The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-02-09

xIney We're STANDING very near To
each other at the moment, and the
ranger, made very sensitive TO wo.
mans charm by his lonely life, shook
with newly created love of her. \
suspicion, n hope, that beneath her cul-
tivated manner lay the passionate ma
ture OF her mother gave an added force
to his desire. He was sorely tempted
| to touch her, to test her, but her sweet
voice, a little sad and perfectly un.
conscious of evil, Gained him. she
said:
II hope to persuade my mother to
| leave the Forks. All the best people
| there are against us. Some of them
have been very cruel to her and TO me,
aud, besides, | despise and fear the
men who come to our table"
"You must not exchange words with
them" he all but commanded. BE
ware of Gregg: he is vile lot Do not
| trust him for an instant. Do not per
! NIT any of those loafers to talk with
you, for If you do they will go away TO
defame you. | know them. They are
unspeakably vile. 1t makes me angry
| to think that Gregg and his like have
the right TO speak to you every day,
while l can see you only Mt long inter
walls. I wish my station were not so
far away. But I'll ride down as often
as my duties will permit, and you must
let me know how things go. And If
any of those fellows prosecute you
you'll tell me, won't you? / wish you'd
look upon me as your big brother
| Will you do thati" His voice entreat-
ed, and as she remained silent he con
tinued: Roaring Fork is one of the
worst towns in the state, and girl
like you needs some one as u protector
don't know just how to put 1t so
that you will not misunderstood me,
but, you see, l protect the forest, the
streams and the game, l help the set
tier In time Of trouble, am a kind Of
all round big brother to everybody
who needs help in the forest. In fact,
i I'm paid for protecting things that
can't protect themselves, and so"-here
| he tried to lend his voice the accent Of
humor-"why shouldn't be the pro-
tector of a girl like you, alone-worse
than alone-in this little COW town."
She remained dumb at one or two
points where he clearly hoped for u
word, and she was unable to thank
him when he had finished. In this ST.
lence a curious construction came into
his throat 1t was almost as II he
had put his passion into definite words,
and as the light fell upon her he per-
cokved that her bosom was heaving
with deep emotion.
II am lonely" she faltered out at
last-"horribly lonely. And knew
now how people feel toward my moth
er, and 1t hurts melt all hurts me-
But I'm going to stay and help her
She paused to recover her voice. "And
you do seem different. II trust your
"Pm glad you understand me, and
you will let me know IL can helr
you, won't your"
Yes" she answered simply
Good night" he said, extending his
hand.
She placed her palm to his quite
|
Their speech at the moment impossible
They went in with such telltale faces
that even Redfield wondered what had
passed between them.
Excusing himself almost at once
Cavanagh left the room, and when he
looked In a few moments later he was
clothed In the rangers dusty green
uniform, booted and spurred for his
long, hard ride. Mrs. Redfield follow
ed him into the hall and out on the
doorstone to say: Ross, you must be
careful. This girl is very alluring IN
herself, but her mother, you know, Is
impossible"
You're needlessly alarmed, as
usual" he smilingly replied. "She In
terests me, that's patent But beyond
that, why, nonsense! Good night"
Nevertheless, despite his protesta
lions, he went away up the trail with
his mind so filled with Lee Virginia's
appealing face and form that he would
certainly have ridden over precipict
had 1t not been for his experienced
pony, which had fortunately but one
aim, and that was to cross the range
safely and to reach the home pastur,
ut the earliest moment.
Left alone, Lee Virginia thought
over her past. She was not entirely
without experience as regards respect
full courtshlp. Her life I'm the east hat
brought her to know number OF at
tractlye lads and a few men, but non,
Of these had become more than {
good companion or friend, and, though
she wrote TO one or two of these
youths letters OF the utmost frlendli
ness, there was no passion In them
and she felt as yet the sting of nothing
more intense in her liking for Caya
nagh. But he meant more to her nov
that she was lonely and beleaguered.
That he had ridden all that long
rough way merely to see her she wa
not vain enough tO helievp lint CHI