El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-31

nificance, almost lost upon the measure
less stretch of dun colored plains
ct seems a good deal like giving tC
airy nothing n local habitation and
name, doesn't it, he laughed as he re-
sumed his place beside her. There was
slight flash of surprise in Miss Ell
lery's averte9 eyes. Shakespeare on the
lips of a cowboy seemed rather more in
congruous than the lack of pistols and
long hair in his general makeup.
The name seems rather misfit, "
she remarked, furtively measuring him
with another glance.
'Well, rather, but [ suppose, at the
outset, there was a city here-on paper.
These places are generally planted ont
with no end of great expectations, only
in this case the seed seems to have fall
Ell upon stony ground -
And how far is it to this Gamer
on's?" she irrelevantly demanded, some
what obviously regarding the road
ahead, which seemed to be leading
away into an unbroken wilderness.
"Only about three miles. though 1 am
afraid it may seem to you longer. - with
deprecating smile. There is certain
over and overishness about the scenery
which seems appreciably to lengthen the
miles, and especially to stranger. You
will find it a tiresome trip, am afraid. p"
''Oh. no! 1t is pleasant to be out i'll
the air after the dusty, stuffy cars. -
Her tone had grown insensibly more
friendly. The refinement of his speech,
his easy courtesy, indicating no small
est consciousness of any social difference
which might count to his disadvantage,
tended to deepen her impression that
this could be no common cowboy. "And
do you live there:' she asked interest
eddy, pursuing her own train of thought.
''At Cameron Oh, l have been
stopping there for couple of months
now. 1 am there off and on. 1 have a
place of my own over on Lost river
not much of a place''-as if fearful of
seeming boastful-'but,s such as it is, 1
live there when l am at home. 1 have
been breaking horses at Cameron's.
.'Ohr' returned Miss Ellery, with a
slight falling infection. She was con-
scious of vague disappointment cou-
pied with sort of unreasoning resent
ment, as if he had been guilty of willful
Misrepresentation. Any distinction
which might appear in her mind be-
tween a cowboy and an acknowledged
horse breaker could only be to the adj
vantage of the former With methods of
deduction wholly feminine. she Jumped
all persons having avowed connection
with that scapegoat of race track gam
bling, the horse, i'll one category of
sporting characters, all more or less dis
reputable.
They We're going at brisk pace over
u rolling country that seemed to have
no limit, line upon line of dull faded
green's and browns and shadowy grays
merging into hay blues and purples at
the horizon line. No tree or shrub OF
distinct object of any sort broke the
monotony, that was as bare and starved
of beauty as though God had completely
forsaken this part of his world. But
soon, passing through another gate,
they came upon cattle innumerable,
sleek, well fed creatures, all raising
their heads to stare with wild, shy eyes,
as the blackboard passed them noisily 10y.
The cattle are looking we'll this
year, y the young man observed after Il
little, with evident desire for making
talk.
Are they she dryly returned.
Then, as if somewhat regretting the
snubbing tone of the speech, she added,
Il am afraid that am rather lacking in
appreciation of CATTLE
glance that asked for explanation. DO
you share the usual feminine prejudice
against their hOrns?'
''Ah, they are Objectionable in SO
many ways. They are so aggressively
large, don't you know half laughing
In spite of herself, as it seemed, her
manner would grow almost too friendly
as she encountered the cordial good will
Of hi tr1a I
never get over the idea, given sufficient
provocation, they might bite
''Bite'' with big, hearty laugh.
You have never been west before, !
imagine "
"No; this is my first experience.
''And-perhaps the question has not
grown quite stale yet-may l ask what
you think of it up to date?''
well, there seems TO be good deal
of it, she returned looking away, with
an elusive smile.
In other words, you are not in love
with the country"
''Oh, l don't believe in love at first
sight under any circumstances. ="
'No-dOn' you?'' regarding her rath-
er iXedly, with u broad smile. |
And | have had so much to do to
correct my preconceived ideas that /
have hardly had time to analyze my
yet.
And in what particular has it dis
appointed your
Il did not say that it had disappoint-
ed me. 1t is only a little-different.
For instance, these plains. l had i'm
agined the plains as a vast stretch of
country lying perfectly flat. -
Flat, stale and unprofitable'-tha
is what Il good many have found it all,