Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 1935)
BY RICHARD HOFFMANN , m , COPYRIGHT RY RICHARD HOFFMANN _ CHAPTER VIII—Continued —14— "Then I’ll come in.” He pushed the door, and as If she had expect ed that too, he felt her weight against It. ‘‘Don’t, Hal,” she said, less sure ly; “for the love of heaven, please don’t I’ll come out to you—for five minutes." “No,” said Hal. “If you come out, there’ll be no conditions. And If you don’t come out, I come in.” “Hal, I’m tired; I’ve got a head ache—please, oh, please, my dar ling." “You haven’t a headache, and you’ll forget you’re tired. Barry, I’m serious as death, as sin, as happi ness; if you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you. Do you understand that?” He waited a few seconds for her to speak again; then he pushed the door against her strength until she dropped back from It and he stood inside, closing it behind him. There was no key, nor any eye for the bolt to engage, so he left It and faced her. She turned from him as If the room had grown too small, murmur log, “Dear God, if you haven’t given me a way to keep him out, you must want him here.” Hal took her arm above the elbow and turned her to him, then held her other arm, too, and shook her once, gently, to stir the heavy-lidded study that held her eyes. "You be lleve there is a God?” “If I do,” she said, meeting his look steadily, “you don’t know bet ter than I what he wants of me.” And he held her before him by the arms and looked into the living blue of her eyes—deeply strength ened against him, yet never blind to the wonder of what had occurred As If He Had Expected It, He Pushed the Paper Into His Pocket. —there fell suddenly across his heart a bad shadow, as If some where a silent signal for hurry had been made. His voice sounded too slow, too undisciplined for his quickened purposes as he said to her: "Angel of heaven, it’s nothing to tell you I’d die for you—is It? Love is as much as you said it was, so that all its old meanings have fallen away and I can speak it only to tell you I love you; and to say I love you so much I’d die for you Is nothing more—is it.” His voice made no inquiry, but his eyes waited upon hers for the known answer. Her golden head moved a little aside and back again, and her deep look gravely under stood him. "Barry, do you love me?” She looked down at the mouth that had asked her that, then back at his eyes as her bare whisper said, "You know it: God forgive me for letting you.” “You’d never need to tell me you loved me so much you’d die for me—would you?" “No,” she said. “You mean me to know you would, Just by saying you loved me —wouldn’t you?’’ “Yes.” Without changing the composure of his tone he said: "But you won’t shake off the wrong slavery of a spurious bargain with your father and with a man who has no claim upon you; you won’t risk a little time of trouble in your conscience, of unrest in your disillusioned duty to a figure of love that had his best life in your own fancy as a child; you’d die for me, but you won’t do this other, won’t even willingly listen to me tell you why you must, how you can." She looked at him, the dark awe of alarm taking her eyes more deeply: she said nothing. But un der the very heart of her look, he saw a shining, liquid fullness that had come so slowly she herself might not have felt it. And before the tears could form, he had her— warm and mortal—In his arms. ‘•That's It," he whispered, feeling her soft cheek wet against his. "You cry, and when you’re cool and calm agal ., I’ll show you the sim ple, honorable, little things that are all we need to do to have the world —to ourselves, for always.” She shook her head against his shoulder, but not, Hal triumphantly felt, with the same stubborn convic tion. Clear footfalls ringing on the side walk opposite reminded Hal that the lighted room must be In plain view of anyone who cared to look at the windows. But one of the shades wouldn’t stay down; so, back at the door, he cursed the Impossibility of locking It, and turned out the light. The glow of the street against the celling showed the meager furni ture, and Barry waited for him. He went to her. “It can’t happen—ever," she said, as If to herself. “And you must go away, In a minute—soon, before— oh, God help me, my darling.” Her good lips turned quickly to his. He felt her close—her whole, surrendered loveliness living against him; It was as If she gave the best treasures of her life to the keeping of his exalted body, as If their nearness found its way of growth to Inseparable