in the leathern face. Rlckard and MacLeiin, .1.-., exchanged glances which deepened from concern into perplexity. They could not afford to lose Ling. And offend Mrs. Hardin, the camp Mlready Ilnrdlnesquc? Itlckard grew placating. He spent n half hour wheedling. They met ut tbe starling place. "Ling go tnmale." "Oh, Lord," groaned the manager, capitulating. "All right, Ling." With the dignity of an oriental prince. Ling pattered out of the tent. Rlcknrd wns puckering his llpa at hl.i secretary. "I'd rather tako castor oil." A half hour Inter, MncLonn saw Id chief leave his (cut. Ho was in fresh linens. "I wouldn't swap places with h'.-n this minute: She'll be as mud ns n wet hen I" Mrs. Hardin, from her bed by he screen window, saw him coming. s;.,i lipped into a semlneglll Of alter nate rows of lac iimi swisa construct oi for such pes ible emergencies, Bl.o did not make the mistake of smooth ing her hair; her Instinct told lor that the fluffy disorder bor it the use of tin. negligee, she was sew ing in her rotunda when Rlckard'a knock sounded on the screen door. Despite his piii -,1s she started w .1- ler boiling in her chafing dish, r." bail not time fur leu, he deduced, but she Insisted on making this call of a social DStUre. Sin- opened a box of sugar wafers, her zeal that of a chl.d with n toy kitchen; the was playing doll's hou e. Itlckard made several openings for his errand, but her wits sped Ilka a gopher from his labored digging. She met his mood with womanly dlg nlty; she tutored her coquetries, with held her archness. ,Ie found he would have to discard diplomacy, blurt OUl hla message; u e bludgeons for this scampi ring uglllty "My mission is a little awkward, Mrs. Hardin, i hafts you win lake it all right, that yon will not he m tended." a Hi. ii'led?" Bar face showed alarm. "It's abOUl Ling. He's a queer fel low; they all ere, you know." He was blundering like a schoolboy un der the growing shadow in tierty'M blue eyex. "They resent authority. thnt it, from women. He la a tjninl, Ling Is." "VesV" Ah, nho would 00 help him. i Let iiiui Sounder I "He wants to bo let alone; he Ldoeenl appreciate your kind bstp, Mrs. Hardin." "Oh!" Her eyes were hot wllh tears angry (ears. She could not speak or would not. She sat in her ' spoiled doll's house, all her pleasure In her toy dishes, lur pretty il y, ; ruined, He could nol cam If be could humiliate her so. It was the most vivid moment of her life, Nol even I when Itlckard hud left her, wllh hi , illaaos sllll warm on her lips, had she nars sun- Tom. Bhe resclied the crecn dbor IS tlmi to sec Rlckni d llfl his hut to a disappearing (lurry of ruf fles. Angry eyes watched Rlckard'a siep swing Mm away. Froffl the levee that ilii.v, she had n glimpse of the Mexican woman OS her knees by tbe river, rubbing against a smooth Stone. A pile "I tight-wrung socks lay on tin bank. )" lies stood and watched her. "I inu t remember to apeak of htr o Oerty," the determined. "Hlie proii ably does not know that their Ik a I ivnutlr i' itiniil 111 eliliill ' longer ., ... i i " . , . . , It wns ii week later before she re- llh, she understood! A bitter pl-ns- . , i , . .... , iiiiuih 'red to speak of the Mexican I lire to see him so confused. Kiel ird, , . ' . . ,, , , . woman who could wash. The two before whose superior appraisement ... .. , , , . .. ,,.,,.., ii women were on their way to their she bad so often willed! She wiiild , , , , L , , , .,, tents iroin the mess breakfast. Henoru I not help him out, never! She lose ' ' , . , ,. , . , . Ma i oiiado was leaving MacLenn s when he paused. He thanked her for . ,, ,, . ,. , . ,. (en w tb a arge bundle of used ii ling him half wuy, and her smile , , , , i . , , clothes under her arm. was Inscrutable. "So I'm discharged?" w"fhe f,,r ""' ""'" Im "Vou can't be discharged If you've '" " '"k Be " ,lf' '"' khakis for inc never bee,, smpioyed, can vou? Thank Perhaps this woman would be wining vou ones again, and for your lea. II "" "" ""r '"""''''" was delicious. I wish Ling would give Oerty bad been wondering what sin- US ten like that." Wouid say tO IlilieS. The speech which Boorish, all of II. and blundering! needed only an Introduction war Why wouldn't he go? When he bad I .-iirieil Into the open, hurt her so! had hurt her so! "Vou must nol," her voice trembled Her hand met his, hut not her eyes, with anger, "you must not ask that If he did not go quickly something , woman. She Is not to be spogen to." would happen; he would see her cry- I Ths girl nsked her bluntly what si,,. Ing. The BSgele that guard blunderers meant. got Rlckard out of the tent without '" "'""i iioi give inr your wnsn- a suspicion of threatening tears. She j Ing-must not speak to her. I've not threw olT her negligee mid the pale mentioned It before. I I hoped It blue slip; the tears must wait for would not be necessary. Tom (old me Hull. Then she (lung herself 00 her 1 "ot to speak of II." bed and shook It with tha grief of i "Tom told you not to gpSSfe of It? wounded vanity. Wol to speak of whatV That evening the chief had a vlsl- JJ" ""1 ve ooserveu-air. juik- tnr. The wile of Maldonado. some of ard?" I lie gins ear Old not catch the short pause. "Observed Mr. Rlckard?" "The coolness between us. I scarce ly -p. ak to him. I don't wish to spcuk to him." id ll arm 'I hi i- lie fin e . pine of her elslci coin; ii was only a symbol of vuhi .. i food, for ' methlflg else. The veiinw i - wars