The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-02-04

Wire fences ran here aud there. in
closing fields OF alfalfa and wheat
where once only the sagebrush and
the greasewood grew. Painted farm.
houses shone on the banks of the
creeks end irrlgating bitches flashed
across the road with an air Of business
and decision.
For the first half hour II seemed n,
II the dominion Of the cattleman had
ended. but as the swift car drew away
from the valley OF the Bear and
climbed the divide toward the north
the free range was disclosed. witt
few changes save In the cattle. which
were all OF the harmless or hornless
variety. appearing tame and splritless
in comparison with the old time half
wild broadhorn breeds.
Lee began to wonder II she should
find the Fork much changed-her
mother was bad correspondent.
Her unspoken question. opportunely
asked by another. was answered by
an old woman passenger. "Oh. Lord.
yes! Summer tourists are crawlin' all
over us sence this otto line begun
Pears like all the bare armed boobies
and crosslegged little rips In Omahu
and Denver had jest got TO ride in and
look US over. Two OF them new hotels
In Sulphur don't do a thing but feed
these tenderfeet l snose prohibition
will be the next grand stand play ON
the part of our town lot boomers. We
old cowpunchers don't care whether
the town grows or not. but these hyer
bankers and truck farmers are all for
raisin' the price o. land and taxin US
quiet fellers out OF our boots"
The girl was brought back to the
vital phases of her life by the harsh
voice Of one of the men. "Llze Weth
erford is goln' to get jumped one o
these days for selin' whisky without
license. I've told her 80 too. Every
body knows she's a-doln 1t. and what
beats me is her Goln' along in that wa,
when little time and money woul,
set her straight with the law"
The shock of all this lay in the facl
that Eliza Wetherford was the mother
TO whom Lee Virginia was returnlnc
after ten years OF life In the east. anf
the significance OF the mans words
froZe her blood for an instant.
The young fellow on the back sea
slowly said. II don't complain OF Lie
sellin' bad whisky, but the grub sh,
sets up is fierce"
'rhe grub amt so bad: It's the way
she stacks II up" remarked another
But. then, these little hyblt COW
towns are all alike and all bad, so far
as hotels are concerned"
Lee Virginia. crimson and burning
hot, was in agony lest they should go
further In their criticism.
She knew that her mother kept q
boarding house. aud, while she was mol
proud of II. there was nothing dis.
graceful In II. Happily, the converse.
tion turned aside and fell upon the
governments forest policy. and Sam
Gregg. u squat, wide mouthed. harsh
voiced individual. cursed the action OF
Ross Cavanagh, the ranger In the dis,
trict above the Fork. "He thinks he's
secretary of war, but reckon he won't
after l Interview him. He can't shuttle
my sheep around over the hills at his
own sweet will"
The young fellow on the back seat
quietly interposed. you want to be
sure you've got the clnch on Caya.
nagh good and square, Sam, or he'll be
a-ridin you"
"Iie certainly is an arbitrary cuss."
said the old woman. "They say he
was one of Teddy's rough riders In
the war. He sure can ride and handle
gun. Pears like he thinks he's run.
hin the whole range" she continued,
after a pause. "Cain't nobody so much
as shoot grouse since he come In, and
the supervisor upholds him in It,"
Lee Virginia wondered about all this
supervision. for II was new to her.
Gregg, the sheepman, went on; "As
| tell Redheld, don't object to the
forest policy-it's a good thing for me;
| get my sheep pastured cheaper than
l could do any other way. but II makes
me hot to have grazing lines run on
me and my herders lacked up every
time they get over the line. Ross run
one bunch of the reservation last Fri
day. Pm going to find out about that,
He'll learn he can't get arbitrary with
me-"
The old woman chuckled, "'Pears
like you've changed your tune since