The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-29
THE COWBOYS LOVE,

cred plains Of Montana moved the
Great Northern train, Cattle stood in
stupid wonder OF shook their horns and
bounded away as II few past Woolly
sheen, punched together In countless
thousands, scattered in gray clouds.
Bands OF wild horses the Indian cay
uses. were taking their morning meal.
The knight Of the plains, the cowboy,
rode a pony on long, swinging lope,
without one backward look.
All this saw Louise Allen as She lean
ed from the car window and quaffed the
new wine Of the air. Her brown eyes
sparkled and her red lips parted in a
happy smile For the first time she rea-
lzed how narrow and pent up was the
city life she had led in Boston,
TO live, to love" she whispered, will
It come TO ME here in the great outdoors
of God?"
The train slowed up, and she had
hardly time 10 collect her wandering
thoughts before her brother-big, brown,
hearty Ben Allen-was beside her.
Here we are, Lou" he said. Min
md the horses are just beyond this
round up" indicating the station with
motion OF his hand. In couple Of
hours Wen have you at the ranch"
This is the way we 80" said Ben, as
the caVuses set on at u lively gait, fol-
lowing one OF the many buffalo paths
that intersect the plains In every diTec-
ton leading to water course.
Riding at full speed directly down
upon them were two cowboys on their
way to the town of Great Fails.
Look at the one in the white shirt, "
saId her sister. That is Dick Bennett,
the cowboy artist"
This Is queer place for an artist.
What does he paint?" asked the Boston
girl,
"DIck Bennett is no aesthetic artist"
said her brother but wild and disslpa-
ted. He paints things as they are-the
finest pictures OF Indians and cowboys
ever made"
louise Allen leaned forward in her
seat to see what this man OF the plains,
this cowboy artist, was like.
She saw a sun-browned face, whose
smooth. contour was marked bv lines
and traces OF the storms and passions
that had swept over II. Nor Joy, nor
pleasure, nor peace, looked from the
gray eyes, but a something akin to pain
that stirred her heart, In spite OF her
self. Handsome. yes, with all the
traces OF sin upon the face that looked
out from his broad-brimmed hat, 1t
was one to live for-yes, to die for
thought the girl. and his dress lent TO
It a picturesque charm.
The white flannel shirt, whose collar
was rolled back from a strongly round
ed throat, the knotted sash about his
waist, the high top boots with the spurs
that made a little climbing sound, the
strangeuess, the newness OF the sur
roundings. all appealed to the romantic
nature Of the girl.
Ben held up his hand and the cowboy
artist drew rein beside them. When ne
spoke to her It seemed TO the girl that
she expanded with new life, and when
she turned her brown eyes full upon
him In all their Turing witchery. Dick
Bennett turned his face earelessly away
that she might not see the white excite
ment upon II,
Their meetings were frequent after
that He told her how he began to
paint: how, In company with another
cowboy, he had charge OF herd OF cat
tie on ranch on the plain owned by a
man in Helena.
DuTlNE llt severe "lhNIl VI +ooNi NV
owner asked for a statement OF the
herds condition. His companion was
afraid TO tell OF the disasters that had
befallen them.
~ answered It. Louise" said Dick."by
taking a pencil. / drew on a piece oil
paper the picture of steer In storm
starved. lean and hardly able to stand,
and wrote under Il: The last of the five
thousand That was our answer ana
that picture made me an artist. II was
photographed and sold by thousands
She saw him painting on the tops of
barrels, anywhere, when the inspiration
was on him, and every day she loved
him more. Each day she went to their
meeting place, and the sun traced the
pattern OF the cottonwood trees leaves
on the grass at her feet. Every night
che sank 10 rest she murmured, Sweet
sweet tomorrow will oring him to tell
me that he has decided to leave these
plains and go with me to study art % So
a month went bv and despair was fast
Selling upon her. She had gone for the
last time To the scene OF their love and
sank on her knees beside the cotton
wood tree, grca, agony on her fea-
lures.
on the other side OF the tree lay Dlcl;
Bennett. watching her, the muscles OF
his mouth twitchins painfully for Il
moment. Then he drew himself up ia
his feet. The two lifted their heads at
nearly the same moment and looked full
into each others eyes. What did they
read there? Was the silence between
them the sweet silence OF love when
she has all to give? The girls silence
Twas that of fear. for she knew that
whether one went or both stayed all her
heart, oil her thoughts would remain
with him on these plains. where she
had loved, and, God pity her, where shJ
stlil loved IN spite OF all her troubles
The mans was that OF despair his
hayward past grave between them
He could not poison the future az the
woman he adored by dragging her Into
st. He had fought his fight The strong
touch NJ chvalry In his nature had tri-
umphed, He would stag with the plains
his horses, his guns, his brush, such MS
he could not pollute, and she. God heli
her she must 20.
"Honors are easy, my girl. but not
Tor such as me. There ls n dividing line
between ihe good and tho bad. I'm on
one side and you're on the other. / can't
cross "a you and swear 10 God by my
love for you never to drag you over to
me. stay and you CO."
S-.----
Tribute To Col. BuniIngton's rAtriotIsm.
Springfield ttsss) Republican: The
fntiaryiuv narapranh in the repOrt OF