The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-01-31

uAh NOuiu hNN
in town like this"
He turned up the street toward the
high hill to the south. and she kept |
step with him. As she did not speak.
he asked, what did you expect TO do
out hereY'
II hoped to teach" she replied. her
voice still choked with her emotion.
Il expected to find the country much
improved"
And so II is, but II is still long
way from an eastern state. Perhaps
you viii find the people less savage
than they appear at first glance"
ut isn't the town or the people; It is
my mother!'' she burst forth again.
Tell me, A woman In the car yester
day accused my mother of selling
whisky unlawfully. Is this sor Tell
mew
She faced him resolutely. and. per-
ceiving that she could not be evaded,
he made slow answer. 81 don't know
that she does. but I've heard 1t charged
against her."
"Who made the charger
zone Of the clergymen, and then it's
common talk among the rough men of
the town."
But she's my mother!' walled the
girl, coming back, to the central fact
"She has sent me money-she has been
kind to me. What am I to do? She
needs me, and yet the thought Of stay
ing here and facing her life frightens
me-"
The rotten board walks. the low
rookeries, the unshaven, blear eyed
men sitting on the thresholds of the
saloons, the slattern squaws wander
ing abroad like bedraggled hens. made
the girl stare with wonder and dis
may. She had remembered the town
street as highway filed with splen.
did cavaliers, list wherein heroic
deeds were done with horse and pistol.
She perceived in the ranger the man
Of the new order, and with this in her
mind she said: you don't belong here7
You're not western manT
"Not in the sense Of having been
born here" he replied. II am. in fact,
a native Of England, though I've lived
nearly twenty years Of my life in the
States"
She glanced at his badge. How did
you come to be ranger-what does 1t
mean? It's all new to me-"
ut is new to the west" he answered
smilingly. glad of a chance to turn her
thought from her own personal griefs.
at has all come about since you went
east. Uncle Sam has at last become
provident and is now conserving his
resources / am one Of his represent
atives, with stewardship over some
10000 acres of territory, mostly for
est"
She looked at him with eyes OF
changing light. you don't talk like
an Englishman, and yet you are no
like the men out here"
81 shouldn't care to be like some o
them" he answered. my being her
is quite logical. ] went into the catt
business like many another, and
went broke. i served under Colone
Roosevelt in the Cuban war and afte
|
back. l love the wilderness and hav
some natural taste for forestry, and
can ride and pack horse as well a
most cowboys; hence my uniform
Pm not the best forest ranger in tn
service, I'll admit, but fancy I'm
fair average"
And that is your badge-the pin
treep
Eyes, and am proud Of 1t. Some {
the fellows are not, but so far as l al
concerned l am glad to be known as
defender Of the forest. A tree near
much to me. ] never mark one IL
telling without sense Of responsible
ity to the future"
Her questions came slowly, lil
those of child. "Where do you live
Directly up the South Fork abol
twenty miles"
"What do you do?"
He smiled. mot much. l ride Il
: trails, guard the game, put out fire
scale lumber, burn brush, build bridge
herd cattle, count sheep, survey lar
and few other odd chores. It's su
pOseu W DC IL sui ShuP, put Noh
see It that way"
do you live alone"
eyes, for the larger part of the tim
l have an assistant. who is with u
during part of the summer month
Mostly / am alone. However, 1 a
supposed to keep open house, and
catch q visitor now and then"
"Do you expect to do this always?
He smiled again. There you tou'
my secret spring. ! have the hope
being chief forester some time-l me;
we all have the prospect Of promoti
to sustain us. The service is so ne
that any one with even knowled
of forestry is in demand. By and
real foresters will arise"
She returned abruptly to her oy
problem. 81 dread to go back to I
mother, but l must. Oh, how | ha
that hotel! | loathe the flies,