, 1902-02-20
The Love Of a Man Of the
Plains.
BY ANNE SHANNON MONROE.

Copyright, 1907, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
MY foolish boy, OF course I love
you. l love everything here-those
distant bleak barren hills. the great
wide valley, the sage crusn, the cactus.
the toads, the range cattle. the ponies,
UNDERWRITING nat goes TO make up
this boundless western country. And.
above and beyond all else. I love you.
You are a wonderful picture in a won
derful frame. l could not separate
you from the country. nor the country
from you. Would l love 1t with you
out Of 1t? cannot say. can't mag
inc you out Of it." She patted her
pony's neck as she talked.
Would you love me anywhere else,
I wonder. In your far-away eastern
home, for example. among your ore
cultured %friends?"
She answered him by a peal 1t ST.
very laughter which rang down h
canyon and startled the lizards hAsk-
ing In the sunshine.
He looked up quickly.
Pardon me. dear. but l 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 his
sombrero down more closely over his
eyes.
Am /, then, so different-srsh a
wild man Of Borneo-that you would
hesitate to introduce me to your
friends?"
Yes, l would hesitate, for it would
set all the girls flocking to the west
In search OF other wild men of Borneo.
and there are no ~others-none half sc
dear as my wild man. Careful there.
Vixon, careful. careful. Oh. see Guth-
RE. a rattle snake" The pony had
SHE'D to one side and trembled from
head to foot.
Quick as a flash Guthrie Blalock
drew his revolver from ' , belt and
shot the serpent dead. I n, hastily
dismounting. hs knelt ..ruong the
stones and cactus, detached the string
Of ~rattles, ten 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
shuddered and screamed. But she had
learned much during her short stay at
her brothers cattle ranch. Under
Guthrie Blalock's tutorage she had de-
veloped into a true daughter Of the
plains with marvellous rapidity. The
day she stepped of the train after q
long journey from the east. and few
into her brothers arms, every cattle
man and rancher standing around the
station began nourishing a secret hope
in his own breast. Such a slight, will
lowy figure, such a bright witching
face, such mS1ry blue eyes, and such a
silvery, contagious laugh, all bound up
In n young woman, could not fail to
produce q sensation, especially where
women were as rare as a cloud in the
perpetual blue Of the sky over head.
Every man in the country suddenly
developed a desire to do business with
Bob Lyman. They all had punches of
cattle to dispose of, but, strange to say,
they could never come to terms. Each
visit called for another.
Its funny, Genie" Bob said to his
sister, with a twinkle in his eye. what
= capitalist these men take me for.
Perhaps they think you brought gold
west with you for investment. Can't
imagine what else heads all the ponies
for my ranch"
Genie laughed and was pleased, but
not until Guthrie Blalock came on real
business with no intention Of meeting
"the lily Of the valley" as the men
called her, was she impressed.
Bob" she whispered, as he came
into the room for a paper. Introduce
me to that handsome man."
Hes not like the others, Genie; he
doesn't care q rap about women
would probably be rude to you"
4 don't care. Introduce me-" she
commanded, and he obeyed.
Guthrie had been merely polite. had