The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1911-05-20
Texas Bad Man
BY A. MARIA CRAWFORD
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Literary Press

was making life so sweet to her?
Could 1t be love, the all-absorbing
passion that In her later day cynacism
she believed was confined to magma
tive writer's? At last she had known
a great. masterful man. free from
sham and hypocrisy. who had taken
her theories of life, CLEANED from
books and her own narrow experience.
and had torn them piece by piece. only
to replace them with theories which
he had cleaned from life itself.
At 9 o'clock the bel! rang and Edith
waited .expectantly. Suddenly she
heard for the first time the chill wind
that sighed past her window and was
lost in a long, low moan.
Some flowers and note" said the
maid
MY dear Miss Dougher." Edith
read.
"A telegram from the west. and
must leave at once. l shall live for
June, when you and my aunt are to
visit me. you remember. My regards
to your mother, and tell her not to let
you work too hard. Yours,
ROBERT H. ALTON"
1T is love-" she whispered to tho
fragrant flowers. The wind had
changed. the moan had died out Of 1t.
and 1t laughed and danced at her
window pane. HE loves you" 1t called
gaily. The dying embers Of the frs
here slowly dropping. he loves you
not" they seemed to say to her with
loves uncertainty
Letters from Alton came often.
strong. helpful letters. full OF his
wholesome philosophy. Edith felt in
them the, broad sweep Of the plains.
the mans clean life. and only between
the lines she read his love. She
planned SO that she and Mrs. Ogden
would be on the ranch when her first
novel. THE Man OF Promise" was
given to the public. and when she went
away asked that no mail be forwarded
to her. She had worked hard and she
wanted to play.
To both eastern women everything
was delightfully."- new and novel from
the minute they reached the red sta.
ton where Alton met them. Tho ranch
was twenty miles from the railroad
and as they rode along in Atoms com.
Portable car they looked over the roll.
ing prairies that stretched out. warm
In the sunshine. until they seemed to
be lost in the blue OF tho skies.
TT seems to me that have been en-
PERTAINING an angel. but not unawares,
l assure you" Alton opened . news.
paper q few evenings later. Il know
you don't want any news from homo.
but this Is too good to keep
please spare me. It's about my
book. l know"
Many years have passed." Alton
read. since the public has been given
such q surprise as that occasioned By
Edith Dougher's first novel. The Man
OF Promise II Is an exceptionally
clever piece OF work. and critics arc
unstinted in their praise OF It. The
man IL a remarkably fine character.
thoroughly western. and his wise
philosophy savors OF the wide ex.
panse OF plains. May Miss DougheP
furnish US with more just such clean.
wholesome literature as The Man OF
Promise
When he had finished reading there
was = challenge In Edith's eyes and
hops In his own. He 10 yours. or.
rather. he Ia you." she acknowledged
and looked of where one by one the
stars came out and make the sky .
jewelled canopy.
Let's walk down TO the big gate.
I've something to tell you"
She leaned her arms on tho bars and
a..