The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-07-07

A Masquerade:
By MARTHA B. HUTCHINS
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

and lived in little cabin with his
daughter Sarah. who was his only COM
panion. his wife being dead Sarah
kept house for him, did his cooking.
= washed his clothes and in the even
, ingS when book was Obtainable read
to him.
When Sarah was nineteen years Old
John died. All lie 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 in her
cabin with The problem of her future
before her. Had she been born Il boy
she would not have so dreaded trying
no make il living. but there was no
work commonly done by girls of her
class that she cared to undertake. To
become Il cook or 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.
Sarah settled the problem in this
wise: She would put on the clothing
her father had left behind him. mount
his horse. go to a 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 a mans garb rode westward till
morning, when. coming to ranch. she
found breakfast and job. She
called herself Jack Benton. and no
one on the place suspected that she
was girl. She rounded up cattle with
Ihe other cOwpuncherS.
Among the women on the ranch was
a pretty girl of her own age. Martha
Swayne. for whom Jack conceived
so strong ii friendship that she i'm
parted TO her her secret Now. it hap
pened that one of the boys. Ben
Hughes. was in love with Martha and.
seeing Jack Benton great deal with
y her. became Unfortunately Jealous. In
vain Martha protested that her init
macy with Jack was a mere friend
ly 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
y.
unity TO provoke her.
Among the boys was manly young
fellow. ten years Jacks senior. named
Randall. for whom Jack had conceived
an affection. Had Randall reciprocal
ed Jack might have confessed her sex
and all would have gone smoothly for
both couples. But how was Randall
to reciprOcate an affection of which
he was una ware and not knowing that
Jack was Il girl:
AS was natural, Jack cOnfided his
trouble with Hughes to Randall, telling
him that he would be obliged to fight
\ or girl whom he didn't love and
who didn't love him.
well" said her friend, "all you need
to 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 chal-
lenge from Jack to Hughes. 1t was
arranged that they should meet in
I clump of trees not far from the ranch
house. At the last moment Randall.
seeing that Jack had no relish for such
affairs. offered to pick a quarrel with
Hughes and claim precedence and thus
take the affair off Jacks hands. AT
this Jack showed fright that he had
not displayed ct his own meeting with
his enemy.
t"YOu're queer duck" said Ran
dali. You have all the sensitiveness
of girl and all the pluck Of man."
Randall put an arm affectionately
around his friend and gave him bit
of a hug. "What-blushing: You're
the first man ever saw do that"
Jack broke away and. running as
fast as he could to where his horse
stood. mounted him and gallOped off.
Randall. who stood looking at him
with a puzzled expression. muttered:
He's a nice boy. i wouldn't like to
see him killed.
Before the meeting. which was to
take place at sunrise Jack told his
second that he would meet him on the
ground. Jack had also insisted that
i'm order to keep the matter a secret
Randall should act for Hughes as
we'll as for himself. This was not
considered remarkable. for Randall
was Il friend to both of them. and an
affair of the kind in that region was
not to be considered as one to be ham
died under the code duello. There
! fore on the morning appointed Ran
/ dali and Hughes went together to the
place of rendezvous
AS the two men approached the
plump of trees. on which the sun was
, pouring his first rays. Randall stopped
81 thought l saw woman's dress
} fash between two tree trunks"
"By thunder" 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 women's
voices singing in unison. Pushing on,
coming to grotto formed by young
trees. they saw Martha and another
girl with their arms around each 9th
er. They soon recognized the other
girl as Jack.
There were bushes and smiles on
the faces of both girls. though Jacks"
Were principally bushes. Her story
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