San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-06
B6sl6O6d by 6hey6Dn6s
BY A. H. GIBSON.

ana never doubted that he would 'one
day be onezof. the most successfulranch-
men of western Kansas.
Like the sensible, lowing women they
were, they battled bravely with their
poverty, and tried faithfully to make
their wild claim assume as homeliEe an
appearance as possible.
Lois was the only living child, bu
back in the old burying ground in Ken
lucky were three small mounds, toward
which the mothers heart so often
reached out. How often, too, the tears
fell from her eyes as she pursued her
lonely tolls!
Lois was now eighteen, strong, active
and brave. She was valuable assist
ant to her father, for when called away
ON business or required to attend to some
piece of work on the claim she was ever
ready and able to take his place as herds
man and keep the cattle from straying
away.
It wasfrequep:ly very lonely employ
ment for the girl, watching the stock on
the prairies for many hours at time
stuu IllttS away lIolll UC1hS-
But she was on perfectly good terms
with her pony, and would often talk 10
Hero, as if he possessed human com
prehension. Lois did believe he was
smarter than some folks" He was a
dark chestnut sorrel, and had noble
brown eyes. There was no one so dear
to his heart as his lovely mistress and he
would follow her like pet dog all over
the prairie.
Then when she tired of talking TO
Hero, which, however, was not often,
she had long list of war songs and SEN
timental ballads which she trilled to
herself. The girl had natural voice,
and sang as the mockingbirds and the
redbirds that resorted to the cotton
woods around her sod home. Nose Gill
bert had served in the late war on the
Union side, and had taught Lois her
war songs, which he had learned while
far away from home and kindred, in the
soldiers camps or marching to meet the
,Confederates.
Very often, too, the girl took her knit
ting with her, and while the pony grazed
near the cattle she sat, like veritable
prairie princess, in her saddle and ma
nipulated the long needles as skillfully
as if she were seated on her favorite
bench in the sod shanty.
This picture was indelibly stamped on
the mind and heart of a certain young
stockman, whose father had large
ranch about twenty-five miles south of
Nose Gilbert's claim.
Gilbert had purchased his stock at the
Hutchins ranch, and in that way an ac-
quaintance had sprung up between the
two families.
Several times that summer Lee Hutch
ms, lured by a pair of dark eyes, had
ridden away from his fathers range,
ostensibly to search for, strays. but in
reality to ride up some deep hollow or
place himself behind some hill, where
unseen he might catch the notes or
words of Lois clear, birdlike songs or
watch her busy fingers ply the knitting
needles.
That was to him like a glimpse of
paradise and he would ride off, his soul
in tumult of hopeless passion.
He rarely ever approached Lois as she
watched alone her fathers cattle. He
was brave, fearless young fellow, and
could ride the most fractions pony at
the ranch or face the widest stampede
of cattle, but somehow Lois bright eyes
stripped him of all courage, and he
usually acted like nervous, laundering
schoolboy when he found himself in her
presence.
Lee Hutchfhs was not by nature bash.
full, and had he been sure that Lois cared
for him he would not have tried to avoid
her presence, as he frequently did. That
a beautiful girl like she was should ever
learn to care for a rough, prairie bred
fellow, as he felt himself to be, never
for a moment entered his head. a.
He was becoming more hopelessly
fascinated every day, and more thickly
wrapped up in his fear to declare hi!
love.
So the summer had blossomed an(
faded, and hazy, golden October founC
them farther from an understandin:
than ever.
y Hero was munching away contentedl,
at the tenderest sprays of grass befor
him, while his mistress carelessl,
hummed love tune, as her fingers in
dustriously knitted away on large blu
mitten of Germantown yarn, which
with its mate, finished some days az,
was to form a present for her father.
Suddenly her attention was attracts
toward solitary horseman comm
across the prairie. She stopped her wor
to watch hird.
He was riding at wild rate of speed
and showed every evidence of being O
an errand of great haste or importance