The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-10-23
Continued From Yesterday

Furthermore, his fat eXerted a bene-
fetal influence on his character in keep
ing him Undetermined. Being the
most popular maj in the county, he
would probably have been swollen with
vanity a there been any space left
vacant for il in his huge frame. He
was especially admired by the women,
but was at ease only In the company
of those who were married. 1t was his
fate to see the few girls of the region,
with every n of whom, by turns, he
was in love, grow up to marry each
some less difIident wooer.
"Dangnation take It'll" he used to say,
81 don't git up enough spunk to cut a
heifer out O. the herd until somebody
else has roped her and slapped his
brand onto her. Talk about too many
irons in the fire, why. I've only got
one, and it's het up red all the time
waitin' fer the right chanel to use it;
but somehow 1 never git 1t u o. the
Goals. He'll! what's the use, anyhow?
Nobody loves a fat man."
Slim was Unfortunately pulled up by
Polly's preference of him, which she
showed by all sorts OF feminine tyran-
MES, and he was forced continually to
sap hio hugo PohilCh " ICiuliu iliili-
self of what he considered his dis
abling deformity. Miss Polly he
would apostrophize the absent lady,
you don't know what a volcano of
seethin' fiery love this here mountain
of flesh is that your walkln' over Some
day I'll erupt, and jest %eternally calcify
you, if you dom look outl"
The sheriff took no stock In Buck Me-
KEGS professed reformation, and was
greatly worried over the influence he
had acquired over Bud Lane, who had
before this been Sims protege. Ac-
cordingly, he readily conspired with her
to break off the relations between the
former outlaw and the young horse
wrangler, but thus far had met with
no success.
Payson, feeling himself absolved by
the death OF Dick Lane from all obli-
cations to his friend, began openly to
WOO Echo Allen, but without presum-
ing upon the revelation of her love for
him which she had made at his propo-
sition to go into the desert to Lanes
rescue. She responded to his cour-
teous advances as frankly and
naturally as a bud opens to the gentle
wooing of the April sun. Softened by
her grief for Dick as for a departed
brother, as the flower is by the morn
ing dew, the petals of her affection
opened and laid bare her heart of
purest gold. The gentle, diffident girl
expanded into a glorious woman, con-
scious Of her powers, and proud Inc
happy that she was fulfilling the high
est function of ~womanhood, that of low
ing and aiding with her love a noble
man.
Jack Payson, however, failed to get
the proper credit for thiss sudden flower
ing of Echo's beauty and charm. These
were ascribed to her years schooling
in the East, and her proud mother was
offended by the way In which accepted
the young ranchman's advances. you
hold yourself too cheap" she said. "It
is at least due to the memory of poor
Dick Lane (whom, now hat he was
safely dead, she idealized int a type Of
perfect manhood) that you make Jack
wait as long as you did him" When
Payson reasonably objected to this de-
lay by pointing out that he was fully
able to support a wife, al Lane had
not been, and proposed, with Echo's
assent, six months as the limit of wait
ing, Mrs. Allen resorted to her old ex-
pedient-tears.
"Boo-hoo! you are going to take away
nv only daughter!"
The colonel, however. though he had
loved Dick Lane as If he were his own
son was delighted to the bottom of his
hospitable 0 u that it was a man not
already In the family circle who was
to marry Echo. especially when he was
a. royal fellow like lack Pavson. so he