Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-08-10
Love in a Hail Storm.

~ OBJ and May were sweet
6 hearts. S; .,,,,.. ,,., ..,.
that's what they had been learning
ever since Bob, a STRIPPING of twenty,
had come out from Tennessee to the
Texas Panhandle with the family.
In those days May was bright
haired, high strung little girl OF four
teen, whom Bob never called or
thought of as "red headed"
Bob was strong, good humored
boy, not bit afraid of work. and he
had way with him that gave him
command of men and creatures. He
rose rapidly in cid man Loves employ
from simple COW puncher to wagon
boss. then foreman and when he was
only twenty-five went with the appro-
val and good will of his employer to
take the position of ranch manager for
a Boston company.
All the world loves lover. Bob
was such whole hearted one, his state
OF mind was so patient, he took much
delight in it, wore his chains with such
open pride and enthusiasm, that all
the Panhandle felt with and for him.
Besides being a fellow that girl
could love without any difficulty, any
body-with daughter to spare
might have been pleased with Bob for
Il son-in.law.
An old man Love was pleased enough
with the match, and greatly given to
Dragging of Bob as coming adjunct
10 the Love greatness, until the TRACE.
dy of the one horned brindle COW.
which tore things all up generally,
threatened to sever two loving hearts
and darken forever Bobs and Mav's
happy horizon.
This old cow-worth perhaps 81
bobbed up at one o. the roundups
sporting, in addition to the b. n. of
the Boston National which WAS
iacetiously known as the Bean"
brand, old man Loves (XXX).
Though very uncommon, such acci-
dents may occur in the haste and con.
fusion Of branding, without necessarily
implying dishonesty on some ones
part. While they do sometimes result
in fights and killings, they are easily
enough adjusted between reasonable
people, since any clever cattleman can
readily tell which brand is of the long
er standing.
But any cowboy on the range would
have told you that while old man Love
was square enough himself, he was a
crazy crank, about the sacredness of
his brand His long suit was to jump
up and down and swear that it never
vet was on anything that wasn't his
own. Tie invariably claimed an animal
that bore il in addition 10 another
brand (as did his old cow, however
plainly it showed as the newer of the
two, though as a matter of fact his
branding irons were handled by Just
as many careless cowsboys as any
other.
If Bob had known what that aged
and damaged brindle COW was going
to cost him he might perhaps have
blnked his obvious duty and let old
man Love have her-in the face of
right and reason.
But he was not The man to be back
ed down by any one, and he dared the |
worst-and got it
He held the COW for his company.
after fierce contest, and old man
Love went home raging, to give his
distorted version of the affair, issue
orders that no member of his family |
was to speak to, or of. Bob, from that
time forth, and 10 remark Significantly
that he had far rather see a child OF
his married to a horse thief than to
person capable of such behavior.
Communication between the lovers
had since been managed, once or
twice, by the utmost stealth and
secrecy. Having, by his means. been
assured OF his sweetheart's steadfast-
ness and readiness, Bob sent her word
by one of her fathers cowboys to ride
a good horse past the halfway brand
ing pen, armed himself with license,
and hung around the Triple y ranch
for week.
When May finally found the oppor-
tunity TO slip away in the most care
less manner, with one of the mems
sombreros on. and in the face of
threatening weather, she received
rspturous welcome from the long ban
ished Bob, and they promptly headed
their ponies for Squire Wiley's, just
the other side of Roaring Creek, who
was supposed to be holding himself in
readiness for their visit
What Mexican, or other paid spy,
or what unfriendly or env:ous hand
BARRED the news To old man Love will
not he known, but he burst into one
OF his near cow camps at dinner, short
ly after Bob and Mays departure, like
roaring South African lion with
mustard in his eve
"The boy" s"-who knew well enough