communion, miraculous and destined both. She would forget he must go; and he knew he must not. A quick, single creak was all the warning that came from the hall, bringing Hal to a sense of time elapsed, to sharp, premonitory alertness. Doc’s ugly growl was begun as the door-latch clicked; It broke into a sharp bark at the sound of a step In the room; and the door crisply closed again. A key scraped metal, found the key hole, and turned the lock over, plucked smartly out again. Then the snap of the switch put light in the frugal room, and Hal was looking into Martin Crack's light-blue eyes, their lazy, private smiling harassed by a rattlsh Intensity, as of hate and fear and triumph all together. Only his voice was still drowsy as he said, “I klnda thought It’d be tonight.” For a moment Hal was afraid that the bursting of hot poisons In him must blind him, gag him, nauseate him beyond any power to act “You little snooping son of a— cat!” he said, the heavy savagery of his voice somehow saved from trem bling. "What're you doing here?” Indolently Crack’s hand slipped into hlg side pocket; Hal knew the sight of that evil little golf ball would snap the last shackle on his control; but Crack drew out a stubby double-derringer to point at him, and a small, preposterous agent of reason remaining in Hal noted how that old-fashioned weapon suited Crack’s old-fash ioned tidiness. “You guess what I’m doin',” said Crack in sly, almost sensual mis chief. The bed creaked. Hal became aware of his arms, hanging down beside him, drained of certainty, ready to tremble, as after great ef fort. Then the physical revulsion under his fury abruptly choked it self, left him to a numb, miserable disgust, a tainted exhaustion of blooft that would pass for calm. And In it there throbbed only one sure emotion to command such faculties as were undrugged — hatred of Crack, steady and uncomplicated, seemed to live independent of Crack’s private gloating in his degradation. Hal heard his own voice quiet and careless in con tempt as he nodded at the der ringer: “You don’t need that d—n silly thing.’’ Crack put It away, brief embar rassment bringing some of the drowsiness back to his eyes. “Thought you’d probably be sensi ble.” “You did,” said Hal drily. “And what’s there to be sensible about?” The small check In Crack’s return to basking satisfaction did Hal good. Hal looked at Barry. She sat on the edge of the bed, knees drawn up, legs tightly encircled by her arms, golden head a little bowed over her dark, sullen stare at the washstand In the corner. "Well," said Cruck, with a sort of sly modesty In achievement: “we can use dough an’ we can use pub licity. You got the say which.” “You’ll have a h—1 of a time get ting money," Hal said out of his listless calm, “so shoot on the other, If you think It’ll get you any where.” “I guess It’ll get us somewheres all right,” said Crack. “But I fig gered Mr. Frederick Ireland’d soon er make It dough. If you wouldn’t." By G—d, what a dirty trick on the Old Man, getting him Into a mess like this! . . . Shame like an instant of fright, held Hal’s veins and made his lungs seem to shrink. Providence, you Ireland: Providence! Let a nnrrow, white bug leer at you In the rotten trap you walked Into, nnd leave Prov idence to tnke care of the Old Man. Christmas! Leave Providence to take care of your hate, too. Look at Martin Crack, named for a saint, no doubt—look at him sitting there, a venomous lackey of evil: dofi’t fight him, don’t match your pris tine wits against his basking vl clousness, don’t disturb your fine wounded spirit now that the first fury Is out of you. Hal thanked God his revolted calm had stayed steady upon him till he saw what he must do. He could stall, somehow, for another day, un til patient Sister Anastasia was de livered at her sorry destination; and in Los Angeles, a free agent, he would be his father’s—his own Providence in this. In the room of a city hotel, alone with Crack, he might remember those Immense, riven compositions In defiance through which they had minutely traveled, scenes in which it did not matter what happened to a man. And while these flashing things tumbled past Hal’s bitter attention, he said quietly: “If It interests you what Frederick Ireland would think, I’d ask him." “You know him better’n I do,” said Crack. “What do you Agger he’ll think?” "How well do you know him?” “Don’t know him,” said Crack; "but you'd ought to. You’re his son, aren’t you?” "Is that a statement?” Hal asked. "Or a request for information.” “Don’t seem like you were ex actly