Putnam patriot., 1911-03-10
Ranger By iiAMLiN GARLAND
Copyright. DIo. by Hamlin Garland

l gave furf her evidence of the change m i the lands dominion. Down past the | courthouse. refurbishpd and deeper sunk in trees. Lee Virginia rode re ] calling the wild night when 3Oo armed and vengeful cowboys surrounded if. 1 holding three cattle barOns and their hired invaders against all corners, res olute to be their own judge jury and hangman t was all as peaceful as a Sunday afternoon at this moment, with no sign of the fierce passions of
 the past
 The car crossed the Roaring Fork and drew up before two small shacks. one of which bore a faded sign. The Wetherford House. and the other in fresher paint. The Wetherford Cafe On the sidewalk q group of Indians
 were sitting. and half dozen slouch, ing white men stood waiting q the door
 As Lee went past the hotel porch her heart beat hard and her breath shortened In flash she diyined the truth. she understood why her moth CT had discouraged her coming home It was Hef merely on account of the money II was because she knew that her business was wrong.
 What q sqnalid little den it was. How cheap. bald and petty the whole town seemed of sudden, Lee Nir- elnia halted and turned. There was only one thing to be done, and that was to make herself known She re traced her steps. pulled open the bro l.en screen deer and entered the cafe il was low. dingy dining room filled with the ed1r of ham and bad coffee At the tabira ten or fifteen men. d mot icy throu4 were busily feeding their voracious jaws. and on her left. behind showcase filled with cigars. stood her mother looking old. unkempt and worried The changes in her were so great that the girl stood in shocked alarm. At last she raised her veil Mother" she said. don't you know mefi
 A look of surprise went over the older wOman's hubby face-a glow which brought bacl, something of her other self. as she cried. Why, Lee Virginny. where did you come fromT
 The boarders stopped chewing and stared in absorbed interest while Vir glnia kissed her blowsy mother. By the Lord. it's little Virginny!" said one old fellow. Its her daugh ter"
 Upon this n mutter of astOnishment rfe nfUri{nO marveling and ebyious. paused. their platters in hand. to exchange comment on the newcomers hat and gown. A cowboy ai the washing sink in the corner suspended his face polishing and gaped oyer his shoulder in silent ecstasy Some of the men came for | ward to greet her and. though she had ! some difficulty in recognizing one or l two of them tso hardly had the years 0f her absence used theml. she even | tually succeeded in placing them all Al length her mother led her through the arehway which connected the two shanties. thence along a narrow hall
 into q small bedroom, into which the western sunset fell. IL was a shabby place. but as refuge from the crowd in the restaurant il was grateful Lize looked at her daughter critical ly T don't know what I'm going to do with a girl like you. Why. your purity -purty as picture. You were skinny as a child. I'm fair dazed. out You're the living image of your dad What started you back? l told you to stay where you was"
 "l had no place to go after Aunt Celia died l had to come home"
 You wrote they was willing to keep you"
 They were. but I couldn't ask 1t of them 1 had no right to burden them. and. besides, Mrs Hall wrote me that you were sick
 q am. but l didn't want you to come pack Lay off your things and come put to supper We'll talk afterward."
 Tbe eating house. the rooms and lallways were all of that desolate shabbness which comes from shftless ness joined with poverty Everything on which the girls eyes fell entrusted strongly with her aunt's home on the Brandy wlne-nat because that house was large er luxurious, but because it was eXquaitely in order and sweet with flowers and dainty arrangement If color
 She regretted bitterly that she had ever left her eastern friends. Her mother. in truth, showed little pleasure at her coming and almost nothing of the Illness of which neighbor had written II was. indeed, this letter which had decided her to return to the west. She had come. led by a sense of duty. not by affection. for she had never loved her mother as daughter should-they were in some way anti pathetic-and now she found herself an unweleome guest
 With aching head and shaking knees Virginia re-entered the dining room, which was now nearly empty of its | guests" but was still misty with the steam of food and swarming with flies.
 These pests huzzed like bees around | the soiled places on the tablecloths
 and oue of her mothers first remarks
 was frstful apology regarding her
 trials with those insects Seems like
 you can't keep 'em out" she said
 His Other Name.
 | When Tom 0cbiltree was fin th
 zenith of his fame as an exasrerato