Judith of the Godless Valley Part 30

Judith turned very red. "Scott Parsons, I hope you go up that Mormon valley and that they get you, you blank-blank double-crosser you!"

Scott shrugged his shoulders. Judith glared at each of the men in turn.

"I hate you all, every one of you!" she cried. "What chance has a girl among you? You're just like a lot of coyotes after a rabbit!"

"Rabbit! Say lynx-cat, Jude!" laughed John.

Judith tossed her head and rushed out of the room. The men laughed hugely as she banged the door. Only Douglas remained sober.

"Well," said John, "I suppose you'll be home in a day or two, Doug."

"If Charleton can find some one I will be."

"I'll give him half time," volunteered Scott.

"Nothing doing!" replied Charleton. "n.o.body gets a second chance to double-cross me!"

Scott flushed angrily but shrugged his shoulders. Charleton went on, "Of course, Charleton, Jr. won't be able to ride for a month or so but Jimmy Day will help me out in the meantime."

"Son smoke yet?" asked Peter.

"No; I have to spend so much time doing jury duty on my neighbors, I haven't got round to teaching him. He weighs a big ten pounds, the little devil."

"Come on, let's get out," said Scott.

They clanked out, leaving Douglas alone with Peter, and he fell into a long sleep.

CHAPTER VIII

JUDITH AT THE RODEO

"If you break the heart of a thoroughbred, she doesn't even make a good cart horse."

--_Mary Spencer_.

Late in the afternoon, when Douglas awoke, Judith was sitting beside the bed, chin in palm. Peter was not to be seen. Douglas stared at the young girl until her gaze lifted from the floor and she smiled at him.

"Judith," he said, "it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Judith nodded. "I've been sitting here thinking how much you've changed.

You were just a boy, last summer. Now you look like a man, lying there."

"You've changed yourself. Jude, you're going to be very beautiful."

Judith chuckled. "You and Scott agree on one point, then!"

"Jude! Honestly, I don't see how you can stand that crook!"

"He's a woman's man," said Judith shortly.

"I can't see it!"

"Don't let's quarrel the first thing, Douglas. How is Little Marion?"

"Same as usual. Did you know that she is engaged to Jimmy Day?"

"I knew she ought to be," said Judith bluntly. "They sure make a good-looking pair! When will they be married?"

"When Jimmy has got a good start with his herd. Judith, Charleton isn't a bit like I thought he was."

"He's an ornery mean devil, if you ask me," said Judith succinctly. "He's the worst influence that ever came into your life."

"Did Peter say that?"

"No; I said it. You are too good to waste on Charleton. What has finally waked you up about him?"

"He's always talked to me against marriage and women and children and everything like that. Said awful hard things about 'em, Jude. He really got me to the point this winter where I felt as if marriage was wrong.

But do you know, when the boy was born, yesterday morning, he just went plumb loco. He cried and was sentimental like these young fathers you read about in books."

Judith's great eyes widened incredulously. "He was!" She turned this over in her mind for some time, then shook her head. "I give it up. I can't understand men at all. I thought I had Charleton's number. I always did agree with him about marriage."

Douglas drew a quick breath. If men were difficult to understand, how much more so were women, particularly of Judith's type! One never got to the end of them.

"How do you mean that, Judith?" he asked.

"I mean I'd rather be dead than married. Just look at the couples we know, Doug! Just look at 'em!"

"I'm looking at 'em! What's the trouble?" demanded Doug.

"They don't love each other any more. That's all!" Judith tossed her head knowingly.

"Pshaw! How do you know?"

"Because I've watched them for years and studied about it. There is nothing in marriage, Doug. No, sir!"

"Pshaw! And you were sitting and quoting love poetry to Peter last night!"

"Yes, I was! Certainly! I'm not idiot enough to say there's no such thing as love. But I do know that a few years of marriage kills it. Yes, sir!"

Douglas eyed her wistfully. She was so vivid. Yes, vivid, that was the word. Her eyes glowed as if her brain glowed too, and her lips were so full of meanings, too changing and too subtle for him to read. If only they could work out this strange enigma of life together!

"They can't hold out against the years," Judith repeated dreamily. "It's as if love was too delicate for every-day use. They get over caring."

"I wonder why?" said Douglas.

"I think people get sick of each other, Doug! Why, I think a lot more of you, since you've been away for a few months. And I get tired of my own mother, bless her dear old heart, and I love her to death. But she's my mother and I can't stop loving her. But I certainly couldn't stand a man around the house, year after year. No marriage for me! No, sir!"