Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-02-17


quick as a panther. never fa;r.rc to get
the drop on his man.
Furthermore, his fat exerted a ben
efcial influence on his character In
keeping him humble minded. Being
the most popular man in the county.
he would probably have been swollen
with vanity had there been any space
left vacant for it in his huge frame.
He WIS especially admired by the
women. but was at ease only in the
company Of those who were mar
rie0. It was his fate to see the few
girls Of the region. with every one of
whom by turns he was in love, grow
up to marry each some less diffident
Wooer.
'Dangnation take it, be used to
say. IL don't sit up enough sDunk to
cut heifeT out o. the herd until some
body else has roped her an slapped
his brand On to her Talk about too
many irons in the fire. Why. I've only
got one, an it's het up red all the
time waitin' fer the right chanel to
use it, but somehow l never git it out
O. the Goals. What's the use, anyhow?
Nobody loves a fat man.
Slim was Unfortunately puffed up by
Polly's preference for him, which she
showed by all sorts Of feminine tyran-
MES, and he was forced continually
to slap his huge paunch to remind him
self of what he considered his dis
abling deformity. Miss Polly" he
would apostrophize the absent lady,
you. don't know what volcano Of
see.hin' fiery love this here mountain
Of flesh is that you're walkin' over
Some day III erupt an jest eternally
calcify you II you don't look outv'
The sheriff took no stock in Buck
was greatly worried over the influence
he had acquired over Bud Lane, who
had before this been Sims protege.
Accordingly 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 &c SUCCESS.
Payson, feeling himself aLs3Iy2d By
the death Of Dick Lane from all cb!isa-
tons 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 courteous
advances as frankly and naturally as
| bud opens to the gentle wOOing Of
the April sun. Softened by her grief
| for Dick as for departed brother as
the flower is by the morning dew, the
| petals OF her affection opened and laid
bare her heart Of purest gold. The
| gentle, diddent girl expanded into a
| glorious woman, conscious OF her pow
ers and proud and happy that she was
| fulfilling the highest function Of wo-
manhood-Shat Of loving and aiding
| with her love q noble man.
Jack Payson, however, failed to get
the proper credit for this sudden foW-
These were ascribed to her years
schooling in the east, and her proud
mother was offended by the way In
which she accepted the young ranch
mans advances. "You hold yourself
too Cheap she sale. ut Is at least
due to the memory Of poor Dick Lane. -
whom, now that he was safely dead.
she idealized into a type OF perfect
manhood, that you make Jack wait as
long as you did him." When Payson
reasonably objected to this delay by
pointing out that he was fully able to
support wife, as Lane had not been
and proposed, with Echo's assent, six
months as the limit Of waiting, Mrs
Allen reserted to her Old expedient-
4 tears.
''Boohoo. You are going to take
away my only daughter.
The colonel, however, though he hat
loved Dick Lane as If he were hi:
own son, was delighted to the bottom
OF his hospitable soul that it was {
man not already ia the family circle
who was to marry Echo, especial.
when he was royal fellow like Jacl
Payson- So he arranged a compro
mise between the time proposed b,
Mrs. allen and that desired by tn,
lovers, and the date Of the weddin,
was fixed nine months ahead.
cit viii fan In june" said khe oil
fellow. who knew exactly how to han
die his fractions wife, ''the montl
when swell folks back in the east d,
all their hitchin' up. why. come {,
think Of II, 1t was the very month
ran of with you In, though didn'
know then that we was elopin D
strictly accerdin to the book OF Ell
kwet.n
CHAPTER III.
"HE first instructive thought Of
man reveals his innate charac
!. l ter; those that follow, the mora
i nature that he has acquired
through environment and circum
stances That Jack Payson was a
bottom a good man is shown by BIT
first emotion, which was joy, and hi
!. | first impulse, which was to impart tn