The Desert of Wheat

ved with ill-concealed displeasure by the driver, Nash. They had arranged to start at sunrise, and it became manifest that Nash had expected Lenore to sit beside him all during the l

a warning glance which was sincere enough. Jake had begun t

er the miles as if by magic. Lenore sat with face uncovered, enjoying the breeze and the endless colorful scene flashing by, li

temperature began to mount and the dust to fly. Lenore drew her veils close

nger. Lenore was well aware when they got up on the desert, and the time came when she thought she would suffocate. There appeared to be intolerable hours in which n

t. Jake, who always said he lived on dust and heat, averred it was not exactly a regular fine

was not a person in sight nor a sound to be heard. The sky resembl

ferred to stay in the car, saying she wanted only a cool drink. The moment the tw

s we'll get," he said, in

asked Leno

," he repli

nd that she elope with him. He had been so much of a fool. But she as yet had found out but little about him.

etended distress, she really wanted to laugh. She had lear

rmured. "I-I can't

shrill violence. His gloved han

to the war. I-I just couldn't-now. Harry, you must

ing to the fact that, though she could prove little against this man, her woman's intuition had sensed his secret deadly antagonism toward her father. By little significant mannerisms and revelations he had more and more betrayed the German in him. She saw it in his

ulating. "But it's go

mean?" she begged.

told you. But the union is run differently this summer. And I've got work to do-that

ission. She appeared to be

ardly know you. You frighten me with your mysteri

ehind his huge goggles his eyes gleamed.

sudden," he said, in fierce

she replied, earnestly. "I'm not qui

n the door of the hotel. He had seen that action of Nash's. Then Anderson appeared, followed by a boy carryi

a drink," said Anderson

t him until he entered the door. T

wet, anyhow,

at Dorn's," said Anderson.

he replie

tly added Jake, with a

e to Nash. So she nodded wisely at the cowboy and winked mischievously, and, taking advantage of A

and he glanced with narrowed eyes at Nas

eedingly dry. Lenore's lips smarted so that she continually moistened them. On all sides stretched dreary parched w

immature dirty-whitish wheat, an

cut at all. An' what is cut won't yield seedlings. I see a yellow patch her

n's section, that promise

se of rain. I look for the worst

uds over there," said Le

hills of fallow and the blasted fields of wheat, stood up some

head!" exclaimed Anderson. "J

replied Jake, who

she realized she was nearing the end of a ride that might be momentous for her. The very aspect of that wide, treeless expanse, with all its overwhelming meaning, seemed to make her a stronger and more thoughtful girl. If those endless

a field which was yellow in contrast to the surroundi

f dreary hills. Where were the beautiful shadows in the wheat? wonder

ad curved into another, and Lenore saw a d

Jake lean

throwed out of thet car-

bottle," replied And

et.... There! I seen

strange that Nash slowed up a little where there was no apparent need? Then Lenore saw a h

n it again,

hat spot.... Nash, slow

oy that something was amiss, but she could not guess wha

here," said Jake

and as the car came to a hal

by thet rock," d

Let's get over the fence an' find

ed-wire obstruction. Lenore marveled at his silence and his persistence. Anderson hated wire fences. Presently he got over

ick up something

ttered. Then he approached

w the likes," replied Anderson. "But it

nto his seat once more

ed Nash. Whereupon the driver began to g

nderson, turning to show her a small cake of

is," replied Lenore,

lot-Say, Nash, hurry

hurried motions. The car trembled, the machinery began to whir-then came a tremendous

shouted Anderson, with the

g," replied Nash. He got

his face so that he could not see Nash, who was tinkering with the engine. Lenore believed then that Nash had deliberately stalled the engine or disordered something, so as to permit the

eat looked parched. She remembered, however, that the section of promising

," said Anderson. "G

d calm, and glad to have that first part of the journey almost ended. He

own she heard her father s

herbeaten house which she remembered so well. The big porch looked inviting, as it was shady and held an old

nd for somebody," said Anderson. "Come,

y porch where a faint breeze blew! Just at that instant she heard a low, distant rumbling. Thunder! It thrilled her. Jake brought her a cold, refreshing d

in' you," said the cowboy, "an' by

gentleman imagines I'm in lo

his imagining'," de

u will do

you air in l

tion meant. Whereupon Jake swore his amaze, and said, "I'm a-goin' to li

the path, upon which presently a

ou we'll pay twenty thousand dollars on the debt as soon as we har

. An' that thunder sounds h

n. And then, espying Lenore, he seemed startled out of his eagerness.

