The herald., 1894-12-11
COWBOY AND CORSET.

ranch an KEEP on bein yer own self,
stead o. driftin off the range to the city
an a maxim play to be a high toned
| Teddy. Yo' amt like yo' used to be, Cas-
sic. +"
There was a soowl on the cowboys
face as he stood before Cassie Denton,
the daughter of the owner of the Texas
ranch at which he was employed. The
face of the bright eyed little maiden
wore panied look as she toyed with
the buckskin wrist loop which depend
ed from the handle of the six shooter in
his belt.
81 knowed jest how it would be, ;" he
continued. ''When yer pop got the no.
ton into his head that yo' must be edi-
Gated an be Teddy, tol him it'd spile
yo'. tol him yo' never would be the
same gal no mo-; that yer little head'd
git turned there among the fine stock,
an yo' wouldn't have no mo- use fur
graded critters sich as the riders O. the
ranges.
"But Bob. p" the girl interrupted, 81
am not changed in my feelings toward
you. ] love you just as we'll as did the
day pop said could marry you, and he
sent me to school for two years just to
make me fit to be your wife. 1t was all
for your sake, Bob, and it's real bad Of
you to act so after had studied so hard
10 make of myself lady worthy of such
man as you. l know I'm not like l
used to be- am not rough and wild
like l was once / dress better, and |
talk better. It's refinement, Bob-that's
what Miss Bentley, the teacher, said,
and she said that girl without refine
ment was Just wart on the face of So
ciety. That's just what she said, Bob,
in her own words, and l feel like cry
ing at the way you act. "
I'D q whole lot rather see yo' good
healthy wart on the face O. society than
to see yo' dab O. bright paint on one o
its cheeks, or a string O. no count beads
a-hangin bout its neck. Style is fur
them that lives in cities, Cassie, an is
jest as much out O. place in here on the
ranch as cheap herdin greaser'd be
out o. place in glory. I'd never believ-
ed it of yo', Cassie, that yo'd come back
here with yer foretop curled up in a
bunch an a corset cinched round yo'.
l wouldn't, sw ar l wouldn't. No wo-
man kin make a rancher good wife
that wears fashion pack saddle an
lunches up her mano like yours is bunch
ed. / mout git over the curl business in
time, but | amt never goin to have no
wife that'll cinch herself up SOS she
can t breathe below
With a scream Of laughter the girl
placed her hand over his mouth and
checked his further speech.
ooh, Bob, Bob. you naughty boy!
Is it my poor little corset that has come
between us to ward off your love? Oh,
l must laugh for it's really the funni-
est thing l ever heard of! Why, Bob, l
could never live without corset. 1t is
such a support and comfort and you
know, you wicked boy, that my figure
is much prettier than it was before l
went to Dallas. Isn't it, now?"
She placed her hands against her
waist and waltzed saucily around SO
that he could inspect her neat form.
"No, faint. Tain free an easy, like
God intended it should be. If he'd "a
wanted yo' pinched up like yo' are now,
he'd "a built yo' that way. There'd be
jest as much sense in cinchin up COWS
to mako 'em look purity. Yo'd laugh
yer eyes out to see a COW goin around
here with corsets on, an, yo hear me-
it's Jest as ridiculous fur gal to do it.
I'm agoin to roundup the ranges fur q
gal 'at's got more savey than to wear
sich monstrousities, r else / never will
double up in matermony long as l live
Throw 'em away, Cassie or yo' an me
won't bo nothin much to each other no
mo-. "
"Bob, | won't make fool of myself
for little senseless whim such as yours
I'll wear what please, and if it don't
exactly meet with your ideas of propri-
ETY. you can 60 and roundup girl
that's willing to put up with your non
sense. "
The little girl was angry now, and
with spiteful flirt of her skirts she
turned from him and went into the
! house. Her anger was like q passing
summer cloud, and when in few mo-
ments it had spent itself she ran to her
room, and throwing herself ON the bed
burst into tears She knew Bob Taylor
loved her dearly, and rough and unedu-
Gated as he was she almost worshiped
the handsome young cowboy. She would
| gladly have consigned the offending ar
ticle of dress to the waters of the Brazos,
which ran near the house, but she could
not for moment countenance such an
unreasonable whim on Bob's part, and
with set teeth and clinched hands she
vowed that if her lover took her to wife
the corset must be included in the in
ventory of her personal effects.
Days sped by, and Bob passed and re-
passed her about the house seemingly as
oblivious of her presence as if sho were
thousand miles away. Only once did
he notice her, when, in maidenly des-
peration at his coldness, she asked:
''Aint you never going to make up,
Bob?'
"Not till you skin off that Internal
pack saddle" was the surly reply
Their lovers had been fruitful and
never stale topic of conversation among
the pupils Of Miss Bentley's select
school for girls in Dallas, and in all
their confidential chats Cassie had heard
Of bat one effective method Of whipping
o recalcitrant lover back into the traces,
"Flirt with some other fellow. Her
only fear was that if she should try the