The Call Of The Canyon - Zane Grey (easy readers TXT) 📗

Beyond To The Opposite Wall Of The Canyon. How Shut-In,  How Walled In

This Home!

 

"In Summer It Might Be Good To Spend A Couple Of Weeks Here," Soliloquized

Carley. "But To Live Here? Heavens! A Person Might As Well Be Buried."

 

Heavy Footsteps Upon The Porch Below Accompanied By A Man's Voice Quickened

Carley's Pulse. Did They Belong To Glenn? After A Strained Second She

Decided Not. Nevertheless,  The Acceleration Of Her Blood And An Unwonted

Glow Of Excitement,  Long A Stranger To Her,  Persisted As She Left The Porch

And Entered The Boarded Hall. How Gray And Barn-Like This Upper Part Of The

House! From The Head Of The Stairway,  However,  The Big Living Room

Presented A Cheerful Contrast. There Were Warm Colors,  Some Comfortable

Rockers,  A Lamp That Shed A Bright Light,  And An Open Fire Which Alone

Would Have Dispelled The Raw Gloom Of The Day.

 

A Large Man In Corduroys And Top Boots Advanced To Meet Carley. He Had A

Clean-Shaven Face That Might Have Been Hard And Stern But For His Smile,

And One Look Into His Eyes Revealed Their Resemblance To Flo's.

 

"I'm Tom Hutter,  An' I'm Shore Glad To Welcome You To Lolomi,  Miss Carley,"

He Said. His Voice Was Deep And Slow. There Were Ease And Force In His

Presence,  And The Grip He Gave Carley's Hand Was That Of A Man Who Made No

Distinction In Hand-Shaking. Carley,  Quick In Her Perceptions,  Instantly

Liked Him And Sensed In Him A Strong Personality. She Greeted Him In Turn

And Expressed Her Thanks For His Goodness To Glenn. Naturally Carley

Expected Him To Say Something About Her Fiance,  But He Did Not.

 

"Well,  Miss Carley,  If You Don't Mind,  I'll Say You're Prettier Than Your

Picture," Said Hutter. "An' That Is Shore Sayin' A Lot. All The Sheep

Herders In The Country Have Taken A Peep At Your Picture. Without

Permission,  You Understand."

 

"I'm Greatly Flattered," Laughed Carley.

 

"We're Glad You've Come," Replied Hutter,  Simply. "I Just Got Back From The

East Myself. Chicago An' Kansas City. I Came To Arizona From Illinois Over

Thirty Years Ago. An' This Was My First Trip Since. Reckon I've Not Got

Back My Breath Yet. Times Have Changed,  Miss Carley. Times An' People!"

 

Chapter 2 Pg 28

Mrs. Hutter Bustled In From The Kitchen,  Where Manifestly She Had Been

Importantly Engaged. "For The Land's Sakes!" She Exclaimed,  Fervently,  As

She Threw Up Her Hands At Sight Of Carley. Her Expression Was Indeed A

Compliment,  But There Was A Suggestion Of Shock In It. Then Flo Came In.

She Wore A Simple Gray Gown That Reached The Top Of Her High Shoes.

 

"Carley,  Don't Mind Mother," Said Flo. "She Means Your Dress Is Lovely.

Which Is My Say,  Too. . . . But,  Listen. I Just Saw Glenn Comin' Up The

Road."

 

Carley Ran To The Open Door With More Haste Than Dignity. She Saw A Tall

Man Striding Along. Something About Him Appeared Familiar. It Was His

Walk--An Erect Swift Carriage,  With A Swing Of The March Still Visible. She

Recognized Glenn. And All Within Her Seemed To Become Unstable. She Watched

Him Cross The Road,  Face The House. How Changed! No--This Was Not Glenn

Kilbourne. This Was A Bronzed Man,  Wide Of Shoulder,  Roughly Garbed,  Heavy

Limbed,  Quite Different From The Glenn She Remembered. He Mounted The Porch

Steps. And Carley,  Still Unseen Herself,  Saw His Face. Yes--Glenn! Hot

Blood Seemed To Be Tingling Liberated In Her Veins. Wheeling Away,  She

Backed Against The Wall Behind The Door And Held Up A Warning Finger To

Flo,  Who Stood Nearest. Strange And Disturbing Then,  To See Something In

Flo Hutter's Eyes That Could Be Read By A Woman In Only One Way!

 

A Tall Form Darkened The Doorway. It Strode In And Halted.

 

"Flo!--Who--Where?" He Began,  Breathlessly.

 

His Voice,  So Well Remembered,  Yet Deeper,  Huskier,  Fell Upon Carley's Ears

As Something Unconsciously Longed For. His Frame Had So Filled Out That She

Did Not Recognize It. His Face,  Too,  Had Unbelievably Changed--Not In The

Regularity Of Feature That Had Been Its Chief Charm,  But In Contour Of

Cheek And Vanishing Of Pallid Hue And Tragic Line. Carley's Heart Swelled

With Joy. Beyond All Else She Had Hoped To See The Sad Fixed Hopelessness,

The Havoc,  Gone From His Face. Therefore The Restraint And Nonchalance Upon

Which Carley Prided Herself Sustained Eclipse.

 

"Glenn! Look--Who's--Here!" She Called,  In Voice She Could Not Have

Steadied To Save Her Life. This Meeting Was More Than She Had Anticipated.

 

Glenn Whirled With An Inarticulate Cry. He Saw Carley. Then--No Matter How

Chapter 2 Pg 29

Unreasonable Or Exacting Had Been Carley's Longings,  They Were Satisfied.

 

"You!" He Cried,  And Leaped At Her With Radiant Face.

 

Carley Not Only Did Not Care About The Spectators Of This Meeting,  But

Forgot Them Utterly. More Than The Joy Of Seeing Glenn,  More Than The All-

Satisfying Assurance To Her Woman's Heart That She Was Still Beloved,

Welled Up A Deep,  Strange,  Profound Something That Shook Her To Her Depths.

It Was Beyond Selfishness. It Was Gratitude To God And To The West That Had

Restored Him.

 

"Carley! I Couldn't Believe It Was You," He Declared,  Releasing Her From

His Close Embrace,  Yet Still Holding Her.

 

"Yes,  Glenn--It's I--All You've Left Of Me," She Replied,  Tremulously,  And

She Sought With Unsteady Hands To Put Up Her Dishevelled Hair. "You--You Big

Sheep Herder! You Goliath!"

 

"I Never Was So Knocked Off My Pins," He Said. "A Lady To See Me--From New

York! . . . Of Course It Had To Be You. But I Couldn't Believe. Carley,  You

Were Good To Come."

 

Somehow The Soft,  Warm Look 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

Chapter 2 Pg 30

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 Can Remember When You Were Not Above Making Love To A Pretty

Girl. You Certainly Had Me Worn To A Frazzle--Before 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.

 

Chapter 2 Pg 31

"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 Coquette--Same Old Eternal Feminine," He Said,  Half Sadly. "You

Know When You Look Stunning. . . . But,  Carley,  The Cut Of That--Or Rather

The Abbreviation Of It--Inclines 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 Much--If They Had To Work--Plenty Of Work--And

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