denying it.” "No,” said Hal. “I don’t remem ber having denied it, since I’ve known you.” He glanced at Barry ns he reached for a cigarette. She hadn’t stirred. • lou re Ireland s son,” Crack said. “Frederick Ireland—the big whack.” “Sure,” said Hal confidently. “And you got no Idea what he’ll think when he hears you been caught in a married woman’s room by her husband." “If I told you what you didn’t like, you wouldn’t believe It,” said Hal, as If Crack were being a little dull wuted about 1L The shy smile slipped over Crack’s fair-skinned face again, and he said, “Look, Ireland, we don’t want to get you In a lotta trouble.” A hot swirling under Hal’s composure made him hold himself hard; In Los Angeles, in the room alone with Crack, he would remember that “we.” “Well,” said Hal, “S’pose you don’t.” “Here’s the thing," Crack said: "if you’ll talk dough, the whole works stops right here In this room —between the three of us. If you won’t, we gotta go to Uncle Fred erick. An’ after that, It’s court an’ the newspapers.” “That’s a program, anyway,” said Hal. “Push Item number one ofT, and go to Mr. Ireland. Is that all you want to know?” "Don’t you wanna save yourself trouble?” “Yes, you bet,” said Hal, and the casual readiness of his own voice fortified him. “But I don’t see any (rouble.” “You don’t,” said Crack. “You don’t wanna stop this right here?” Hal welcomed with vicious pleas ure the undertone of impatience. He said, "By paying you money?” “Yes.” Hal puffed the fragment of a laugh through his nose and said, ___ THE STORY FROM THE OPENING CHAPTER Following his father's criticism of his idle life, and withdrawal of financial assistance, Hal Ireland, son of a wealthy banker, practically without funds but with the promise of a situation in San Francisco, which he must reach from New York at once, takes passage with a cross-country auto party on a "share expense” basis. Four of his companions are a young, attractive girl, Barry Trafford; middle-aged Giles Kerrigan; Sister Anastasia, a nun; and an individual whom he instinctively dislikes, Martin Crack. Barry’s reticence annoys his. To Kerrigan he takes at once. Through a misunderstanding, Hal is directed to Barry's bedroom instead of his own. Her apparent unfriendliness disappears, and they exchange kisses. The following day Hal tells her he loves her. She answers that she nustn’t love him, without giving any reason. On his insistence, Barry tells Hal that shortly before his death her father had urged her to marry a man many years older than she. Trusting her father implicitly, she did so. and on his deathbed her father secured her promise to stick to her husband, “no matter what happened,” for ten years. That was four years ago, and though she knows of her husband's unworthiness, she is determined to keep her promise, while admitting her love for Hal. No argument Hal can make will move her. That night, though she tries to dissuade him, he goes to her In her room. "Wouldn’t pay you a nickel even If It meant anything to me.” “Maybe you don’t think I know you’re Ireland’s son,” said Crack, his voice breaking peevishly as he raised It "I haven’t denied It yet,” said Hal. “Anyone’d think you didn’t want to go ahead with this.” Crack watched him again and liked It less. The cunning in his eyes tried for a space of minutes to challenge Hal’s unworried look, then suddenly the peevishness blew to a hot ember of malice, hissing In his words like a coal settling through snow: "By Q—d! If all this Is wasted. I'll—’’ With one un guarded look of sweating hatred of Hal, he Jerked a pencil and a tel egraph form from his pocket and went to the bureau, elbow out, to write quickly at a message. Hal turned toward Barry then and, hands deep In Jacket pockets, watched her in gloomy detachment. Where had love, or whatever It was, goue? When would the acid of this shabby lesson In beauty eat through, searching out each crevice In his spread wounds like Iodine, to sting them deep? Tomorrow, after he left ' her at some Los Angeles hotel, with Crack? Or tonight, soon, when he was out of this room. She and Crack married—bound, linked, moving together across the country, hiding their connection till Hal should make himself vulner able as an abandoned puppy. Later he might think of all the details of his opening himself to her, with Crack somewhere near by, drows ing over "shy” secreted schemes that amused him. He might think of the smallest things he had said as well as of the enormous things he had asked her to bring to him. Ai.d thinking of those, and remem bering