The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-10-25

! The rise or the curtain renewed the
situation. and the girl abandoned her
self to the play with an excited inter
/ est, due to the fact that her lover,
Robert Messiter, had written 1t, with
herself as the heroine.
A wide mesa was disclosed, bounded
by a range Of blue, snow streaked
mountains In the foreground were a
couple OF stunted cottonwoods,
bunch or two of cactus and a mating
Of dull range grass.
Presently "Sorreltop" Flanders wan
dered into view, dusty and hatless,
spluttering range epithets at himself
| for his folly in allowing the ponies TO
have escaped. He finds time to explain
4 to the audience that he and Miss
Rhoda Esterly are lost on the desert
| before that dashing young woman
comes limping across the stage.
That 1.-The Maverick" is a love
drama, full of the humorous extrava-
gance and exuberance of the west, is
at once apparent. The COW puncher
and the colonel, the Indian and the
Mexican, are all very much in evil
dence
/ Both the daughter Of civilization and
the son of the desert gave a divided
but extremely alert attention to the
progress of the play. That her own
love story, dramatized by her lover.
was being enacted faithfully before
her eyes was surprise enough to claim
her interest
But more than once when a remem-
bered phrase slipped here and again
from one of the actors her eyes swept
round to the man beside her. Once
their glances met, and she felt her
cheeks burn.
When the curtain rang down the girl
drew a long breath.
The man beside her offered friendly
converse.
That's the range, all right. He's
certainly been on the hurricane deck
of a broncho. the fellow that wrote
/ that. Looks to me as if the scene was
! the Bubble mesa close to the Arapahoe
buttes Ever been there, ma'am?"
The girl met his bold eyes. Eyes,
I've been there"
]
here story's founded on life ma'am. /
know the fellow that wrote it. Men
him used to be thicker than peas In q
pod Yes, ma'am, | shore have ridden
over that mesa a heap with Bob Mes
sitter. He was an educated fellow
Harvard, l think-come west for the
bugs Well, he's strong as a mule
now, ma'am. 1 reckon you don't know
him."
This seemed to demand an answer.
and the young woman gave it prompt
ly.
1--WE met him."
you don't say!" Then a light ap-
peared to penetrate. His hand came
down with a resounding slap on his
knee. by thunder, ma'am, you're the
lady-the very one that old Bob Mes
gagged to subsequent I knew I'd seen
you somewheres. Don't you all re-
member Jack Robins of the X. T.
ranch? I'm him, ma'am."
The young woman regretted without
enthusiasm that she could not remem-
Der Mr.. Robins just as the curtain
rang up for the second act.
1t was at the next intermission that
the gentleman from Cattleland deliv-
cred q monologue to his new find in
twentieth century maidens.
Yes, sir Me and Messiter was pards
two or three years back We rode the
range together and bunked together
and sat at the tail end of the same
chuck wagon. How | come to know
him was some comical Bob he had
Just come out Of Harvard and was wa
ter hearted. Consequence is he went
around rubbing soothin' salve on the
calves after we had branded them.
Oncet he got his salve bottle out and
was getting ready to do the doctor act
when Sorreltop Jones-the one I reck-
on whose name Messiter chose as his
hero Of this here play-heard some
thing buzz about foot from Bob's
hand. The bullet out of Sorreltop's six
shooter arrived short fraction Of a
wink before that rattler's poison"
The man stopped and found the dusty
hat under his seat. ''I reckon, ma'am
| got to be going. You see, one of them
actor fellows is sick, and got to stand
around In his place this next act"
Then l suppose that explains, Bob
Messiter, why you are all rugged out
like this said the girl coolly
He laughed THAT explains it, Elsie
But didn't know you would recognize
me after my taking all the trouble to
mislead you. l fancy I'm not such q
good actor as l have been thinking"
My dear boy" she Knocked Bob
Messiter was to sit in this seat If his
train arrived in time. Naturally I was
looking for him. 1t did not take me
long to discover that you wear a wig
Besides, I've seen too many of his let
tiers not to recognize his writing when
l see 1t. You'll have to do better than
that before you can deceive me-"
Il see l shall Well, I'll have to take
it out on the audience. All my friends