Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-07-29
A mere COWBOY I:
He Did Not Prevent Edith
From Keeping Her Vow.
BY HoNoRE wiLLsIE.

To Edith's eastern eyes the ranch
was n most fascinating place. The
wide. rolling stretches of plain, fat
and brown under the autumn skies;
the lean cottonwoods, whose scant
shade was a mere Joke, and the ranch
house itself, roomy, low and ugly,
were all beautiful in her eyes.
II you had told Edith that this
strange fascination was due to the un-
deniable charms of a certain tall cow
boy, who had recently been made fore
man Of her brothers ranch. she would
have tossed her pretty head at you
and denied your insinuations scorn-
fully.
what" she had exclaimed when
her sister-in-law had slyly remarked
on the regularity Of Edith's morning
rides under the foreman's tutelage-
"whatl have more than an ordinary
interest founded on curiosity, for a
cowboyl Why, Alice, you forget where
was born and bred"
At this pretty Mrs. Alcott had laugh
cd merrily.
Born and bred,'" she had repeated
my dear child, when you come west
you must forget that you were born
and bred. did 80 FIVE years ago. The
fact that you are a college girl won't
help you half 30 much as the fact that
you are unlearning your eastern meth
cd Of saddle riding. These westerners
don't give a rap concerning your par
ents or your grandparents. Their In
terests are all in the present, not the
past. As Jimmy says, One man Is as
good as another here and a heap bet
ter SO leave Off your condescending
airs with Harry Esteriy. They are
quite lost on him, I assure you"
Edith listened in silence to Mrs. AL
colt and watched her as she moved
quietly about the living room of the
ranch house, which was as cozy and
then she picked up her riding whip,
pulled the latch of her sombrero under
her chin and with a disdainful little
sniff walked out toward the corral,
where Harry Esterly awaited her.
Harry watched her keenly as she
strolled slowly toward him.
"Gad," he said to himself, "she's well
put upr
And she was-erect and 1.-the as a
young Indian, with hair that shone
bronze in the sun, with skin that
glowed with health after the morning
tub and with an uptilt to her beauti-
full head that would well give a thrill
Of pride to any man on whom she be-
slowed her friendship.
'Ts that JosephineT she called to
Harry as she drew within hailing dis
tance.
"Yes, that's Josephine" answered
Harry, patting the smaller horse.
isn't she a beautyT'
"She is indeed" said the girl, smooth
ing the soft nose of the pretty mare.
"Are you sure she isn't part broncho?
Brother Jim says that If horse has
ever SO little drop Of broncho blood
In him, ever SO far back, he's bound to
buck at least once in his life. And
don't want to be the one to discover
that one drop"
Harry shook his head "Well, of
COURSE" he said, ITS hard to pick up
a horse around here that you can
vouch for. But really, Miss Alcott, I
think Josephine is as safe as a cradle"
Edith hung her whip on the saddle
pommel and, motioning away Harry's
offered hand, swung herself into the
saddle.
'rhis morning" he said, I'm going
to take you to my particular pet spot.
It's only half an hours ride from here"
Out they raced across the dusty
plan, the horses taking the barbed
wire fences as lightly as birds. They
drew rein on a lonely little hillock, the
only break in the level Of the plain for
miles around.
Look" said Harry. "See how one
side Is scooped out. Some Indian
made himself a shelter here some time
from dust storm. And now stand
here on top for a moment and you
will see why like this place"
Edith looked. The slight eminence
gave a surprising sweep OF view-the
far ranch house. with the distant
grazing herds, the blue line of haze
that marked the mountains and, far
Their still. the brown of the plain,
merging into the blue Of the desert.
Toward the desert Harry looked ap-
prehensively.
0ltno huitut ne bdlu, DoAeVo
that wen have dust storm here In
an hour or 80. The air felt like It this
morning, with this scorching wind,
and now I can see It gathering out
there on the desert. I wonder If you
would be willing to ride in to the
ranch alone while ride out to speak
to Mr.. AlcottT
Edith blushed little. "Why, yes.
Of course III go, but-but wish you
would let me ride your horse back,
Mr.. Esterly. I'm so afraid Josephine
win buck"
"Why, shes as safe as a church.
And Billy here used to buck like a
Jack rabbit. OF course he's all right
now, though"
"Pleasep' pleaded the girl.
Harry jumped from his horse and
helped Edith from the saddle.
LET me change saddles quickly" he
said We've no time to waste" And
in few minutes Edith was cantering
swiftly toward the ranch house, while
Harry rode out toward the distant
herd.
Half an hour after Edith reached
the house the dust storm was upon