Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-10-02
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! ALECIA'S
| COWBOY
! BY z. s. WINTHROP
Copyright. 1901, bu E. S. Winthrop
By z. s. WINTHROP

| falo Bill was coming to town. The
( small boy betrayed an almost pathetic
| eagerness to render small services TO
! the heads of the households. The fam
/ lly clothesline disappeared under the
| barn to emerge later as Il lariat and to
/ violently choke the youngest hopeful
| employed as a target in default of real
wild horses in the family back yard.
The older folk were not above being
/ interested in the matter. Paterfamilias
| told how in his younger days he had
| known man who could shoot all
| around Colonel Cody. The mother Ie-
! counted, with faint blush on her
| faded cheek, how she had crossed the
plains in 1878 and during blizzard
had been saved from an untimely
death by the ministrations Of a young
lieutenant. In fact, the very blue blan-
kct under which her husband now took
his Sunday afternoon nap in the libra
ry was a souvenir of her narrow eS-
cape.
Between the two extremes the show
was at once a bait and reward. 1t
! was the peace Offering when Strephon
fought with Phyllis. 1t was merit
badge when Phyllis would not quarrel
Even Edward Thurston and Alicia
Peyton were interested in the gaudy
pictures as they strolled silently along
in the mild spring air. Yet Thurston
had just asked a certain fateful ques-
ton, and Miss Peyton's mo" had been
very decided
Il like you better, perhaps, than any
man l know" she had said. "Still, lik-
ing isn't love, and the man love must
be some one l can respect. You are
nice boy, a good talker and have all
the advantages of birth and position.
That is not enough. l want to marry a
mana real man, strong, reliant-like
that man there" And she pointed to
the photographic reproduction of the
Rosa Bonheur painting Of Cody.
But, Alicia" he urged, this is so
foolish, you know. A chap can't ride a
broncho and wear chaps and spurs
when street car or cab is the prop.
er thing and patent feathers and black
cloth are preferred. Let me show
you
She raised her hand in protest.
Please" she said, don't argue. 1t
hurts me to say this. Don't make it
worse by continuing a conversation
that is painful"
So he held his peace, but as they
walked slowly back to the house from
the park each fresh "stand" of bills
and Alicia's evident interest In them
increased the twinkle which had come
in Thurston's eye despite the blow to
his hopes.
When they reached her door, he
would not enter, but as he took her
hand he asked: May 1 send you seats
for the Wild West? | have friends
with the organization. and while l
shall not be able to be with you it
would give me pleasure to know you
were admiring the real man."
Don't" she urged. You are not
kind. | didn't mean that l wanted to
marry a cowboy, merely that l was
tired of the effeminate men of the cit
les, men who never do things, who are
content simply to exist. 1t is not your
own fault that you are not other than
you are. 1t is the fault of our modern
training"
He laughed. 81 didn't mean to ques-
ton your judgment" he said. II will
send box over for the matinee. Then
you can take the little ones. Good
night"
He held her cool, slender hand for
moment longer than was strictly good
form, then turned and went down the
street with springy stride that argued
more strength than was made apparent
by the modern tailor's arts.
Thursday afternoon the "show lots"
rs the vacant field generally used for
exhibition purposes was called, were
crowded. Those who could afford to
patronize the entertainment were for
the most part already inside. Those
without the gates were those who,
lacking the price, lived in the hope
that some philanthropist would sud-
denly happen along and invite them all
inside
Failing that, there was always the
noise of the shooting, and the year be-
fore three clay pigeons had fallen out
GiGe the fence, and portions had been
cherished in pocket museums Of small
boys for weeks thereafter as an Offset
to the cartridge shells obtained by the
fortunate ones who had seen the show.
In q box affording an unobstructed
view of the field sat the Peyton family,
from Grandpa Peyton to Harry, the
four-year-old.
The younger ones were all impatient
for the performance to commence. The
band was something. But bands were
more common than cowboys, even
though this was cowboy band. What
they wanted were men who rode
horses. Harry in particular was on
the ragged edge, and his nurse had
difficulty in keeping him from break
year before he had been adjudged too
young to attend.
The first band of Indians came dash
ing into the arena, turning the upper
curve just beyond the Peyton box, and
wheeling smartly into place. Harry
was transported. Here were the In
dians at last, and their painted, half
naked bodies were even more fascinat-
ing than the images he had been able
to conjure up during his sleepless mo-
ments in the dimly lighted nursery.
Band after band came on. each fol-
lowed by its chief, and each succeeding
body drew Harry nearer to the front
of the box. The nurse, fresh from Irish
soil, was too much interested to watch
her charge. The others trusted to the
nurse.
At last came the cowboys, better
mounted even than their associates.
Six abreast they swept into the arena
and came tearing down the stretch.
Suddenly groan went up, great vol
ume Of tone like the voice of one
mighty man. There, directly in the
path of the riders, stood n fair haired
child. The sun glanced from its dainty
white dress and lit up the long fiaxen
cutls till they seemed to form a halo
about its head.
Alicia sprang up with a fearful
scream.
ling, come to sister" Then she covered
her eyes, not daring to face the awful
horror she knew must come.
The instant he did 80 some impulse
compelled her to look again, and ray
of hope lit up her strained face.
The riders on the inside had turned
aside. The one nearest the child
stopped and caught him up, and as a
mighty shout went up from the crowd
h.