The Somerset reporter., 1906-03-15
Il MERE
COWBOY
By HONORE WILLSIE
Copyright, 1905. by Bedtrf1 Redde
By HONORE WILLSIE

To Edith's eastern eyes the ranch
was a most fascinating place. The
wide. rolling stretches of plain. fiat and
brown under the autumn skies; the
lean cottonwOods, whose scant shade
was mere joke. and the ranch house
itself, roomy. low and ugly, were all
beautiful in her eyes.
If you had told Edith that this strange
fascination was due to the undeniable
charms of n certain tall cowboy who
had recently been made foreman of her
brothers ranch she would have tossed
her pretty head Mt you and denied your
insinuations scornfully.
What" she had exclaimed when her
sister-in-law had slyly remarked on the
regularity of Edith's morning rides I'M
der the foreman's tutelage-"what.
have more than an ordinary interest,
founded on curiosity. for cowboy!
Why. Alice, you forget where l was
born and bred"
AT this pretty Mrs Alcott had laugh
ed merrily.
Born and Bred" she had repeated.
my dear child. when you come west
you must forget that you were born
and bred. did so five years ago. The
fact that you are a college girl won't
help you half so much as the fact that
you are unlearning your eastern meth
cd of saddle riding. These westerners
don't give rap concerning your par
ents or your grandparents. Their in
terests are all in the present. not the
past. As Jimmy says, One man is as
good as another here and heap bet
ter So leave off your cOndescending
airs with Harry Esterly. They are
quite lost on him, assure you"
Edith listened in silence to Mrs. AL
colt and watched her as she moved
quietly about the living room Of the
ranch house, which WAS as coZy and
homelike as the exterior was dreary;
then she picked up her riding whip,
pulled the latch of her sombrerO under
her chin and with a disdalnful little
sniff walked out toward the corral,
where Harry Esterly awaited her.
Harry watched her keenly as she
strolled slowly toward him.
Cad" he said to himself, shes well
put up"
And she was-erect and 1.-THE as a
young Indian, with hair that shone
bronze In the sun, with skin that glow
ed with health after the morning tub,
and with an uphill to her beautiful
head that would well give thrill Of
pride to any man on whom she be-
slowed her friendship.
rs that Josephine" she called to
Harry as she drew within hailing dis
lance
Yes, that's Josephine" answered
Harry, patting the smaller horse. isn't
she q beauty"
She Is indeed" said the girl, smooth
ing the soft nose of the pretty mare.
Are you sure she isn't part broncho
Brother Jim says that If a horse has
ever so little drop of broncho blood in
him, ever so far back, he's bound to
buck at least once In his life. And
don't want to be the one to discover
that one drop"
hurry buOOh Ills htuus W eli, VI
course" he said, It's hard to pick up a
horse around here that you can vouch
for. But really, Miss Aleott l think Jo-
sephine Is as safe as a cradle"
Edith hung her whip on the saddle
pommel and motioning away Harry's
offered hand. swung herself into the
saddle.
This morning" he said. I'm going
to take you to my particular pet spot.
It's only half an hours ride from here. 1"
Out they raced across the dusty plain,
the horses taking the barbed wire
fences as lightly as birds. They drew
rein on lonely little hillock, the only
break In the level OF the plain for
miles around.
Look" said Harry. See how one
himself a shelter here some time from
a dust storm. And now stand here on
top for a moment and you will see why
I like this place"
Edith looked. The slight eminence
gave a surprising sweep of view-the
far ranch house, with the distant graz
ing herds, the blue line of haze that
marked the mountains and farther
still. the brown of the plain, merging
Into the blue of the desert. Toward the
desert Harry looked apprehenslvely.
Miss Edith" he said, 81 believe that
-~'h have dust storm here in an