The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-16

stammered the young man. who had
risen to his elbow among the pillows.
The father walked away to the win
dow and stood looking out upon the
distant mountains for a fun minute
before he turned TO say gently: I've
may as wen run the boundary lines on
this one time as another, son. You
don't Ike Honoria. You've made uu
your mind not to like her. I'm not
going to make It hard for either of
you II can help it This is her home.
but 1t is also yours. my boy. Do you
reckon you could
Evan Blount made haste to stop the
half pathetic appeal.
Don't let that trouble YOU he in
terposed- Mrs Blount is a very
different person from the woman /
have been imagining, and il she were
not I think we are both sufficiently
civilized not to quarrel" Then: aHave
you breakfasted yet-you and Mrs.
Blount? But Of course you have long
ago."
Breakfasted? Without your Not
much. son And that reminds me /
was TO come up and see If you were
awake. and If you were 1 was to send
Barnabas up with your Coffee
You may tell Barnabas that 1
haven't acquired the coffee In bed
habit yet" laughed the lazy one, sit
ting up. "And you may make my
apologies to Mrs. Blount and tell her
III be down .pronto.' There, doesn't
that sound as If were getting back
TO the good old sagebrush idiom?
Great landi haven't heard anybody
say 'pronto' since 1 was knee high to
a hoptoadP'
In all his forecastings Evan Blount
had never pictured Homecoming like
this In each succeeding hour of the
1 day the edges Of the chasm of the
years drew closer together, and when
finally his father put him on a horse
and rode with him to a corner OF the
vast home farm, corner fenced OF
/ by sentinel cottonwoods and watered
by the small irrigation ditch OF his
boyhood recollections, rode with him
through the screening cottonwoods
and showed him, lying beyond them,
the old ranch buildings of the Circle
Bar, untouched and undisturbed, his
heart was full, and a sudden mist
came before his eyes to dim the pic
ture.
I've kept It just as It used TO be-
Evan" his father said gently. 81
thought maybe you'd come back some
day and be sure enough disappointed
If 1t were gone"
The younger man slipped from his
saddle and went to look in at the
open door OF the old ranch house
Everything was precisely as he re-
membered 1.-THE simple, old fashion.
ed furniture, the crossed quirts over
the high wooden mantel, his mothers
rocking chair-that was the final
touch He sat down on the worn door
log and put his face in his hands, foI
now the gaping chasm Of the years
was quite closed, and he was a boy
again
Later In the day there were am
bling ga1lops along the country roads
and the father explained how the
transformation from cattle raising tc
agriculture and fruit growing had
come about; how the great irrigation
dam In Quaretaro canyon had put 6
thousand square miles Of the fertile
mesa under cultivation; how with the
inpouring Of the new population hat
come new blood. new methods, goot
roads, the telephone, the rural mai
route and other civilizing agencies.
Evan groaned. 81 know" he said
eve lost my birthland. It's as ex
tinct as the megalosaurian lizard!
whose bones we used to find sticking
, in the gully banks on Table Mesa. B!
the way, that reminds me. Are Their,
any Of those giant fossils left1 wal
J telling Professor Anners about then
the other day, and he was immensel.
interested"
: Were all fossils, we older folks o
the cattle raising times" laughed thu
man whom Richard Gantry had caIlet
the super governor" But there ar
some of the bones left, too, guess
and If the professor Is a friend o.
yours wen get him state permit Il
dig all he wants TO"
Eyes, Professor Anners IS a frienC
of mine," was the younger mans hal
absent admission. "as much of ;
] friend as his daughter would ever a.
2 low him to be-"
5 The qualifying clause was no
thrown away upon the senator
( 'eWhat has the daughter got agains
r you. son?' he asked mildly.
l Nothing very serious" laughed Pa
D tricia's lover. "But I think she i
!, jealous of any ont. who tries to shar
her father with her. Next to her ca
B reer'-
? That's Boston. isn't 1T" tnterrupte'
: the ex-cattle king. Then he added
I sTm right glad it hasn't come In you
j way to de yourself mp to one OF thos
r Careers Evan, my boy
0 The young man felt better after h
J had told his father his love story. ]
3 was highly necessary that he shoul'
+ tell some one, and whom better2
David Blount listened with the far