Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-20
ROMANCE OF 4 RATA.
now NE CAUGHT 4 BRIDE.
stistr pnshlna fsersmspshsp that SAVED a
Far csss,rswsmaa aud asIsed siim q
BRIDE The sesrel.

1Ht tf nnshina ucfsfr8anstfp that saved
Far Csanirswemaa aud asIsed siim
BRIDE rhe sesre,.
lssn Francisco Aita.i
The movements Of real cowboy OF
kearney street attracted considerable
attention yesterday morning. lie wa
. cowboy fast enough, but not one o
the fighting, biting, gonging, emitting
shooting kind that you read about u
the Montana and Arizona dispatches
but just common everyday stock
driver. lie was modest, COO, and
through the strong coating Of tan on HI,
cheeks could be detected tinge OF red
AZ he encountered an unusually strong
glance Of curiosity from some passing ie'
male. Hewas fine physical specimen,
standing nearly six feet in his boots, and
his regular features and dropping blonde
moustache gave his face an aspect oil
beauty fully in keeping with has hand
some proportions. The clothes that
encased him were those peculiar to the
xaouero. consisting Of buckskin trou.
sers, a woollen shirt fastened at the
throat with q carelessly-knotted silk
handkerchief, coarse chinchilla sack
coat. and broad-brimmed felt hat Of the
sombrero pattern. His walk psrtook
of the uocertdn tread Of one
long accustomed TO soft earth in
stead Of stone pavements, but
there was no lack OF knowledge OF his
=. - -. "
led him into a large clearinghouse 3
few blocks distant from Market. In
easy language, with no faint Of the
slang OF the plsias in il, he ordered
tweed suit Of fashionable cut, linen
shirt. cellar, cuffs, and tie, and then
asked if he could dsn them in the store.
The dregsing-room was placed at his
disposal, and in q few moments he
emerged with his discarded raiment in
his hand. "You can throw these
away" he remarked to the clerk,
"I'ye no farther rse for them."
An adjoining halter replaced the
sombrero with aeat derby /;
at a shoe-store pair OF CATERS were
substituted for the rough, strong boets,
and the metamorphOsis was complete.
The plainsman entirely disappeared,
and in his stead appeared handsome
young fellow, bearing himself with an
air Of gentlemanly selfpossession, ard |
with nothing to distinguish him from
the average city-bred man beyond
his sun-browned complexion and
unusual beauty. That he was no
stranger to city sights was evil
dent from his lack Of curiosity
regarding the noise and hustle and
strange Ito a countryman) scenes
on every hand. The transformed cow
boy was puzzle TO the Alta reporter,
who had studied his movements, and it
was with feeling Of relief that he OBJ
served the object of his gaze exchange
o hearty greeting with young lawyer
well known 10 the man of paper and
pencils. Their conversation lasted for
some time, and was broken into by the
lawyer, who called the Alta man to
him and introduced his companion as
Mr.. Edward n. Willets, chum in the
class of rs in an eastern college Of
worldwide reputation.
"Mr. Willetts has just been telling
me little romance in his own life that
~ould furnish frst-rate plot for q
novel; " went on the introducer, "and
h,, ,,' Introduce him to you because
think it too good TO be iVss.
The reporter thanked him for his Ia
yor, and confessed that be had been
puzzling himself with speculations, o.
which Mr.. Willetts was the basis, for
some time past. The latter laughed
and good-naturedly re-
marked that he did not doubt but that
he presented an appearance that would
warrant speculation half an hour be-
fore, "but," he continued, 81 have
all that sort Of thing now,
and shall try to be a civilized gentle
man once more"
"Tell him the story. Ned" sug-
gested the lawyer. and, after some
urging, Mr.. Willetts consented, merely
that the name Of his pros
pectiye bride should not appear in print.
His story, when related, did prove to be
out Of the ordinary run and well worthy
the attention of some breezy writer of
fiction. Six years ago he was at col
lege, when he received peremptory or
ders from his father, a wealthy
Boston merchant, to enter the
theological class and fit himself
for the ministry. The command
came like thunderbolt TO the
happy-go-lucky young fellow, who had
always believed himself destined to
follow his father in business when the
latter should be ready toretire. lie was
no better nor no worse than the average
young man at college, but did not feel
himself at all equal to the pulpit. A
quarrel with mis- pere was the result of
his rebellion, and the young fellow
suddenly left for the West. He was
provided with a tri1e over $500 in
coin, and the sale Of q suburban
lot, the gift Of deceased relative,
gave him as much more. With this
capital he started on his trip, with no
definite stopping-place in view. At
Cheyenne he laid over for short hunt
on the plains. The wild life of the cow
boys caught his fancy and he yearned
TO discard the title of tenderfoot and
become veritable nomad Of the stock
range. Salary proved little object, and
he had little difficulty in attaching him
self TO big ranch until he had master
ed his new vocation-not a long task,
ewing 10 his natural excellence as
A horseman and the aptitude
with which he took to the lasso.
After years apprenticeship he |
was pronounced journeyman va
quero and struck away from the
ranch Of his tutelage. Strange to say,
he was not disguised with the hard
work, coarse fare, and coarser compan-
ions that fell to his lot, but as the open
air and vigorous exercise strengthened
and filled out his rather attenuated
frame, he began to enjoy it, and his
taste inclined him for il long after the
novelty had worn of. After leaving
the ranch he drifted from one employer
to another, always making long
drives when he could with the sole
object Of seeing the country. In