so eagerly to her father about the debt, had made her feel very kindly toward him. It might have been natural for a young man to resent this dragging debt. But he was fine. She observed, as he sat down, that, once the smile and flush left his face, he seemed somewhat thinner and older than

the young man wi

me?" he queried, with

was th

at Ame

orn. But Kurt Dor

l glad.... An' you've saved the

nest wheat father ever raised. If it rains t

w!" ejacula

id: "It surely will rain-and likely stor

anybody beat when it comes to figu

s smile seemed to say that she could not he

els in a section at sixty p

usand four hundre

sell for?" asked

llars and twenty-five cent

e government will set a higher price..

r mental arithmetic, attested to the fac

hundred dollars," replie

nd dollars left after all debt

rtune-for one section of wheat. But we've had f

d long at the slowly spreading clouds, white and beautiful, high u

e could," said Lenore. "I'm sensitive like that-at least

estly. "Indeed I guess my luck has turned. I hat

way?" asked Leno

h a paper which he opened. A flame burned the fairness from his face; his eyes darkened and shone with peculi

eemed to be standing on the thresho

" said her father

to her brother Jim. Why need he-why must he go to war? What for? An

myself that?... In one way, I don't know.... I haven't told father yet!... It's not for his sake.... But

wish to hide the tumult of her heart. The moment made her a woman. Where was the fulfilment of those vague, stingingly sweet dreamy fancies of love? Where was her maiden reserve, that she so boldly recognized an unsolicited passion? Her eyes met Dorn's steadily, and she felt some vital and compelling spir

toward her. A stronger breeze fanned her cheeks. The heavens were dark

n. Lenore, turning, saw her father hold out the litt

t quickly, felt and

this?" he asked

the circumstance

e moisture evaporates it will ignite-set fire to any dry substa

th his jaw bulging. "Jake an' I knew i

all kinds," said Dorn. "I have

right back here some miles.... But, wor

t night, too,"

ing upon the melancholy splendor of he

he ignition of that phosphorus?" she asked,

t 'll be just as dry this t

been worked all over this country you're goin' to have worse 'n a prairie fire

n earth can be done? I've four men. I can't hire any more, because I can't trust these stran

s last crowning blow. There in the sky, rolling up and rumbling, was the long-deferred rain-storm that meant freedom from debt, and a fort

r was he plunged into despair until after the dread crisis had come to pass. His red

rn. "I'm so sorry! But don't give u

with tears

care about the money for myself.... Money! What good will money be to me-now? It's over for

er speech. She felt him start, and the look she met pierced her soul. "Hush!... It's going to

er hand to h

," he said, brokenly. "And when I'm o

e country. Show it an' tell the farmers their wheat's goin' to burn. An' offer them whose fields are already ruined-that fire can't do no more harm-offer them big money to help you sa

big fist held

y. It touched her deeply to see Dorn respond to

radiantly. "We can save the wheat.... M

" replied t

's walk out there-watch the storm come across the hi

her in no unmistakable manner. She had forgotten all about him. The

mutterings of thunder seemed a grand and welcome music. Lenore stole a look at Dorn, to see him, bareheaded, face upturned, entranced. It was only a rain-storm coming! Down

shroomed. Under them the body of the storm was purple, lit now and then by a flash of ligh

" exclai

emed a sweet, hopeful message that waiting had been rewarded, that the drought could be broken. Again, and more beautiful than ever before in her life, she saw the waves of shadow as they came fo

med like a caress. There came a pattering around her. Suddenly rose a damp, faint smell of dust. Beyond the hill sho

, sinking through her thin waist to thrill her flesh; and then, with a last

still with that rapt look upon his face. The rain swept up

rty-thousand-dollar ra

ld reverence it. Fresh, cool fragrance of a renewed soil filled the air. All that dusty gray hue of the earth had vanished, and it was wet and green and bright. Even as she gazed the water seemed to sink in as it fell, a precious relief