The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-07-08

II am glad to hear that; and | know
they are ready to give you warm vel
come. Among the dogs, Beyis and Frolic
have aged somewhat, but your pony looks
scarcely day older, and can doubtless
carry you into Prairieville for the mail
if you care to go-as quickly and easily as
of yore
How delighted | am to know that |
shall wish to take my usual ride as often
as the weather permits. But there is the
dear old ranch How homelike and IA
miliar everything looksr' and her lovely
face beamed and her eyes filled with tears
as she gazed upon the home where she had
first seen the light, and where her gentle
mother eyes had closed upon all things
earthly not long after The same thoughts
were nirrored in her fathers eyes as he
turned to her and said very tenderly:
Welcome home, little girl =
Il shall not leave you again, father, '
she cried, placing her arms around his
neck and kissing him.
DONE make rash promises, he said,
I half sadly, half playfully My darling
+ little daughter Is too beautiful to be left
/ long with her old father in this out Of the
way place.
Stella seemed to be on the point of en-
tering protest, then checked herself as
( the vehicle drew up in front of the house.
John Lomax quickly learned to hold his
own with the best of the coEpanchers.
/ lie mastered the bucking broncho, could
| hit his mark from horseback, the animal
at full run, the best two out of three shots,
/ and could lasso as many cattle in a given
space of time as even Tom Brinkly He
i recognized Moreo authority-which was
+ never abused-as matter Of course, and
/ he was admired aud liked BY every cowboy
/ on the ranch
+ At Stella suggestion the ranchman.
before leaving Prairieville, had invited the
I yoang invalid stranger, George Milton, TO
spend A month al the ranch He CRATE
/ fully accepted. and was much benefited
+ In that short time he learned to love LnmAx
/ almost as a brother, aud upon leayiuS
I begged to be allowed To show ii 10 a sub
. stantial way
.My friend he said to him. rs II 10
I atone for INV week.-mrs. of body, | have
/ been blessed --or cursed A. the case may
+ h. Nlih almust a woman Intuition, aud
+ kusw yuur -eyTes and hers-ILe woman
T ,uu love Never fear, 1t l. a> safe With
me a. With Yourself, he eootinued, a. his
. listener started For s.ulr reason best
. known To Yourselves. Yea are keeping It
from MIR Wharton. buI am surc that
. y5ar rrasoa ! good one and iu time he
f viii be told Although be suspects moth
I ing. however, there j. one who does. and,
{ when he has satisfied himself then take
+ care. for be will stop at nothing 10 prevent
4 It's happy termination. OF course, you
I know to whom refcr-Calistra the Mexi-
can. The bitter hatred he already cher
/ ishss towards YOU viii be increased when
I he knows that YOU have WOO the heart oi
the woman he loves as deeply a he is cap
I able of loving anything, ii CalIssla does
Bot mar your life happiness, it VIII not
( be biz fault | wish might remain, a.
I | might be Of some service, weak Is | an,
/ bat | must return home at once have
a friend, though, that will send TO You
7 Tor the iaonght has taken possession oi me
I that, in your time Of need. he will prove
yuar iriend. also. | speak Of noble
I horsc there Is not finer or more bsausi-
\ ful within the limits u old Kentucky. tie
Is a. black as the raven wing, and his
name i. Raven.
/ No. no said I.omax quickly, you
must not do this noting the tender man
ncr in which Milton spoke Of his horse -
/ Il feel fully repaid b. your friendship for
any htIlt service | nay have rendered
I you
Bat the other insisted II only ask
that you look after him yoarself, As long
IS that raseally Mexican remains on the
ranch, he said
The horse came IN due time, aud he
proved The truth Of all has former master
said Such horse has never graced
this ranch before, Wharton remarked,
admirinsty and have paid some large
sums for them, too He is king beside
these peasants Of The plains, indicating
some mustangs as he spoke,
Il was generally understood that Calls
ira would resign his place a. foreman of
the ranch after the round up season.
/ That time was now at hand. and they were
engaged in gathering the cattle, aud if not
from a thousand hills, at least from many
miles of plain Ii was customary To bring
the cattle together at i certain point some
miles from the ranch, aud then drive them
in. 80 that Wharton could give his personal
supervision to the work Of branding, sort
ing. etc. When at last the great herd Of
cattle was brought together, it was a sight
worth going long way to witness,
The place at which Calistra stopped the
herd on the last evening Of the drive was
about six miles from the ranch, and two
from the Prairieville road.
sTu ride in and ret Mr. Wharton :
final directions, he said, ''and be back
before midnight. In the meantime, YOU
fellows can turn in whenever you feel like
it. Adios. and with a wave of his hand
he rode away.
Something up, sure as gun. said
Brinkley, gazing long after Calistra, 1t ;
been my unfortunate privilege 10 study
that fellow for the last six years, aud We
never seen him in as good humor as he
Is now but what he was up 10 some devil 5
game Ism that SO, boys?
They all assented,
An right, then The best thing we
can do is to watch his play close, and we
may be able to block his game as soon as
he throws down Amt that sound rea
soning, Mr. Lomax?'
Very good, providing your snrmise is
correct
s'As to that, L d bet my saddle against
broncho He's been too pleasant, by
half for the last day or two; we'v all
noticed IL His going to see MIR. Nhar-
ton is a feint of some kind And then,
what the bringing the herd in ON the
Prairieville side for? It's never been
done before. Yes, sir-something up,
certain; and this is a first-rate time for Us
to give our horses some 'countenance pow
ders Oh, my If he knew Anita had
given him away on that, he d send her tC
keep company with the widow, wouldn