her dark, hard, unstlrrlng acquiescence here there would be a richness of pain at which to clench his teeth, In which to learn how ar rogance Is cut down. “There!” Crack exclaimed, dart ing from the bureau. “Tell me what you thlnka that. Tell me if that starts changin’ your mind.” Hal took the telegram and read Idly. Under his father’s name and office address the message ran: “Young man between twenty-five and thirty six feet hundred sixty five pounds gray eyes brown hair gray flannel suit made by Selkirk In Oxford name Henry Ireland nick name Hal traveling from New York to Los Angeles In share expense auto stop claims he Is your son ac count trouble which will explain after you wire Martin Crack at Grand hotel on Santa Monica boule vard Hollywood California If he Is your son very Important please re ply quick—Martin Crack.” Hal pushed out his underllp care lessly, looked up at Crack, and handed the form bnck. “Why not say what the ‘trouble’ is? Save you another wire." “Listen, Ireland," said Crack, his dry cheeks colored, his eyes shin ing and white all around the irises, “you’re a good sorta guy. I’m only human.” That’s it, Hal told himself with quick satisfaction: he’s not human, any more than a little puff headed viper In the dust is human. “I’d like to save you the trouble this Is gonna make for you If—" “Oh, shut up,” said Hal, wonder fully keeping his voice In super ficial contempt. “If you’ve got to talk about It any more, talk to her." It hurt much more sharply than he’d expected—to say that so negligently; and his voice was dull as he added, “I’m going.” He walked past Crack to the door, opened It, and as he passed it from one hand to the other be hind his back, he looked at Barry again. Still hugging her legs, her head still partly bowed, her staring went on, hard and dark and sul len, Into the corner of the room. A Jet of anguish sprang molten from his dead sense of her Inviola bility. “And this Is all,” he said In a slow, moderate voice. “Everything led here—to this.” She turned her head slowly, not raising It, and looked at him, her scorn dull and general, only Inci dentally for him. Then her eyes went back to their staring before she said, her voice frankly husky, “This is all." Crack followed him out the door, wras following him down the hall outside as Hal heard the key turn the lock behind him. So she was ready to move as soon as they left. To do what? he wondered. Read, go to sleep, take up her staring again? As if it mattered! “Listen,” said Crack, a perverted Intimacy struggling In his voice. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll—” “You’ll shut up," said Hal. and turned Into his room, locking the door behind him lest he anticipate everything by throttling Crack’s lit tle life out of him there In the dark hall. (TO BE CONTINUED) Origin of “Jerk-Water” The origin of “Jerk-water” as ap plied to small towns Is obscure. It Is supposed that the original Jerk water was a place where trains stopped to take on water. In the early days of railroads the engine was often stopped at wayside streams to replenish the water sup ply. This was called Jerking wa ter, because the water was carried to the locomotive In leather buck ets. In time ’’jerk-wnter" came to be applied to small towns noted for nothing In particular except that trains stopped there to take on wa ter. BALANCED RATION FOR YOUNG TURKS Adequate Nutrition Need ed in Early Growth. By L E. Cline, Onlverelty of Nevada, Agricultural Extension Expert. WNU service. Unless young turkeys are fed a proper ration during their period of most growth, they are likely to show very poor net returns at mar keting time. All the needed ele ments of nutrition must he provid ed In adequate quantities and In proper proportions to obtain maxi mum development. These require ments are not always taken serious ly by some turkey raisers. At the present stage In their growth, the young turkeys are building their skeletons, muscle tis sues, feathers, nnd body organisms at a rapid rate, all of which re quires special kinds of food In defi nite proportions. Many of the Ills of their turkeys which are so dlscournglng to tur key growers at this time of year are the direct result of malnutri tion, and can he corrected through a properly balanced ration if prompt action Is taken. Loose, flabby crops, which often become troublesome, are the result of Insufficient protein. Turkeys up to two months of age should have at least a 25 per cent protein ra tion. After this time the protein can be gradually reduced to 14 or 16 per cent at