News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-07-24

I'm going TO light out in the morn
/ ing before that fit comes on. You
think am older than your father, don't
you?"
81 should say that you are, by sew
eral years.
| "Well, ! reckon l am in some ways
1t comes of having fits, l suppose, but
Dick Maxwell is five years older than
l am. He's 4S or thereabout. according
to his say. | look about So, but I'm
only 43. Do you know what am get
ting at?'
NO"
"This: I'm preaching, lad. Every one
of those years that rest on my head
without having come into my life was
put there by a piece of scoundrelism
| that | committed when | was just the
age that you are now, and hadn't any
more excuse for getting into it than
you have now either. l don't say that
! you'll ever get into a place where you
may be likely to do anything that amt
right, but if you do there will be time
to think-there always is, for thinking
! Is mighty quick work - and if that
time ever does come you remember
what | have said just now and stop
! long enough to hum that song over to
yourself before you cut loose from the
outfit and go it alone. Life amt going
to be all roses for you, Lisle Maxwell.
and don't you forget it. Your father
| hasn't brought you up right. to my way
of thinking. You needn't get huffy.
amt criticising him. I'm Analysing
| you. You don't know any more about
| the world outside Of this ranch than a
hog knows about skating, and that
amt much TO speak Of I've been
| watching you while I've been here,
| and there are Il whole lot of things that
| you have got to learn between now and
| the time when you will have to go it
| alone, and nobody ever knows when
that time is coming. It's just like
| blamed Injun and draws a bead on
| your vitals from behind bush or a
rock VIXEN you amt looking, and it's
dead shot every time. You can't throw
a loop over circumstance and drag it
along willing captive. like we did that
| steer. It's got way OF slipping out
and roping you instead, and you've got
| to post yourself about things so that
| you will be ready to keep one hand out
| in just about the same way that you
poked yours through the loop of Jim
| Cummings RATA over in the Smoky. |
| don't wonder that some CT the boys
have said that you look IKE woman.
You do, and you do not You do be-
cause you have got tender heart like
a wOman's, and II sticks out through
your masculine garb just as plain as
| daylight when you amt thinking. Dick
Maxwell has trained you right enough
as far as he has gone. for all | know.
but he's good ways from going far
enough. | want you to make re
promise, Lisle."
"What sort of PROMISE Crair?"
You'll be y some day. and when
the day comes that sees you tiat old
want you to promise that you will ride
over to my ranch and see NE. WIN
you?"
Certainly. | will ride over a great
| you care to have me-"
That's III right. or course care to
have you. bur want you to remember
that promise anyhow"
"l'll remember it,"
And now. while we've got a chance
to talk, want TO say one thing more
to you about women This idea that
| you've got that they are denominations
en- the face of the earth is all wrong. If
your dad did teach it to you. and some
day I'll prove it to you. I've been look
ing through your library. and there
| amt a book there that Will tell you a
| blamed thing about them-not one. To
my way of thinking you ought to have
few, even if you read 'em against the
wishes of the old man. They won't
hurt you any, and in my opinion they
will do sou a lot of good. Do you
know where that old corral is, down in
the southwest corner of my ranch"
yes"
"Well, next Sunday you ride over
| there. 1t amt much more than dOz-
en- miles. I'll leave some books there
for you to read. Maybe I'll meet you
there if you come about shutdown.
They will be books that will teach you
something that you ought to know, and
don't, and-here comes Dick. Lord! |
never delivered such a long lecture be-
fore in my life. 1t all comes of your
singing that song"
When on the following morning Lisle
would have accompanied his father
and Craig-for the latter was going to
his own home and the former, having
an errand in that direction, rode out
with him--he discovered that he was
| not Manted. I.ater Whom the two mon