Putnam patriot., 1911-04-21
CavanaQh, The Great Conserva-
 ton Novel

.syop must not exchange words with them he all but commanded. i'e- ware of Gregg. be is vile lot Do nor trust him for au Instant Do not per mi aev of those loafers to talk with won. for if you do they wili go away 10 defaroa vou know them. They are unsneakablr vile lt makes me angry to think that Gregg and his like have inc right to speak 10 you every day vgbile can see you only at long Inter vals. wish my station were not so far away But I'll ride down as often gg my duties will permit, and you must lei me know how things go. And 1T aur of those fellows persecute you eeuIi tell ne. won't yous wish you q look upon me as your big brother VII VOL do thatf" His voice cntreat ed and as she remained silent he con tinned. Roaring Fork is one of the worst towns in the state. and girl Ike sou needs some one as protector.
 don't know just how to put fl so ihat you will moi ml-understand me but. you see, protect the forest, inc streams and the game l help the set ter in time of trouble. am kind or III round big brother to everybody who needs help in the forest In fact. I'm paid for protecting things that tanst protect themselves and so'-here se tricd 10 lend bis voice tho accent of humor why shouldn't 1 be the pro feetar of girl like you, alone worse than alone in this little COW town
 sbe 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 thls si- lenee q curious eeHslrietian came into Ills throat It WIS almost as 1T he had put his passion Into definite words, and as the light fell upon her he per relved that her bosom was heaFine with deep emotion
 Il am lonely. she faltered out ai iast- horribly lonely And l know now how people feel toward my moth CT. and fl hurts melt all hurts me But I'm going 10 stay and help her She paused 10 recover her voice And you do seem different. I=I trust your
 Pm glad you understand me, and you will let me know if I can helE you, won't youfn
 Yes" she answered simply.
 Good night" he said, extending his hand.
 She placed her palm 10 his quite frankly. but the touch of II made fur ther speech at the moment impossible
 They went fin with such telltale faces that even Redneld wondered what had passed between them.
 Excuslng himself almost at once Cayanaeh left the room. and when h, looked in few moments later he wa clothed in the rangers dusty greer uniform. booted and spurred for hi long. hard ride. Mrs Redfield follow ed him Into the hall and out on tn, doorstone to say. Ross. you must b, careful This girl is very alluring II herself, but her mother. you know. is impossible"
 You're needlessly alarmed, as usual' he smillngly replied she In terests me. that's patent But beyond that. why. nonsense! Good night
 Nevertheless despite his protesta tions. he went away up the trail with hls mind so filled with Lee Virginia g appealing face and form that he would certainly have ridden over preciplce had it not been for his experienced pony. which had fortunately but one aim. and that was to cross the range safely and 10 reach the home pasture at the earliest moment
 Left alone. Lee Virginia thought over her past. She was not entirely without experience as regards respect fui eourtship. Her life in the east had brought Der 10 know number of at fractive lads and few men. but none of these had become more than a good companion or friend. and though she wrote to one or two of these youths letters of the utmost friendli- ness. there was no passion in them. and she felt as yet the sting of nothing more intense in her liking for Cava- nagh But he meant more 10 her now that she was lonely and beleaguered.
 That he had ridden all that long. rough way merely to see her she was not vain enough to believe. but she had nevertheless something of every womans secret belief in ter individual charm. CNanagh had shown d lat tering interest in her. and his wish to be her protector alled her with joy and eondapHee
 She heard good deal moro about this particular forest ranger next morning at breakfast '1Ie is throw ing himself 8vaY.. Mrs. Redtield pas sionately declared Think of a man of Ross refinement living in noun. thin shack miles from any body. watch ing poachers. marking trees and cook. ing his own food, It's Il shameful waste of genius ''
 That's as you lock at it. my dear responded RedAeld Ross is the guardian of an immense treasure chest which belongs 10 the nation. Further more. he is quite certain. as am
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