The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-22
THE EVENING STORY
The Last Ride.
(By Izola Forester. }

10y 4ZO11k 6OIIS6LcIsJ
81 don't want to CO.,
But you should want to. BY every
law of friendship and hospitality, you
should want to go, and you must" Sc
WALL leaned his elbows on the bar gate,
and met the defiant glances from the
other side, amusedly. Aren't we
neighbors2"
MOT through my fault
Don't you like me for neighbor,
Miss Nan? Here I've come out west,
and been steady dweller at the ranch
here, learning all a tenderfoot could
reasonably be expected to in six
months, and trying to live up to your
expectations OF me"
81 never had any"
well, your general opinion then.
Here I've come into property, as you
say out here, through no fault of my
own. Uncle Dave SeWeu saw fit to
hand over his place to me when he
passed along the heavenly trail, be-
cause I bore his name. Was that my
fault? And never kicked. I dropped
everything east. and came out here
like a lamb led to be sacrificed and
tried my level best to turn rancher.
Didn't I?''
Nan nodded her head reluctantly,
but did not speak.
And I've built a brand new bunga-
| low over yonder under the spruces.
You said you knew she'd like the
| spruces best, because the wind in their
DEdnCH6S WOulQ keep n6r company
when was away, remember"
Again Nan nodded. but she did not
meet his eyes.
''It's all finished now. The last nail
went in yesterday, and the last load
| of furniture came over from Moorcraft
! Monday. Billy and I've been terribly
busy settling things for her, but It
needs a woman's touch. I've put
piano in the sitting-room. but don't
know where to hang the pancake turn
| 81 a
/ if you'd ride over with me tonight at
shutdown, you could give the finishing
touch.''
when do you expect her?" Mans
voice was clear and steady. Not for all
| the gold in the hills that she looked
out at, would she have let this man
| know what the coming of his eastern
bride meant to her
Most any time. now. as soon as
she's ready"
Where are you going to be mar
ried ?"
up at home ranch. The mission
airy bishops a friend of mine. and he'll
ride down any time say we're ready
Nan turned quickly towards tho
grazing ponies at the far end of the
corral. and whistled. The smaller one
lifted its head, and came towards them.
TIL go with YOU she said, ''if
must"
But little talking would she do dur
way up from the valley where her
brothers ranch stood, not word
would she speak. It was just sunset
and all the peaks that held the valley
in their hollow, stood out in splendid
purple silhouette against the western
sky. From the cottonwoods along the
water courses came the distant twitter-
ing of birds, and the faint, musical
call of the peep frogs from the marsh.
Mans face was uplifted towards the
west. He could see her profile, half
averted from him, and the sweep of
heavy brown hair beneath her boyish
hat.
Six months he had lived there at the
Mariposa ranch, learning the business
from her four brothers. one of whom
had been his chum at Yale. And II ever
! there had been a scornful Westerner it
was Nan Rathbourn, from the first day
she had heard of this college youngsteT
who had inherited the big Sewell out
fit. She had expected him to be a fail
ure, to be a shirker. And she had
treated him accordingly ever since. He
had taken hold of the work that lay
before him with double energy, and
had made a success out of it. Finally
he had built this new house up on the
hills, where the spruces chung to ledge
and upland craig. and the valley lay
| before it like the promised land. II
was to be his home, he told her, aud
: he had made it a home for two, for
l there was to be bride there some
day.
And that was all he would say. Day
after day she had seen him ride away,
and knew it was to superintend the
building of Honeymoon Lodge, as he
had called it. Then there came a day
when she knew suddenly that she was
: jealous, fiercely, heart brokenly Jealous
of this other girl who was to come
from the east, and be Dave Sewalls
wife.
! It was not happy awakening. She
fought against it with all the strength
of her nature, and the worst Of it was
she did not have the guile to conceal
! It, as an older, and more experienced
, girl would have done. All at once she
!, refused to ride with him. to walk with
! him, to be with him at all.
And to-day the very last day of his
, stay. he had asked her to ride up and
see his Honeymoon Lodge.
] AS they dismounted and hobb1ed the
r ponies, she hesitated. There was the
{ bungalow before her, broad, low. rich
! in its native timber. with the broad
, veranda sweeping three sides, and its
rock chimneys rising above. Above it
were the spruces, fragrant and MUIR
INJURIOUS Below lay the VaiIey and be
yond, for miles and miles. were the en-
circling mountains, drifting down into
the sloping foothills.
Like it, Miss Nan?" asked Sewall.
resting one foot on the step.
breath; yes. / like it. It's beautiful.
Just beautiful
Nice enough for any girl?"
Think she'll be lonesome way up
"GirIs aren't IonesomeAnot when
they've got the right one for always
She flashed a quick look OF resentment
at him How stupid he was TO think
a girl who loved man would be lone
some. She felt sure that Eden was a