Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-06-08
Bogus Cowboy
Wins a Wife.


A marriage recently celebrated out
In Wyoming in the cattle country"
was the elimination of an uncommon
ly interesting romance of the plains.
Miss Maud Crissman and Robert
Fielding first met at the home of a
common friend in New Orleans. Her
beauty, wit and vivacity appealed to
his fancy and touched his heart, while
his handsome face, fine figure, easy
bearing and well-bred manner won
her admiration.
They were excellent friends when
they parted at New Orleans and the
friendship formed had ripened into
love and ensued in an engagement
within a week after they met later at
Washington Fielding insisted that
Miss Crissman marry him at once. but
his proposal met with a fiat refusal.
'No; you must ask my fathers con-
sent to our marriage. else it can not
take place" she said.
Fielding wrote the cattle man a
frank letter asking his consent to
their early marriage. But Mr.. Crisis
man flew into a towering rage at what
he conceived to be the young mans
impertinence and presumption, and
his answer to Fielding's letter was
scorching with Indignation and anger.
The lover and his sweetheart were
much depressed, but when they part
ed they renewed their pledge to be
constant to each other and work for
a happy issue out of their difficulties
few weeks after Miss Crissmans
return to her western home her lover
received a letter from her saying: IF
you still love and wish to take me to
your own, come out west and turn
cowboy. And you must be a good
one the best in this whole cattle coun-
try. | know you are big and strong
and | remember what you told me
about how splendid you were in ath
letics at college, and l am just as sure
as can be that you can become the
best cowboy on the range if you just
set your heart on it. Edward Barton,
whose ranch adjoins ours, will give
you a place"
Fielding met Miss Crissman by ap-
pointment a few days after he alight-
ed from the stage at the Barton
ranch when she informed him OF her
plan to gan her fathers consent to
their marriage He had assumed the
name of Robert Garfield.
At college Fielding had been prom
inent in all athletic sports and he set
himself to his new task with surpris-
ing spirit and vigor
During the time Fielding was on
the roundup he cOntrived to meet
Miss Crissman frequently. And he
also made shift to become acquainted
with her father Mr.. Crissman did not
suspect that the young cowboy was
his daughters lover, nor did any
body else. Mr.. Crissman soon came
to regard him as an uncommonly fine
young fellow and made no secret of
his liking and admiration for him.
Father, you are always singing
the praises of that young cowboy,
Garfield" said Miss Crissman. as he
really such a superior young man?
Would you consent to my marrying
him if he should turn out to be the
champion buster of bronchos and
roper of steers we talked or not long
ago."
ITS my opinion you might do
much worse" answered her father.
AT all events. | think he would be
preferable to that young college up
start who asked me so unceremoni-
ously for your hand Garfield is edu-
Gated, but he's not an educated ass"
Fielding's skill in conquering out
laws, rOping, hog-tying and cutting
out steers and rounding up the herd
soon became a subject of gossip on
the range. The growing fame of
Fielding had made Bob Taylor envi-
Gus, and so when proposal was
made to him that he challenge Field
Ing to a contest of skill he fell in
with it without a moments hesitation.
A number of ranchmen and their
families and a larger number of cow
boys were invited to witness the con-
test between Taylor and Garfield"
The contest took place on the Crisis
man ranch.
The most vicious and ungovernable
outlaw in the region was first brought
out. 1t took some time to get a sad
die on him. When that was done
rope was passed through his mouth
and made fast by slipnoose. TAYLOR
sprang into the saddle just as the out
law sprang into the air. The contest
between the man and the beast was
short Nobody had ever before sue
ceeded in staying long on the back of
the vicious little steed, and TAYLOR
was soon unseated.
The outlaw was given rest and
then Fielding vaulted into the saddle.
The winning of a wife depended, as
he believed, upon the issue.
The contest went forward in a cloud
of dust and amid breathless excite