The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-03

ranch. It was out of tho question
 that she should stay here when she
 would be obliged to see him every day
 and remember how foolish she had
 been in giving her love where 1t had
 evidently not been wanted. And sine
 wanted to spare him the hurt of seeing
 a face that was so intimately connect
 ed with his loss. She wondered if he
 knew she was here-if they had told him her name. Finally she asked her hostess. t.
 Bless you, mo-" said the woman. He
 told Happy last night to tell the fei- lows to keep you out of his way. That's mors than he has ever said"
 Eleanor felt like an interloper It seemed strange to her to have driven a man from his own ranch. But how could she have known that the Bar l. was his ranch? It had never occurred to her to ask the name of the owner In the infrequent letters which had passed between her and their old maid. Well. she was glad he had gone. She would have as good a time as the ranch afforded until she heard he was coming back. and then she would make excuse to leave.
 She was a good horsewoman, but she had never had a ride like her first gal AOp VFSE NiAS 1HSTe tSGn to be any roads. Forewarned by her hostess she was provided with the proper riding habit and broad felt hat and she rode cross saddle for the first time in her life: and at a pace which at its slowest had at first taken her breath But she was game. as the boys said and she stuck in the saddle for & long afternoon and was out ear ly again the next morning. The cow boys drew lots each day for the privi- lege of escorting her, and she tasted the joys of popularity that she had never known. even In her debutante days when she had been something of a belle.
 Two weeks passed and she was growing younger at a marvellous rate, she told herself. She was brown as her skirt, from the wind and sun, and her eyes were bright. The cowboys made no effort to conceal their feelings about her. They were all in love, and poor Happy was positively in heaven all the time she was in his sight. But not one of them told her so. Some thing about a mans life on the Mon tana plains gives him finer feelings even if he cannot explain them-than any other life. The men knew that their life was not for her. Now of the boss--but the boss had been "stunE' once. as Happy said, and he wasn't the sort of man to poke a hor- nets nest twice. So they all sat them selves to give her e vacation that she would never forget.
 There were dances fin the big room at the ranch house, with a scarcity of women and startling surplus of men, But most of 1t. she loved riding at all hours of the day-and then the star hfO nA men In the sitting room and on the porch.
 But the weeks flew by and there came a day which was to be the last Her trunk had gone into town on the provision wagon and she was to follow on horseback.
 The men drew lots for the last ride with her. but she looked at them and shook her head
 "I want to go alone" she said. How could choose between you. any way, or let you decide 1t, either? No. l want to go alone to say good bye to the finest land In the country and the dearest ranch in this land. Who can tell? I might never see 1t again. know all the pitfalls and can keep directions and I shall pass you all sometime during the day out on the range. Good bye. till tonight. and then we'll all be jolly together"
 With lunch strapped, to her saddle, she rode out of the wide gate and set the mustangs head to the north. She planned to ride clear around the ranch in a circle, coming into the place again from the south. An all days ride if she kept at 1t steadily. The first hours of 1t were a keen delight. The rythmi- cal sway and swing of the sure footed l little beast beneath her. the sting of the wind on her brow and cheeks, the l wine of the air--she felt that this was i her life. the life of all others she | would have liked to lead if it could i have been so ordered. Yet some | other girl had wilfully chosen to turn | away from this-had tilted" the strongest and best man she had ever | known!
 There was scorn and anger and bit | ter resentment in her heart against the girl who had done such a thing | to the man for whom she would have | been proud to live.
 At noon she had reached a spring | which started out of /the plain. and | tethered the mustang to the grassy plot ! surrounding 1t. After she had eaten