Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-02-20
;. 'eE''c . .'Ce t'eCt N:0e(
{ M ESQUITE.$
The Star Rider If the Ranch
and lis Last Victory. -,
By Id0h MeRohem strobridee.

noove them, In beautiful. beringed flu
gers. the last number OF a Boston mag
ozine. 1t was all very new and de-
iShtfrl to her. this strange, unfinished
country. and each day developed fresh
charm. As n spectacle IL was perfect.
| The very desolat!on and silence OF the
desert stirred something within her
that the Back Bay had never remotely
reused. Viewed from the front row OF
the dress circle. nothing could be more
| fascinating 10 her art loving sense than
this simple. wholesome life lived ont
rs nature teaches and to feel that for
the time the big. conventional world OF
wise tnSinceritics was completely shut
away behind those FAR purple noun
tains. ont OF which rose the morning
desert sun.
AS for becoming an integral part OF
all this Oncself-ah, that was a DIFF
ferent matter. The very thought OF
her cousin Blanche and her husband
| Roy Madison. deliberately turning
| their backs on the rehnemeuts of
| higher civilization and accepting the
! daily drudgery and routine of life on a
| cattle ranch filed her with wondering
nmozement. When she fell 10 specu-
latlng on what their future years might
be- she shuddered. From the followed
| sole OF her modiShly booted foot 10 the
| crown OF her sleek and perfectly pois-
/ eel little head Miss Glendower was
/ BoStonian.
But for the short space OF time that
/ she waited Lawrence Irving'S coming
the life here was full OF charm for her.
Its ways were alluring. and not the
! least among its destinations was Mos
/ quite. She smiled amUSpdly nj the
tall cowboys utter unconSciouSncSS IN
| there being any social difference be-
tween them. al his simple acccptation
OF her notice. Miss Glendower was
finding vast entertainment in his hon
est hearted. undiSguised alteration. She
had come west for experiences. and
one OF the first and decidedly the most
exciting and interesting had been found
/ in Mesquite. Besides. IL gave her some
! thing 10 write OF when she sent her
! weekly letter TO Lawrence Irving. Sh"
sometimes found writing TO him bit
OF bore when topics were wanting.
| But MesQuite-the hoy was revela-
| ton OF surprises every day. There was
no boredom where he was. Amusing
/ yes. that was the word. There he was
now, crossing the bare and hard beaten
square OF gray earth that lay between
| the ranchhouSe and the corInlS. Though
he was looking beyond the piazza 20
where the other boys were driving
bunch" OF believing. dust stirring cat
/ tie into mn Enclosure. yet she felt IL was
she whom his eyes saw. Tie was com
ing straight toward the house and her
| That she knew. Miss Glendower knew
many things. learned in the varied eX-
perience of her eight and twenty years
Her worldly wisdom was more-much
more-than his would be ut double his
age. Mesquite was 90.
he looked up with unconcea ed pleas
ure in her presence as he seated him
self on the pIaZZa-Swingiug his spur
red heels against each other while he
leaned his head back against one OF the
pillars. Miss Glendower's eyes rested
on the burncd. hoyiSh face with de
Hight. There was something so naive.
so sweetlv childish about him. 1t was
simply delicious To hear his YES.
ma am.'' or his which," Just now his
yellow hair lay in little damp rings on
his forehead. like n bahy's just waken-
ed from sleep. He sat with his big
SombrerO showed back from n forehead
gulltlcSS o. tan or RECKLESS as the pet
ais OF white rose But the lower
part OF his face was roughened 10y wind
and burned 10y the sun to an Indian red.
making his blue eyes the buer-thOse
great. babyish eyes that looked out
with bclying Innocence from under
their marvellous fringes of up curling
lashes. The blue eyes were we'll used
TO looking upon sights that would have
shocked Miss Glendowcr's New Eng
land traiRing. and the babyiSh lips
were quite familiar with language that
would have made her pale with horror
and disgust TO hear. But. then. she
didn't know. Neither could he have
understood her standpoint.
He was only the product Of his en-
vironment. and one OF the best things
IL had taught him was to have no dis
guises. So he sat today. loor ing np at
his lady with all his love showing In
his face. And so he rode beside her
that night. rs the days red bali OF
burning wrath dropped down behind
the western desert rim of their little
world. across sand hills that opened
sweet flowers to the night winds
touch. and across barren alkali fats to
the postofilce. half dozen miles away
There was only one letter for Miss
Hlcndower thnt night 1t began:
Il VIII be with you. my darling. ~
hours after you get this. Just one day
more. love. and I'll hold you In my
arms again! lust one more week. and
you will be my wife. Audrey, Think
OF IT,
She had thought: was thinking now.
she was also wondering how Mesquite
would take It.