Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-11
A Masquerader
BY MARTHA B. HUTCHINS
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

washed his clothes and in the even
ings when book was obtainable read
ID him.
When Sarah was nineteen years old
John died. All he left her was the
cabin, his horse and his stock OF shoot
ing irons. He was buried by his en-
ployer, and Sarah the night after the
funeral found herself alone i'm her
cabin with the problem of her future
before her. Had she been born n boy
she would not have so dreaded trying
TO make a living, but there was no
work commonly done by girls of her
class that she cared to undertake. To
become cook or a dishwaSher was
TO her an adherence. Even the-only--
legacy her father had left her, his
horse and equipments, was useless to
her as girl. ~ "a
Sarah settled the problem in this.
wise: She would put on the clotpihes
her father had left behind him ns0HIItSj
his horse go to n region where she
was not known and hire herself out
for cowboy. That night she locked
her cabin, put the key in her pocket
and in mans garb rode westward till
morning, when, coming to ranch, she
found breakfast and a job She
called herself Jack Benton. and no
one on the place suspected that she
was girl She rounded up cattle with
fhe other c0wpunchers.
~ Among the women on the fanchzwhs s..
pretty girl Of her own age, MarthS
Swayne, for whom Jack conceived
so strong a friendship that she i'm
parted to her her secret. Now, it hap
| pened that one Of the boyss Ben
I Hughes, was in love with Martli; and.
seeing Jack Benton n great deal with
her, became Unfortunately jealous. In
vain Martha protested that herr init
macy with Jack was n mere friend
~ one. Hughes would not be con-
WINGED. 1t became evident that Jack
would be obliged either to be dis
graced in the eyes of her associates or
! fight Ben Hughes, who lost no oppor-
tunity to provoke her.
Among the boys was n manly young
fellow, ten years Jacks senior, named
Randall, for whom Jack had CONCEIVED
/ an affection. Had Randall reciprocal.
cd Jack might have contested her sex
]
! both couples But how was Randall
TO reciprocate an affection of which
he was unaware and not knowing that
tJack was girl?
AS was natural, Jack confided his
trouble with Hughes to Randall, telling
him that he would be obliged TO fight
! for a girl whom he didn't love and
who didn't love him. -.
well" said her friend, ''all you need
10 do is to tell him so and have the
! girl do likewise. If this doesn't work
you'll have to fight"
Martha and Jack put their heads to-
gether, and the result was that RAN
dali was commissioned to send thai
lenge from Jack to Hughes. 1t was
arranged that they should meet in
clump of trees not far from the ranch
housed At the last moment Randall,
seeing that Jack had noIrelish for such
yaffairS,C offered to pick n quarrel with
Hughes and claim precedence and thus
take the affair off Jacks hands. At
this Jack showed a fright that he had
not displayed at his own meeting with
! his enemy.
| You're a queer duck" said Ran
dali. You have all the constituencies
of girl and all the pluck of n man."
Randall put an arm affectionately
around his friend and gave him a bit
Of a hug. 'What-blushing? You're
the first man / ever saw do that" -
Jack broke away and. running az
fast as he could to where his horse
stood, mounted him and galloped of.
Randall, who stood looking at him
with puzzled expression, muttered:
Hes a nice boy. l wouldn't like to
see him killed"
Before the meeting. which was to
take place at sunrise, Jack told his
second that ne would meet him on the
ground. Jack had also insisted that
I IN order to keep the matter q secret
| Randall should act for Hughes as
well as for himself This was NOT
/ considered remarkable. for Ranaalls
was friend to both OF them. ara ant
/ affair of the kind i'm that rcgfons WAS
not to be considered as one TO bekbhM
died under the code duello. phare4,
fore on the morning appointed Ran
| dali and Hughes went together TO the
place of rendezvous.
| AS the two men approached the
clump OF trees, on which the sun was
! pouring his first rays, Randall stopped
81 thought saw womans drcss
fash between two tree trunks"
"By thunderr' exclaimed Hughes
81 hope Martha hasn't got on to the
| affair and come TO stop It."
They walked on, but suddenly stop.
| ped again. They heard wOmcD's
voices singing in unison Pushing on.
,omlng to a grotto formed by young
trees. they saw Martha and another
! girl with their arms around each 9TH
or. They soon recognized the other
girl as Jack.
There we're bushes and smiles on
the faces Of both girls. though Jacks