Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-02-04
At Lone
Elm Ranch
By Thomas p. Montfort


John COWARD, owner OF Lone Elm
I'll ranch. was young, healthy, wealthy
and prosperous. To all outward APP
pearances he should have been one OIL
the happiest Of men. He was, how
ever, anything but that
Back at his home in the east he had
met Mary Morgan and fallen in love
with her, and, though not word had
passed between them on the subject
he was confident that she understood
his feelings and reciproeated them.
Under ordinary circumstances there
should have been nothing distressing
in this; but unfortunately. the cir
cumstances 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 a cruel drunken
husbah With all his heart he wished
that he Ight have the right to pro-
tect and shield her, and devote his life
to making her happy.
But it can never be, he told him
self. Never now"
Before Conard there was an aban-
doned claim" with a little cabin on
it, The cabin had long been vacant.
but now, when he raised his head. he
saw that II was occupied. He fell at
once to wondering what kind Of peo-
pie the newcomers were, and think
ing how pleasant il would be 10 have
them for neighbors II they we're nice.
Presently a Woman came out into
the yard and. placing one hand on rhe
fence, stood looking pensiyely away to
the east, her face in fun view. Conard
pulled his horse up short and stared
in doubt and amazement For mo-
ment an electric shock numbed him,
then the blood rushed tumultuously
and great wave Of JOY swept over
him.
My Cod" he cried. its Mary"
He started forward aud just then
she turned and saw him. Invol-
UNFAIRLY she stretched her hands out
toward him and gave a little. glad cry
which he did not hear II he had ever
had a doubt OF her love for him he
had il 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 little while his
lace was dark with anger, then 1t
grew white with pain.
Her husband" he murmured. Il
had forgotten.
He whirled his horse about and
-ode hastily away The man called
litter him and Mary tainted. but all
of these things. he went on.
never stopping and never looking
pack.
AT the ranch he dismounted and /
vent in. There was no one there ex-
'ept the cook. a dissipated wretch /
whom Conard had taken in and pulled +
through a spell OF fever Who this 4
'ook was, and where be hailed from, /
10 one knew He had come to the
anch unlabeled. and the cowboys had
tamped the word "Chuckyo on him
or name and let it go at that.
Conard hastily gathered few things
n a travelling bag and then wrote a
tote OF instructions to his foreman.
lie had taken up the bag and turned
oward the door when the cook came
q from the kitchen and asked for a
noment Of his time Conard whirled
bout and said shortly:
We'll, what is it?"
Il see you are going away" the cook
eplied- DO you expect to be away
)ng?"
Yes. Perhaps forever. Why"
Nothing. ! only wanted to thank
GU for all your kindness to me. l."
Conard turned away impatienuy.
You must not bother to speak of
nat" he said. 1T was nothing and
is all right | am in a hurry now.
Or | must reach the station in time
'r the train. Good-by."
He hurried out. threw himself into !
lie saddle and dashed away toward
he little station which lay ten milss !
Istant a
There was more-very much more
lie cook would have said, and IL would
ave been Of great importance 10 a
onard. II was something he had been
n long time intending to say. but 2
e had delayed because he had found
cruelty hard to speak.
Conard was scarcely a mile awav
hen man came breathlessIy to the ],
inch from the opposite direction II /,
as the man Conard had seen with his
IN about Mary. As he came around
corner Of the building he stood face r
face with the cook. Both men j,
arted. then stared blankly at each D
her. 4
"You!" the cook finally gasped O
fou here?"
And the other merely repeated: a
You here?" q