The National tribune., 1903-05-28
THE FOILED RIVAL.
A Story OF Land-Getting in
Arizona.
BY ADA II. GIBSON.

teams and travellers showed evidence OF
great WEAKNESS.
Alice Thomas was the only woman in
the party who had not complained about
the long, tiresome journey from Kansas
to Arizona Her cheeTfulness, coupled
with the fact that she was the only young
unmarried woman with the tram, mage
her the special admiration Of all the VIE
less land-SeekcrS.
If Alice did not complain. it was not
because her strong, healthy body fe!t no
weariness. but because she had MADE up
her mind to endure. And cheerful endur-
ance was a part of Alice Thomas char.
acter. When the Nealy family had begged
her to go with them to Arizona, she had
taken only an hour for consideration. Then
she had said:
81 will 60"
She had proved to be much hep ana
comfort to Mrs Neaiy in caring for the
fretfui. tired children Seldom a day
passed, when the wagons had halted for
the nights camping, that Alice did not
gather the children of the emlgrants
around her and sing to them or tell them
stories. In this way she rested the worn
out mothers and gained their blessing.
Alice Thomas was alone in the world,
her parents having died two years before
Since then she had supported herself by
teaching school. She was now 20 years
old. but her bright eyes and fresh, healthy
complexion made her appear much
younger.
shes 10 last years chick" said Jack
Emery's wife, who was only ID and had
two babies. "She'd best marry Sid Lik-
ins. He's dead in love with her.
81 don't blame Alice for not wanting
Sid" returned Mrs. Evers. ''Sid has A.
ways been more or less reckless, and he's
not of very good stock. They say back in
Kentucky his meanness made girl drown
herself. He's not good enough for Alice
Thomas"
"But an ole maid like Alice can't have
her pick out of the straightest sticks in
the wood" said young Mrs. Emery. "Sid's
no angel. know. but Jack says he'd make
a good man if Alice would have him.
"But she won't. and it's her own bust
ness" answered Mrs. Evers. I'm not
going to advise her to marry Sid LikIns
She can get better ones But L don't
think Alice wants anyone. She has never
forgot Irve Bruce"
.Well, why didn't she marry Irve, then,
when he was so dead in love with her!'
"a lovers quarrel. Irve wanted Alice
to leave her folks and &c, to Colorado
with him. Alice wouldn't leave her par
ents. So they quarreled, and 1rye left
the country"
"But word came back he had been
killed by the Indians in the Rockies"
~ know, but Alice is just the kind to
blame herself and be true TO the only one
she ever loved"
And so the women Of her party dis
cussed Alice and her affairs. If she hap
pened TO overhear amy Of their remarks.
or if some one brought it to her. she had
the good sense to say nothing splteful IN
return. She believed in possessing her
soul with patience. let come what might.
How much she blamed herself for the
terrible fate which report said had be-
fol Irwin Rrncp. boyy mucn of hnr
heart was in his unknown grave. if grave
he had, no one knew. She kept the sunny
side of her heart toward the world, and
this caused misjudgments to be passed
upon her, some declaring that she had no
feeling for Irving Bruce, the man she had
sent adrift to meet death at the hands OF
band of hostile Indians
The train made its last stop in pic
turesque little valley surrounded by lofty
mountains. Here it was decided that
each emigrant should take 'a claim" and
engage in mining or ranching. as his taste
and incliration might direct him.
While the teams were being cared for,
and the women busted themselves with
the supper-getting, Alice wandered off by
herself and gathered wild flowers. A
mans heavy boots strobe after her, and
coarse voice sounded in her ear:
''Well, Alice, now you're alone out here
in Arizony, what are you aimin' to dog"
into her face.
ARIZONA isn't very thickly settled yet"
she answered, Strengthening herself and
backing away from him. 81 think there's
room for me. Mrs. Nealy will let me
stay with her as long as / please"
Yes, but home of your own would
be lots nicer" he said. picking up flower
that she had dropped. Let me make
home for you, Alice"
"No. Sid; I'm going to make home
for myself"
What you mean, Alice?"
I'm going to take some land of my
own"
you're crazyr' cried Sid in vexation.
'Women don't know anything about busi-
ness. You'll lose every cent you've saved
out of your teachin'. You need a man to
do the financierin'."
"a man to squander my little savings,
you mean," she said sarcast;cally. "No,
feel perfectly competent to take care of
myself and do my own financiering."
''TheD you won't marry me, Alice|
"No, Sid; will be your friend, but
never your wife" She spoke firmly and
turned away that she might not see the
dark frown that gathered over Sid's coun-
tenance.
"All right. missy" he hissed after her.
you'll pay for the way you've been treat
ing me-" and he strode angrily back to
his wagon.
But Alice gave no attention to his
threats. After helping the Nealy family
TO get settled in their new cabin, she Sc
lected piece of land for her own home
farther up in the mountains. She chose
land where there was good timber, a
large spring in a canyon. and where the
scenery was feast TO her nature-loving
soul.
With the assistance of Mr. Neaiy and
a Mexican she soon had little cabin,
half stone, half adobe, erected on a lovely
slope overlooking the most of her newly
acquired land. Then she bought few
cows, two good ponies. and became a
ranchwoman.
Seeing how determined the girl was to
make home for herself, and liking the
grit and independence which she showed.
the settlers gave her all the assistance
they could spare from their own work.
There was ole. however, who never came
near her to offer help. That was Sid
Likins, who viewed her growing success
with cordial disapproval. Had she failed
he would have been ardently happy. "Rule
or ruin" was one of the principles which
dominated his conduct through life, and
since he could not win Alice Thomas, he
decided TO try to make her existence on
her isolated little ranch just as unpleas-
ant as possible.
Fertile as Sid usually was in expedients
to compass his ends, lie found it no easy
task to get ahead of Alice She was
10