The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1905-08-12
" & g g. g. s. s. S.

tired of society when % years Old. 1t
came 70 her gradually, beginning with
her twcnty-third birthday. The older
she rot the more clearly she discerned
the shams and convcntionplitcS by which
she was surrounded Sometimes it seem
ed they would Stifle her. Naturally in
dependcnt and impatient of restraint. she
chafcd sorey. She used to say:
"Unfortunatcly. | am IL woman and
ma1riageablc. Therefore | must have
a chupcrnn tackled to my skirts. | am
guarded aS if made of fine gpld shcp-
hcr,lpd u> if were Il sheep. But Of all
the young married women who have
chapcroned me. there was not one who
did not need chanuruiiug and the old
ones were. dctc,tnblr."
Among her friends Alice ut til" rrpll-
tatiun of being Id. They set her down
AS n confirmed old maid. and predicted
that in IL years she would take tu par
rotS. cats and tea. They were not sur
priSrtl, therefore. when she di>app,
She did it drcrntly and gracefully
enough. The members Of h,r social cir
Gle were made acquainted with the fact
that she would not be at liberty To ac-
cent social engagements for the coming
winter. hccluS,. she WAS going West for
her h,alth she paid her pairing calls IN
form. and that wa the hast of her. Sac
wanted Il wider horizon. Il i'rcrr air. She
wanted 10 shattrr her ShacklcS.
Denver seemed Il long Way from RpS-
ton. but when >h" went down to the
diung-rcum If the hotel. she SAW the
same snug walters ana the same class
of men at the tables. She heard the
same >cl4lur of talk. On the streets the
u
slycuur carriages to shop in BROADWAY
The cars made as much noise the pa
porS initiated the Eastern lIpcl'> She
even SAW two or three wcl-kuown Ra>-
ton faces. She began t. ask herself if
there wac. any west Observing a gauIy
real estate sign she entered through Il
handsomely g'isScd door: when she came
ont she owned LOGO fenced. erased
and watcrcd wcll-Stockrd acres in the
southwestern part of the State. She
was assured that E.Srrntoza ranch WAS
so miles from the railroad and % miles
from the nearest poStn;licr. Its former
owner was in Euru1u: il waS being run
with a complement Of cowhrrlS by John
Lindsay. the foreman. The dealer had
been a~toniShcd hy the readiness with
which she made the purchase and gave a
certified check for the amount. She was.
an ideal customer. and he regretted that
he had not asked q few thousands more.
Alice sent letter of information To-
Mr.. Lindsay: then she PAUSED to have
suitable clothing made, for even the
most independent of women must have
clothes before she goes anywhere: then
she went down to her property.
Lindsay met her at the train. intrr-
1 Ir
his wide sombrero. He was tail. spare
hippetl and had amazing breadth of
shoulder; his hair. aln.o,t tawny. lay
in crisp curlS: color shown in h> checks
even beneath the weather bronze: his
mouth drcopcd slightly at the corners
and his teeth were even and very white.
He >pukc with a soft drawl and slurro4l
his rs. Alice. whcr she. met the re-
~pcctrul gaze of the keen hazel eyes.
mentally noted that they were master
full.
They role to the ranch in n light
wagon. 1t WIS Il lulg, hot dusty ride
and Alice. despite the novelty. was hear
tily hom,Sick when they drew up at
last before the long. low house. The
man who made the ranch had been one
Of family. and the house was weather
proof and fairly comfortable.
The life, was, not bad. She had her
own hnrSc-a geGl one. She rode. the
range faithfully. taking Il keen interest
in the, business. Mountains Ip,. lr,nnd
the valley in rich MASSES of brown. red
and blue Quail ana grouse whirrrd M
from under her Lols,.'S feet: at nirI If
she heard the staccatu hlrking of the
coyotes. ana >pm,tim, the lony-,lrawn
I,N1 .f III ,r,'r -,