Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-02-16
[CoNTINUED.i

"You typify to me at this moment
this whole state. You fill me with en-
thusiasm for it's future. Here you
are, derived from the lawless west,
yet taking on the culture and restraint
of the east so readily that you seem
not in the least related to-
He checked himself at this point,
and she said. my mother is not as
rough as she seems, Mr.. C~avanagh."
"She must be more of the woman
than appears or she could not have
borne such a daughter. But do you
feel your relationship to her? Tell me
honestly. for you interest me-"
81 didn't at first, but / do now. l
begin to understand her, and, besides.
/ feel in myself certain things that are
In her, though | think | am more like
the Wetherfords, My fathers family
home was in Maryland"
Ross could have talked on all night,
so aIluring was the girls dimly seen
yet warmly felt figure at his side, but
a sense of danger and a knowledge
that he should be riding led him at
last to say: at is getting chill. We
must go in, but before we do so let me
say how much I've enjoyed seeing you
again. | hope the doctor will make ia
vorable report on your mothers case.
You'll write me the result Of the ex-
animation. won't your
IF you wish me to-"
81 shall be most anxious to know"
They were 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. A
suspicion, a hope, that beneath her cul-
tivated 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 I'M
conscious of evil. Gained him. She
said:
Il 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.
and, besides, l despise and fear the
men who come to u table"
'"You must not exchange words with
Them" he all but commanded. Be
ware of Gregg: be is Il 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. l 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 | can see you only at long inter
walls. l 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? l wish you'd
look upon me as your big brother.
VIII you do that?" His voice entreat-
ed, and as she remained silent he con
tinued: Roaring Fork is one of the
worst towns in the state. and a girl
like you needs some one as a protector.
/ don't know just how to put it 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. I am a kind Of
all round big brother to everybody
who needs help in the forest. In fact,
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 a
word, and she was unable to thank
him when he had finished. In this ST.
lence a curious construction came into
his throat. It was almost as if he
had put his passion into definite words.
ard as the light fell upon her he per-