the call of the canyon-第8章

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Somehow　the　soft；　warm　took　of　his　dark　eyes　hurt　her。　New　and　strange　indeed　it　was　to　her；　as　were　other　things　about　him。　Why　had　she　not　come　West　sooner？　She　disengaged　herself　from　his　hold　and　moved　away；　striving　for　the　composure　habitual　with　her。　Flo　Hutter　was　standing　before　the　fire；　looking　down。　Mrs。　Hutter　beamed　upon　Carley。

〃Now　let's　have　supper；〃　she　said。

〃Reckon　Miss　Carley　can't　eat　now；　after　that　hug　Glenn　gave　her；〃　drawled　Tom　Hutter。　〃I　was　some　worried。　You　see　Glenn　has　gained　seventy　pounds　in　six　months。　An'　he　doesn't　know　his　strength。〃

〃Seventy　pounds！〃　exclaimed　Carley；　gayly。　〃I　thought　it　was　more。〃

〃Carley；　you　must　excuse　my　violence；〃　said　Glenn。　〃I've　been　hugging　sheep。　That　is；　when　I　shear　a　sheep　I　have　to　hold　him。〃

They　all　laughed；　and　so　the　moment　of　readjustment　passed。　Presently　Carley　found　herself　sitting　at　table；　directly　across　from　Flo。　A　pearly　whiteness　was　slowly　warming　out　of　the　girl's　face。　Her　frank　clear　eyes　met　Carley's　and　they　had　nothing　to　hide。　Carley's　first　requisite　for　character　in　a　woman　was　that　she　be　a　thoroughbred。　She　lacked　it　often　enough　herself　to　admire　it　greatly　in　another　woman。　And　that　moment　saw　a　birth　of　respect　and　sincere　liking　in　her　for　this　Western　girl。　If　Flo　Hutter　ever　was　a　rival　she　would　be　an　honest　one。

Not　long　after　supper　Tom　Hutter　winked　at　Carley　and　said　he　〃reckoned　on　general　principles　it　was　his　hunch　to　go　to　bed。〃　Mrs。　Hutter　suddenly　discovered　tasks　to　perform　elsewhere。　And　Flo　said　in　her　cool　sweet　drawl；　somehow　audacious　and　tantalizing；　〃Shore　you　two　will　want　to　spoon。〃

〃Now；　Flo；　Eastern　girls　are　no　longer　old…fashioned　enough　for　that；〃　declared　Glenn。

〃Too　bad！　Reckon　I　can't　see　how　love　could　ever　be　old…fashioned。　Good　night；　Glenn。　Good　night；　Carley。〃

Flo　stood　an　instant　at　the　foot　of　the　dark　stairway　where　the　light　from　the　lamp　fell　upon　her　face。　It　seemed　sweet　and　earnest　to　Carley。　It　expressed　unconscious　longing；　but　no　envy。　Then　she　ran　up　the　stairs　to　disappear。

〃Glenn；　is　that　girl　in　love　with　you？〃　asked　Carley；　bluntly。

To　her　amaze；　Glenn　laughed。　When　had　she　heard　him　laugh？　It　thrilled　her；　yet　nettled　her　a　little。

〃If　that　isn't　like　you！〃　he　ejaculated。　〃Your　very　first　words　after　we　are　left　alone！　It　brings　back　the　East；　Carley。〃

〃Probably　recall　to　memory　will　be　good　for　you；〃　returned　Carley。　〃But　tell　me。　Is　she　in　love　with　you？〃

〃Why；　no；　certainly　not！〃　replied　Glenn。　〃Anyway；　how　could　I　answer　such　a　question？　It　just　made　me　laugh；　that's　all。〃

〃Humph　I　I　can　remember　when　you　were　not　above　making　love　to　a　pretty　girl。　You　certainly　had　me　worn　to　a　frazzlebefore　we　became　engaged；〃　said　Carley。

〃Old　times！　How　long　ago　they　seem！　。　。　。　Carley；　it's　sure　wonderful　to　see　you。〃

〃How　do　you　like　my　gown？〃　asked　Carley；　pirouetting　for　his　benefit。

〃Well；　what　little　there　is　of　it　is　beautiful；〃　he　replied；　with　a　slow　smile。　〃I　always　liked　you　best　in　white。　Did　you　remember？〃

〃Yes。　I　got　the　gown　for　you。　And　I'll　never　wear　it　except　for　you。〃

〃Same　old　coquettesame　old　eternal　feminine；〃　he　said；　half　sadly。　〃You　know　when　you　look　stunning。　。　。　。　But；　Carley；　the　cut　of　thator　rather　the　abbreviation　of　itinclines　me　to　think　that　style　for　women's　clothes　has　not　changed　for　the　better。　In　fact；　it's　worse　than　two　years　ago　in　Paris　and　later　in　New　York。　Where　will　you　women　draw　the　line？〃

〃Women　are　slaves　to　the　prevailing　mode；〃　rejoined　Carley。　〃I　don't　imagine　women　who　dress　would　ever　draw　a　line；　if　fashion　went　on　dictating。〃

〃But　would　they　care　so　muchif　they　had　to　workplenty　of　workand　children？〃　inquired　Glenn；　wistfully。

〃Glenn！　Work　and　children　for　modern　women？　Why；　you　are　dreaming！〃　said　Carley；　with　a　laugh。

She　saw　him　gaze　thoughtfully　into　the　glowing　embers　of　the　fire；　and　as　she　watched　him　her　quick　intuition　grasped　a　subtle　change　in　his　mood。　It　brought　a　sternness　to　his　face。　She　could　hardly　realize　she　was　looking　at　the　Glenn　Kilbourne　of　old。