fattening time. If the proportion of total ash In the feed exceeds 7 or 8 per cent, there Is great danger of the young poults developing leg deformities. At the first showing of leg trouble the per cent of ash In the ration should be looked Into and lowered If too high. Stuck-up eyes and nostrils, as well as puffy sinuses, are often the result of Insufficient fresh green feed. Deformed breasts and back bones also are caused by this defi ciency In vitamin A which can be obtained from green feed. Serious loss to the turkey fnrmer can re sult from the lack of green feed or a proper substitute. A properly balanced ration may cost more per pound than one which is thrown together without thought of the turks’ needs. Since this is the time when the founda tion for the turkey crop Is being laid, it is poor economy in the long run to skimp on the principal means of building the flock. Water Glass, Lime Water to Preserve Eggs for Year There are two methods of pre serving eggs which are practical for the average family. One Is to pre serve them In water glass, and the other is to keep them In a solution of lime water. Water glass is avail able at most drug stores, and is rea sonable in price. The material Is dissolved in water and the eggs should be Immersed In the solution. A solution of lime water may be made by dissolving burnt lime in water, and pouring off the clear so lution after the lime has settled. The clear solution is used for pre serving the eggs. Only clean, fresh eggs with sound shells should be put in these solutions to be preserved. Stone jurs make satisfactory containers for preserving eggs In this way. Usually eggs can be kept In good condition for a year In either water glass or lime water solution.—Mas sachusetts State College. Line Breeding A definition of line breeding given by a prominent poultry breeder Is: "Line breeding Is a form of sys tematic Inbreeding In which an ef fort is made to keep away from too close Inbreeding. It Is really, In Its ordinary use, breeding confined to the blood lines of a single family. The details of this practice vary considerably with different breed ers, but the purpose is the same In each case, namely, to avoid the necessity of Introducing blood of another strnln or family with the disastrous results to the uniformity of the strain which often accom panies such Introduction of blood. Line breeding, whether known by this name or not, Is almost univer sally used by successful breeders, but Is often accompanied by the oc casional and Judicious introduc tion of outside blood."—Missouri Facmer, Guard Against Egg-Eaters An effort should be made to pre vent tiie newly housed pullets from acquiring the egg-eating habit. Their nests should be well filled with litter and placed in a dark place where broken eggs will not be seen so readily. Plenty of nests, one to every five hens, should be provided so that large numbers of eggs will not accumulate in a single nest and the danger of broken eggs Increased. Plenty of oyster shell should be available so that the shells will be thick, soft shelled eggs prevented, and breakage min imized. Eggs should be gathered frequently, and broken eggs should be carefully removed from the building. Better Potatoes Scientists' Aim New Varieties Now on Trial; Much Work Ahead for Experimenters. By Prof. B. V. Hardenburg. New York State College or Agriculture. WNU Service. Very few new varieties of pota toes have been developed during the past forty years. This might seem to Indicate that the public Is satis fied with what we have. But It la not true. Varieties of potatoes are needed that will not turn black after cooking; that will resist such diseases as scab, leaf-roll, late blight, and yellow-dwarf; that will resist leaf hoppers; and that will better tolerate heat and drouth. Much as the potato breeder has done, his Job has just begun. For more than 20 years the Unit ed States Department of Agricul ture has been developing thousands of potato seedlings at Its breeding stations. Attention centers espe cially on Improvement In the shape of the tuber, the color and the tex ture of the skin, shallowness of eyes, cooking qualities, and resist ance to virus diseases. Three of the most promising va rieties ha :e been named and are now on trial with many growers In a few potato states. In order of their Introduction, these varieties are: the Katahdln, a handsome, shallow-eyed glossy white-sktnned potato; the Chippewa, promising early variety, white skinned and shallow-eyed, that may compete with Irish Cobbler; and the Golden