Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1907-12-19

I Chtut iOTWuIu anu put hct manu- oh
the mares bride. She was not EN-.
barrassed In the least. But the color
came into the strangers face. He
swept his wide hat from his head
quickly.
NO indeed. Miss williston; III
water SADIE myself"
please let me. I'd love TO-"
shes used to 4. Langford." said
williston in his quiet. gentlemanly
voice, the well.bred cadence OF which
spoke OF a training far removed from
the harassments and harshnesses OF
life In this plains country. You see.
she Is the only boy have. She must
OF necessity be my chore boy as well
as my herd hoy. In her leisure mo-
ments she holds down her kitchen
claim; I don't know how she does It.,
but she does. You had better let her
do IT, she will hold II against you II
you don't"
But ] couldn't have a woman do
ing my grooming for me, Why. the
very idea!"
He sprang into the saddle.
But you waited for me to do IT,"
said the girl, looking up at him Gu
riously.
Did /? | didn't mean to, Yes, /
did, too. But beg your pardon. You
see--say. look here; are you the little
girl who left word for me this morn
ing?"
Yes. Why not?"
We'll. you see smiling, but apollo.
getic. zone of the boys said that Will
liston's little girl had ridden over and
said her father wanted to see me as
soon as could come. So, you see, ]
thought"
dad always calls me that, so most
Of the people around here do, too. 1t
is very silly"
Il don't think so at all. only
wonder why have not known about
you before" with frank smile. 1T
must be because I've been away so
much OF the time lately. Why didn't
you wait for me?" he asked suddenly.
Ten miles is a sort of lonesome
run--for girl"
81 did wait q while" said Mary,
honestly, but you didn't seem In any
hurry. expect you didn't care to be
bored that long way with the silly
chatter Of little girl
We'll" said Lansford, ruefully, I'm
afraid ! did feel little relieved when
I found you had not waited. / never
will again. | do beg your pardon" he
called laughingly, over his shoulder
as he galloped away to the spring.
When he returned there was no one
to receive him but Williston. To-
gether they entered the house. II was
4 small room into which Langford was
ushered. II was also very plain. 1t
was more than that, It was shabby.
An easy chair or two that has sur
yived the wreckage of the house OF
Williston had been shipped to this
land OF promise together with q
few other articles such as were abso.
lutely- indispensable. The table was
big shipping box, though Langford
did not notice that, for 1t was neatly
covered with q moth-eaten plum-col'
ored felt cloth. A rug, crocheted out
Of parti.colored rags, relic OF Mary's
conservative and thrifty grandmother,
served as carpet for the living room.
A peep through the open door into the
next and only other room disclosed
glimpses OF mating on the floor.
There was q holy place even In this
castaway house on the prairie. AS the
young mans careless eyes took in
this new significance, the door closed
softly. The little girl" had shut
herself In.
The two men sat down at the table.
It was hot. They were perspiring
freely. The flies, swarmiDg through
the screenless doorway, stung disa'
greeably.
Laconically Williston told his story
He wasted no words in the telling. In
the presence OF the man whose big
success made his own pitiful failures
incongruous, his sensitive scholars
nature had shut up like clam.
Langford's Jaw was set. His youne
face was tense with interest. He had
thrown his hat on the door as he came
In, as Is the way with men who have
lived much without women. He had q
strong, bronzed face, with daredevil
eyes, blue they were, TOO, and he had
a certain turn Of the head, a mark Of
distinction which success always gives
to her sons. He had big shoulders
clad IN q blue flannel shirt open 81
the throat. In his absorption he had
forgotten the little girl" as complete
" as II she had, In very truth, been
the 10-year-old Of HIS imagination
How plainly he could see all the un
holy situation-the handful OF des
perate men perfectly protected on the
the little island. One man sighting
from behind q cottonwood could play
havoc with q whole sherih's posse
on that open stretch Of sand.bar
Nothing but q surprise-and did thesc
insolent men fear surprise? They hat
laughed at the suggestion Of the neal
presence Of an officer Of the law. And
did they not do well 70 lnuRhf Surely