Gunnison news-champion., 1907-12-27

shs Mares pxsese. she Nas bsst eG-
bA-rAssed u the isass ssf tn. color
ea1< snto the Strangers .acs Se
ssept bis ~.de kss srou has head
ausc&ls
No ssdsea Hi~s willisson. N
ssser Sod ssyscss
Pieass scs Hse. Id love to-
Shes used TO D.. IAnxtord~ said
wiilis;on IN hss s=scs. sea;seu%sly
voice. the Sesi-erea caaeace of xhsct
spoke es a training far TeRcsed frou.
the karassmepts and harsnnesses os
life IN this plains country You ss-e.
she is the only hoy ! have She must
81 necessiiy se ray choFe hoy A. well
as nay herd boy In her leisure mo
ments she holds down her kiichep
claim. | don't kao~ hos she does 1t.
bat she does. Yoa had bester let her
d. it. she ~iH hold IL against you if
you don't"
but I couldn't have q woman do
ing my grooming for me. Why. the
very idea"
He sprans into the saddle
But YOU waited for me to do ii
said the sirL looking up at him Gu
riously
Did Il ] didn't mean to. Yes. I
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
eetic. 'one Of the bows said that vii
liston's little girl had ridden over and
said her father wanted to see me a.
soon as I 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 a 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 a lonesome
run-for a girl"
Il did wait a while" said Mary.
honestly. bun you didn't seem in any
hurry. expect YOU didn't care to be
bored that long way with the silly
Chatter OIL 7Ittie girl.
We'll" said Ian gford. ruefully. I'm
afraid did feel a little relieved when
! 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
Uafh fhnN h. ut
. small room In o which Langford was
ushered. II was also very plain. 1t
WAS more than that. II was shabby
An easy ci lir or two that has sur
vtveA the wreckase of The house q
WillistOa had keea shipped 10 this
'beaA u pro@ise," together With .
NV Gther articles sucA - were aboO-
1utely Indispensable. The table was
. big shipping bOx. though l.angfOrd
did not notice that, for 1t was neatly
covered with . moth eaten plum col
orel felt cloth. A rug, crocheted out
OF particOlOred rags. . relic Of Mary's
conservative and thrifty grandmother, !
served - = 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 4
There was . holy place even In this 4
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. !
II was hot. They were perspiring
freely. The flies. swarming through I
the screenless doorway. stung disa- 4
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 a clam.
Langford's jaw was set His young
face was tense with interest He had
thrown his hat on the floor as he came
in. rs 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 a blue flannel shirt open at
the throat. In his absorption he had
forgotten the little girl" as complete
ly 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 whole sheriR's posse
on that open stretch of sand-bar.
Nothing but 4 surprise-and did these
fnsolent men fear surprise? They had
laughed At the suggestion Of the near
presence OF an oficer OF the Law. And
did they not do well to laugh? Surely