potato, medium In season, white skinned, yellow-fleshed. Other seed lings will be named and Introduced this year, but several years may pass before they become generally available. Live Stock Losses Are Heavier in Summer Time Two suggestions for reducing live stock shipping losses are advanced by C. W. ilammans, extension spe cialist in marketing for the Ohio State university. He suggests the use of sand as a bedding material for truck and carlot shipments during the hot, summer months, and trucking to market at such times that the live stock will arrive during the early morning hours. The sand, well wet down, helps to avoid overheating and losses. Shipping losses during a year are estimated to amount to as much as $30,000,000, Ilammans snys. Losses from death and crippling at four Ohio markets reached $162,000 during a season when accurate count was kept. Greatest losses are with hogs. During summer months one hog In 200 is dead upon arrival at the stock yards. Of the $102,(00 loss re ported In the survey, $137,000 were in hogs. The remainder was the result of losses of cattle, sheep and calves. Barnyard Brevities Germany is buying many draft horses from Belgium. • • • Onions are expected to consti tute Egypt’s second best money crop this year. • • • Bees yield about 100,000 tons of marketable honey annually in the United States. • • • Apple trees are attacked by 176 kinds of Insect pests; oak trees by 500 kinds. • • • Oklahoma in 1034 produced the poorest corn and cotton crops in her entire histqry. • • • Two-thirds of the meat animals that are slaughtered in this country are slaughtered under government Inspection. • • • Japanese Hulless, White Rice, Queen Golden and South American are among the Important varieties of pop corn grown. • • • A survey disclosed farmers of the South Plains region of Texas had Invested $1,000,000 In tractors In a six-month period. • • • The Irish Free State has organ ized a “(lying squad," which will seize property of farmers who do not pay their land annuities. • • • Prospects for an apple crop In northeast Kansas are above the five- year average, a survey by the state horticultural society Indi cated • * • The screw worm, notorious pest of the Southwest. Invaded Texas and southeastern states last year and killed thousands of dollars' worth of live stock. » • • Where a good sod cannot be es tablished on plow-able pasture areas by topdressing, plowing or disking, followed by fertilizing and reseed ing, are recommended. • • • The number of horses In Great Britain has declined by more than 000,000 In the Inst ten years, ac cording to a recent census made by the Army council. • • • Danish cabbage and cabbage grown chictly for kraut are seldom troubled by maggots In the Held, but early cabbage or cauliflower may suffer severe Injury. CHIC HOUSE FROCK WINS POPULARITY PATTEn* 0209 Your personal appearance about the house gets a new assurance of chic when you select this cleverly cut frock! A new slant on the popular yoke-sleeve Is featured bringing the bodice up to form a round neckline and diagonal shoulder line! The three buttons are a clever way of ac centing the new slant. The unusual pockets boast a button for good measure too, and you can see by the diagram that the frock Is easy enough for a beginner to make! A printed cotton for the housedfess, but a ne^ plaid seersucker or gingham would make a charming lun-about frock 1 Pattern 9200 may be ordered only In sizes 14, 10, 18, 20, 32, 34, 36. 38, 40 and 42. Size 16 requires 3V4 yards 36 Inch fabric. Complete, diagrammed sew chart Included. SEND FIFTEEN CENTS In coins or stamps (coins preferred) for this pattern. Be sure to .write plainly your NAME, ADDRESS, the STYLE NUMBER and SIZE. Send your order tc The Sewing Circle Pattern Department, 232 West Eighteenth Street, New York, N. Y. QUEENS AT PLAY Cousin Emily—Mrs. Spriggs went to Eleanor’s the other night and found a famous airman there. So for her next evening she got an even more famous man. Isn’t that like Mrs. Spriggs? Cousin Kate—Exactly! Always wanting to trump her partner's ace. —Sydney Bulletin. Gold That Glittered Jack—You say she partly re turned your affections? Toni—Yes, she sent back my let ters but kept all the Jewelry. _ t < The Dear Children “So you like having children about the house, uncle?” “Yes. I always think they make the place so nice and peaceful when they’ve gone to bed.” — London Tit-Bits. " Publicity Profit “Do you think good plays win literary prizes?" “Not necessarily,” answered Mr. Stormlngton Barnes, “but good man ners often do.” '