on the dnw bucket ns it swung across the ehnnst :.iit they did not register. She hi ,.,,li.s I angry, outraged; she did not kirn with Whom, With Oerty for telling he With Liil.aid, with life Hint let sin things be Hhe Jumped up. "Oh m, it I" Hhe rushed out of the tent, r. lowed by a strange bitter smile f hi brought age to I lie fSCS of Oerty Ik, din. In her own lent. Innes found i iUi for her lack of self-control. Sin- Ji not like the color of scnnd.ii . s bated smudge. tierty had Bald tl whole camp knew It; knew why tl Mexican woman was In CSmpI St did not trust Oerty in anything m, why should she trust her In that? M would forget Oerty's gossip Rut she remembered It vividly thi Week as she washed her own khakf, as she bent over the Ironing board I Oerty's sweltering "kitchenette." Hi thought of It as she returned llil nrd's bow in the iness tent the nil morning; each time they nu-l t( thought of It. And it wns In In i m u when she met Senora Mnldoimdo ( ttie river one day, and made a .'!': wide curve to avoid having to speg (To be continued next week,) The world Is now probabh saf for democracy, but It remains to seen how sufe It may be for Rolnhi-v Ism. the fear pressed out of tier eyes, brought In his laundered khakis, socks, darned and matched; all the missing buttons replaced. "I haven't worn n matched sock," he told her, "for months. That's great, senora." He wanted to gel to bed, bnt she lin gered. She WSStSd tO talk to him about her troubles; he had cautioned her against talking about them In camp, so she overflowed to hbp whenever she found n chance nbout MsldonadOi the children, Lupe. It was getting wearying, but he could not shove the poor thing out. Senora Maldonado gave a sharp In take of breath, an aborted scream. Rlcknrd, too, saw u man's figure out side the screen door. The Mexican woman pressed n frightened hand to her heart Of course It was the venge ful MsldSOSdO he would kill her "If I am Intruding," It was tbe voice of Hardin. "I '.ime right In," welcomed Rlckard. "Oct along, senorn." The Maldonado slipped out Into the night, her hand still against her heart. Hardin, a roll of maps under hit arm. entered with a rough sneer on Ids face. A dramatic scene, that, he hud Interrupted ! And Rlckard, who lid not like (o have women In cutnp. White women I Itlckard, sllll sleepy, atked him to -it down. "I wanted to speak to yon about those concrete aprons. They tell me you've given an order not to have them." Itlckard resigned himself to a long argument. It waa three o'clock when Hardin let him turn In. When he wns getting ready for bed he remembered the melodramatic scene Hardin bad entered upon. lie stared compi ehendliigly at Hie screen door seeing with understanding Har din's coarse sneer- lln .Maldonado, breathing fast, her band over her heart, "of course he'll think -good lord, these people will make me Into an old woman! I don't can- what (he whole cat lie of them think !" Five minutes after blowing out his candle lie was deciilv tloenlns. CHAPTER XXV. Smudge. From her lent, where she was writ 'ing a Idler thai lagged anniellUW, Li nes Hardin had seen Itickard g. lo her sister's tent She aid nol need to analyse the sickness of tight thai watched the dancing Step ackuowl- ! edge its Intention. It muanl wretch edness, for Tom. At a time when he j mo.sl needed gentleness and sympathy reaped as ne was ny nit iiuiulllaliniis and disappointments how could anv Wfllllllll Ii.. u,. m I', A I',, IM, !.-. I I he was beneath cooterapt- if it were true, (Jetty's story, (old in shrugs and dushes. She had Jilted him for Tem: and lids his revenge. She had not known that she had such feeling as the thought roused In her. It pro fed what the blood tie I., this ligetlsh passion .sweeping through III r. as her eyes atcbed thai closed tenl it was for love for Tom, pity r.ir Tom, Se honor- why, Oerty did i"'i know tbe in. aiung of the winds ! How long would ii be before Tom Would See whal eeiy nil" else US seeing? Whal wnitld he do w lien he knew? Haling Itnlwiid gin U hitter lis hn was She was nol so biased ;,., he, HhS could sec why Marshall had h id to i e organize. Hatreds had shown lie-; end Mini., nil. Her sense of Juatl a had done the rest Rlckard had proved iii i efficiency; the lavas, the ramp, tbe military discipline all showed the gen Snil, Whether he were anything Sf an engineer, lime would tell lhat II. wns a long call he was making! Blip. I'' Tom were to come buck? Shu irmst watch for him make sonic ex Clin- to pflll hilll In ir he .should cine I. ink before Hint other went Hub fui, such eavesdropping I A prisoner In that hum's gallivaiilln For an Instant she did not racognlSS ' llgnre oulsido ticrn's tent. Her When hud all this happened. Lines demanded of herself? Hud she been asleep, throwing pity from outdnded dreams? "I won't countenance n common af f n 1 r likn that." Her eyes, sparkling with nnger. suggested Jealous wrath to limes, who had her first hint of tiro SEE O'Connor & Carter For fresh fruits and vegetables. Famous Delicious Applet Special prices on ton lota We can also snppl r you with Fresh Meats Coal and Wood Grain and Baled Hay Phone CiSF Bourns Hotel Building; Universal Garage Co. Automobiles Overhauled and Repaired We Give the Best Service Competent Mechanics Dependable Vulcanizing J The Plumber is a Robber! 1 & Only when the man in side the PLUMBER is crooked. 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