The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-11-13
At Lone
Elm Ranch
By Thomas p. Montfort
Copyright. 1908. by Daily Story Pub. o.,

Ohm COWARD, owner of Lone Elm
u ranch, was young, healthy. wealthy
and prosperous. To all outward ap-
2earances he should have been one of
he happiest of men. He vas, how
ever, anything but that.
Back at his home in the east he had
net Mary Morgan and fallen in love
With her, and, though not a word had
passed between them on the subject,
le was confident that she understood
his feelings and reciprocated them.
Under ordinary circumstances there
should have been nothing distressing
IN this; but, unfortunately, the cir
eumstances were not ordinary.
Mary was the wife of another man
One day, five years after Conard
came west, he rode slowly across the
BROAD brown plain. He was thinking,
with his head bent, and his thoughts
were of Mary. He thought of her
beauty, her loneliness of character and
her sweet disposition; and of her hard,
grinding life with cruel, drunken
husband. With all his heart he wished
that he might have the right to pro-
-SCl anu SulSlO uSI, anu uGfOt6 Ills lie
20 making her happy.
But it can never be-" he told him.
self. Never now"
Before .Conard there was an aban-
1oned claim" with a little cabin on
it. The cabin had long been vacant,
but now, when he raised his head, he
saw that it was occupied. He fell at
once to wondering what kind of peo-
pie the newcomers were, and think
ing how pleasant it would be to have
them for neighbors if they were nice.
Presently a woman came out into
the yard and, placing one hand on the
fence, stood looking pensively away to
The east, her face in full view. Conard
pulled his horse up short and stared
in doubt and amazement. For a mo-
ment an electric shock numbed him,
then the blood rushed tumultuously
and a great wave of joy swept over
him.
My Cod" he cried, tits Nary"
He started forward and just then
she turned and saw him. Invol-
UNFAIRLY she stretched her hands out
toward him and gave little, glad cry
which he did not hear If he had ever
had doubt of her love for him he
had it no longer.
But suddenly there came a shock
that sent his blood cold. A man in
the cabin had heard her cry and had
come out to her and put his arm about
her protectingly. Conard saw and
stopped short. For a little while his
face was dark with anger, then it
grew white with pain.
Her husband" he murmured. Il
had forgotten"
He whirled his horse about and
after him and Mary tainted. but, all
unmindful of these things, he went on,
never stopping and never looking
back.
A: the ranch he dismounted and
went in. There was no one there ex-
cept the cook, disSipated wretch
whom Conard had taken in and pulled
through spell of fever. Who this
cook was, and where he hailed from,
no one knew. He had come to the
ranch unlabeled, and the cowboys had
stamped the word ''Chucky" on him
for name and let it go at that.
Conard hastily gathered few things
in q travelling bag and then wrote q
note of instructions to his foreman.
He had taken up the bag and turned
toward the door when the cook came
in from the kitchen and asked for
moment of his time. Conard whirled
CHI
We'll. what is it,"
81 see you are going away" the cook
replied. do you expect TO be away
long?"
Yes Perhaps forever Why?"
Nothing. l only wanted to thank
you for all your kindness to me. L"
Conard turned away impatiently.
you must not bother to speak of
that" he said. ct was nothing, and
it is all right. I am in a hurry now.
for 1 must reach the station in time
for the train. Good-by."
He hurried out, threw himself into
the saddle and dashed away toward
the little station which lay ten miles
distant
There was more-very much more
the cook would have said, and it would
have been of great Importance to
Conard 1t was something he had bsen
for long time intending to say, but
ne had delayed because he had found
it cruelty hard to speak.
Conard was scarcely a mile away
when a man came breathlessly to the
ranch from the opposite direction. 1t
was the man Conard had seen with his
arm about Mary. AS he came around
corner Of the building he stood face
to face with the cook. Both men
started, then stared blankly at each
other.
"You." the cook finally gasped.