〃Come　close　to　the　fire；〃　he　said；　and　pulled　up　a　chair　for　her。　Then　he　threw　more　wood　upon　the　red　coals。　〃You　must　be　careful　not　to　catch　cold　out　here。　The　altitude　makes　a　cold　dangerous。　And　that　gown　is　no　protection。〃

〃Glenn；　one　chair　used　to　be　enough　for　us；〃　she　said；　archly；　standing　beside　him。

But　he　did　not　respond　to　her　hint；　and；　a　little　affronted；　she　accepted　the　proffered　chair。　Then　he　began　to　ask　questions　rapidly。　He　was　eager　for　news　from　homefrom　his　peoplefrom　old　friends。　However　he　did　not　inquire　of　Carley　about　her　friends。　She　talked　unremittingly　for　an　hour；　before　she　satisfied　his　hunger。　But　when　her　turn　came　to　ask　questions　she　found　him　reticent。

He　had　fallen　upon　rather　hard　days　at　first　out　here　in　the　West；　then　his　health　had　begun　to　improve；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　able　to　work　his　condition　rapidly　changed　for　the　better；　and　now　he　was　getting　along　pretty　well。　Carley　felt　hurt　at　his　apparent　disinclination　to　confide　in　her。　The　strong　cast　of　his　face；　as　if　it　had　been　chiseled　in　bronze；　the　stern　set　of　his　lips　and　the　jaw　that　protruded　lean　and　square　cut；　the　quiet　masked　light　of　his　eyes；　the　coarse　roughness　of　his　brown　hands；　mute　evidence　of　strenuous　laborsthese　all　gave　a　different　impression　from　his　brief　remarks　about　himself。　Lastly　there　was　a　little　gray　in　the　light…brown　hair　over　his　temples。　Glenn　was　only　twenty…seven；　yet　he　looked　ten　years　older。　Studying　him　so；　with　the　memory　of　earlier　years　in　her　mind；　she　was　forced　to　admit　that　she　liked　him　infinitely　more　as　he　was　now。　He　seemed　proven。　Something　had　made　him　a　man。　Had　it　been　his　love　for　her；　or　the　army　service；　or　the　war　in　France；　or　the　struggle　for　life　and　health　afterwards？　Or　had　it　been　this　rugged；　uncouth　West？　Carley　felt　insidious　jealousy　of　this　last　possibility。　She　feared　this　West。　She　was　going　to　hate　it。　She　had　womanly　intuition　enough　to　see　in　Flo　Hutter　a　girl　somehow　to　be　reckoned　with。　Still；　Carley　would　not　acknowledge　to　herself　that　his　simple；　unsophisticated　Western　girl　could　possibly　be　a　rival。　Carley　did　not　need　to　consider　the　fact　that　she　had　been　spoiled　by　the　attention　of　men。　It　was　not　her　vanity　that　precluded　Flo　Hutter　as　a　rival。

Gradually　the　conversation　drew　to　a　lapse；　and　it　suited　Carley　to　let　it　be　so。　She　watched　Glenn　as　he　gazed　thoughtfully　into　the　amber　depths　of　the　fire。　What　was　going　on　in　his　mind？　Carley's　old　perplexity　suddenly　had　rebirth。　And　with　it　came　an　unfamiliar　fear　which　she　could　not　smother。　Every　moment　that　she　sat　there　beside　Glenn　she　was　realizing　more　and　more　a　yearning；　passionate　love　for　him。　The　unmistakable　manifestation　of　his　joy　at　sight　of　her；　the　strong；　almost　rude　expression　of　his　love；　had　called　to　some　responsive；　but　hitherto　unplumbed　deeps　of　her。　If　it　had　not　been　for　these　undeniable　facts　Carley　would　have　been　panic…stricken。　They　reassured　her；　yet　only　made　her　state　of　mind　more　dissatisfied。

〃Carley；　do　you　still　go　in　for　dancing？〃　Glenn　asked；　presently；　with　his　thoughtful　eyes　turning　to　her。

〃Of　course。　I　like　dancing；　and　it's　about　all　the　exercise　I　get；〃　she　replied。

〃Have　the　dances　changedagain？〃

〃It's　the　music；　perhaps；　that　changes　the　dancing。　Jazz　is　becoming　popular。　And　about　all　the　crowd　dances　now　is　an　infinite　variation　of　fox…trot。〃

〃No　waltzing？〃

〃I　don't　believe　I　waltzed　once　this　winter。〃

〃Jazz？　That's　a　sort　of　tinpanning；　jiggly　stuff；　isn't　it？〃

〃Glenn；　it's　the　fever　of　the　public　pulse；〃　replied　Carley。　〃The　graceful　waltz；　like　the　stately　minuet；　flourished　back　in　the　days　when　people　rested　rather　than　raced。〃

〃More's　the　pity；〃　said　Glenn。　Then　after　a　moment；　in　which　his　gaze　returned　to　the　fire；　he　inquired　rather　too　casually；　〃Does　Morrison　still　chase　after　you

〃Glenn；　I'm　neither　oldnor　married；〃　she　replied；　laughing。

〃No；　that's　true。　But　if　you　were　married　it　wouldn't　make　any　difference　to　Morrison。〃

Carley　could　not　detect　bitterness　or　jealousy　in　his　voice。　She　would　not　have　been　averse　to　hearing　either。　She　gather