The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-12-26
Stranded
BY VERNON ARNOLD

Ned Franklin was the son of n man |
wno had graduated as a plainsman.
drifted east and made money. Ned
went west to see what his father had |
seen. He had been gone just two
weeks when his father received the
following telegram from him:
Stranded Telegraph money for return
When he got home he told them of
his weeks adventures in the land of
the spurs. the revolver and the rifle
1t was as follows:
He found Denver. which his father
had known as n small town. Il large
city and pushed on westward When
he came to the end cf the rails he
took coaches. He was now in the
land where travellers talked about road
agents, where those in the towns spoke
incidentally of the last gun fight, or
how much money had been won or lost
by some prominent citizen at faro.
Ned, who believed the only way to
learn the manners and customs of a
people was to make their acquaint-
ance, told everybody that he had come
out to see the country and meant to
see it thoroughly. He had no stuck
up notions about him; not he He felt
as much at home with stage driver
as he would with the veriest dandy at
home. The consequence of this be-
stanter.
One evening at the Antelope-a tav-
err. gin mill and gambling house COM
bined-it was suggested by a man who
was showing Ned the town, that he
invest a few dollars at faro. just to
see how 1t worked. Ned looked at his
friend. smiled. slapped him on the
back. winked and said
mot much. Pm young man from
the city, and you can't come faro on
me-
you're dead right, pard." said the
other, "but what | meant was to invest
So to see the game, just as you'd spend
the same for round of drinks"
The man left Ned, but after awhile
returned and asked If he proposed to
go west in the stage the next morning.
Ned said he did: whereupon his friend
asked If he would mind taking charge
of young lady. Ned remarked that
he would be only too happy to do so.
He was seeing a good deal of the men
of the country. but had thus far met
few Of the women. He was assured
that the young lady, Miss liver, was
the daughter of wealthy ranchman
and had been to Denver on a shopping
tour and was returning to her home
i This pleased Ned very much, and he
anticipated a bit of Irritation with
Miss liver. How 1t would surprise his
father If he should marry a ranch
mans daughter and turn ranchmaI
himself
Ned was introduced to Miss Iver al
the coach door by the man who hat
asked him to escort her and wa.
somewhat disappointed in her. Hel
walk was awkward, and her voice wa:
not refined. However, she was wo
man of the country, and he was curl
Gus to learn all about her. He asked
her If she wouldn't like to sit outside
but she declined on the ground tina
the sun freckled her, SO they entered
the coach, Ned taking neat beside
her.
The young woman was disposed t.
be quiet and uncommunicatlve during
the early part of the journey, but al
one by one the passengers left thu
coach, none others taking their places
she thawed and took pleasure in Civ
| inpn oh
country, occasionally pointing out oh
jects of interest Ned, warming up
began to pay her compliments as b,
hau been used to paying them to girl
at home. but she was not used tt
them, or did not seem to know how
to take them; but she evidently wal
trying to make 1t appear that she haC
been paid compliments before
She told Ned that she expected he
father to meet her at the junction o.
the stage road and another leading tt
the ranch. When the coach reached
the junction Ned expected to see {
four mule team and four seated coun
try wagon. But he saw nothing Nei
ther did the young lady. She looked
|
what she would do. She said she sup
posed she would have to wait For &
young woman to wait at a crossroads
with no house within miles seemed tt
Ned little short of madness. The
stagecoach must go on, and Ned tried
to persuade his fair charge to go or
too But she said her papa would bt
awfully worried when he arrived and
did not find her.
There was nothing for Ned to do, es
pecially since she had been placed In
his charge. but to remain with her
She declined to permit him to make
the sacrifice unless he would promise
to shend his time till the coach passed
the next day at her fathers ranch. In
deed. she declared that papa would moi
hear of his doing anything else.
So they alighted. and the coach went
on. AS soon as ii turned bend in the
road and was out of sight Miss Iver