Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-03-12
CHAPTER v.
A. Akc lnn a mi

conscious of the attention he was at
tracing stridng up the inclined
street from the station in the van of
the prettiost and most thoroughbred
| girl who had struck Velpen this long
| time.
Not that he objected to attention
under normal conditions. Not he! He
courted 1t. His chief aim in life
| seemed to be to throw the limelight
, Of publicity, first, on the Three Bars
/ ranch as the one and only in the cate
CORY Of ranches, and to be connected
/ with 1t in come way. however slight,
/ the unquestioncd aim and object of
existence of every man, woman and
child in the cattle country; secondly,
on Paul Langford, the very boss OF
bosses, whose master mind was the
prop and stay OF the northwest, If not
of all Chirstendom; and lastly, upon
himself, the modest, but loyal servi-
tor in this Paradise on earth. But girls
were far from normal conditions.
There were no women at the Three
Bars. There never had been any
woman at the Three Bars within the
memory OF man. TO be sure, Willis
tons little girl had sometimes ridden
over on an errand, but she didn't
count This-this was the real thing,
and he didn't know just how to deal
with it, He needed time TO enlarge
his sight to this broadcned horizon
He glanced with noncheslnce over
his shoulder. After all, she was only
She wore longer skirts than Willis
tons girl, but he didn't believe she
was day older. He squared about
Immediately, and what he had meant
to say he never said, on account Of
an unaccountable thckening OF his
tongue.
Presently he bolted into a building,
which proved to be the Bon Ami, a
restaurant under the direct supervis-
ion Of the fat, voluble and tragic Mrs.
Higgins, where the men from the
other side of the river had right of
wav AID unlimited credit
"Whatll you have?" he asked, hos
pitapi5 the familiar air OF the Bon
Ami bringing him back to his accus-
toned scif-conhden; swagger.
"MiEht | have some tea ard toast,
please" said Louise, sinking into
chair at the nearest table, with two
startling yet amusing thoughts ram
pant in her brain One was, that she
wished Aunt Helen could have seen
her swinging along in the wake of this
typical bold and licentious' man,
and calmly and comfortably sitting
down to a coy little supper for two
at public eating house; the other
startling thought was to the effect
that the invitation was redolent with
suggestivcness. and she wondered ii
she was not expected to say, "a whs-
Ike" FOR He Please"
Guess you kin answered Jim,
vOnGe IN mis- voice At the exceeding
barronness Of the order. Mrs. Hig-
gins, hello there Mrs. Higgins. say,
there, brirg on some tea and toast
for the lady,"
Where is the Three Bars?" asked
Louise. her thoughts straying to the
terrors of a l5-inia drive through a
strange and Uncanny country with a
stranger and yet more unc2nny man.
She had accepted him without ques-
tior. He was part and parcel with the
strangeness Of her new position. But
the sudlenncss of the transition from
idle con lecture to startling reality had
raised her proud head and she looked
this new development squarely in the
face without outward hint of inward
perturbation.
Say, where was you raised?" asked
Jim, with tolerant scorn, between
huge mouthfuls of boiled pork and
cabbage interspersed with baked po
tatoes, hot rolls and soggy dumplings
shoveled in with knife, fork or spoon
He occasionally anticipated dessert
by making a sudden sortie into the
quarter of an immense custard pie
fastening the end by means OF noisy
draughts OF steaming coffee. Truly
the Three Bars connection had the fat
of the land at the Bon Ami.
'Why. it's the Three Bars that's
bringin' you here. Didn't you know
that? There's nary man in the
hull country with backbone enough to
keep off all-fours 'ceptin' Paul Lang
ford. I'm. You Just try once to walk
over the boss. will you? Lord. Wis.,
grease spot you'd make"
"Mr, Gordon isn't being walked
, over. is he?" asked Louise, finished
with her tea and toast and impatient
to be off.
ooh. Gordon? Pretty decent sort O
chap. Right idees. Don't know
; much about handlin' boss thieves and
SIGH. Amt smooth enough. Acted
kind O. like chicken with it's heat
D cut off till the boss got into the round
up"
, oh" said Louise, whose concep
/ ton OF the young counsel for the state
t did not tally with this delneation.
Yep, Miss. this here's the boss
! doin's. Yep. Lord, Whatn thai
3 gang look like when we are through
;. with 'em. Spendin the rest O. thei1
| days down there in Sioux Falls, medl
!. tatin' on the advsabiity O. walkin
q clear O the toes o the Three Bars II
t the future and cussln' their stupendi
0 ned stupidity in foolin' even once with
j. the Three Bars Yep. sir--yep. ma am
o | mean-Iesse Black and his ganf
I have acted just like pesky. little plum
a fool moskeeters, and we're goin' 4
0 slap EN-. The cheek of 'em, lightin