The tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1900-1902, 1902-08-21
The Love Of q Man Of the
Plains,

ny ANNE SHANNON MONROE
tCopyriaht ina ~ paily Story Pub COZ
MY foolish boyl on course | love
yon. love everything hcre-thoae
distant bleak barren hills. the great
vide valley. tho sage brush. the cactus.
the toada. the range cattle the ponies,
and-ovcrythinr that goes TO make up
this boundluss Western country. And
above and beyond an else. ! love you
You arc 4 wonderful picture IN a woh-
derfil frame I could not separate
you from the country. nor the country
from yon Would I love Il with you
out OF ~ / cannot say. can't imRg-
inc you out OF H." She patted her
pony'e neck ns she talked.
Would yon love me anywhere else
I wonder. Ia your far-away eastern
home. for example, among your more
| cultured frlendsf"
she answered him by a peal OF sil-
very laughter which rang down the
canyon and startled the lizards bask-
ing in the sunshine.
He looked up quickly
Pardon me, dear. but was Just
imagining you among my friends back
east It-seems so funny"
He colored under the heavy tan coat
ing his handsome face and pulled bis
sombrero down more closely owe bis
eyes.
Am l. then, so dlTerent-sueh .
wild man OF Borneo-that you would
hesitate to introduce me 20 your
friends?"
yes. l would hesitate, for It would
set all the girls iocking TO the west
in search OF other wild mon OF Borneo.
and there are no others-none half so
dear as my wild man. Careful there
Vixon. careful. careful Oh. see Guth-
re. a rattle snakei" The pony had
shiod 70 one side and trembled from
head to foot
Quick as a fash Guthrie Blalock
drew his revolver from his belt and
shot the serpent dead. Then, hastily
dismounting, be knelt among the
| stones and cactus detached the strins
OF rattles, ton In number, and handed
them to the girl She received them
calmly and fastened them in her belt
A few months ago she would have
s~huddered and screamed. But she had
learned much during her short stay al
her brothers cattle ranch. Under
Guthrie Blalock's tutorage she had de
veloped into a true daughter OF the
pialns with marvellous rapidity. The
day she stepped Of the train after 9
long Journey from the east and flew
into her brothers arms, every cattle
man and ranchef standing around tbs
, station began nourishing a seeFet hops
in his own breast Such a slight viii
lowy figure. such @ bright witehinf
! face. such merry blue eyes, and such {
( sllvery. contagious laugh. all bound VI
IN one young woman, could not fail &c
produce 2 sensation. especially vher'
wqrcn we're As rare 90 a cloud In thu
perpetual blue OF tne SKY gyer nead.
Every man in the country suddeHil
developed a desire TO do business with
Dob Lyman. They all had punches o
cattle 20 dispose OF. but. strange to say
they could never come 70 terms. Eael
visit called for another,
Its funny. Genie" Bob said TO hi
sister. with a twinkle IN his eye. "wha
a capitalist these men take me Tor
Perhaps they think you brought gol,
west with you for investment. Can
imagine what else heads an the ponie.
for my ranch"
Genie laughed and was pleased. bu
not until Guthrie Blalock came on rea
business with no intention OF meeting
"the lily Of the valley. as the mel
called her was she impressed.
Bob" she whispered. as he cam
into the room for a paper, 'introduc'
me 20 that handsome man"
Hes not like the others. Genie; b
doesn't care a rap about women
would probably be rude to you"
i don't care. Introduce me-" Eh
/, commanded. and he oboyed.
Guthrie had been merely polite. h.