The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-04
A TIMID
LITTLE GIRL
BY SUSAN YOUNG PORTER

mulQ q
The words were spoken by one OF
those elegant looking fellows who. aft
er spending some ten thousand veal
In college, think the next aristocratiC
move to be made is ranching. They
argue that while business Is beneath
them and they are too lazy to either
study or practice profession there
Is something eminently respectable In
raising animals or vegetables on their
broad acres Having purchased and
stocked ranch they have their photo.
graphs taken In cowboy costume to
send to their friends in the east and
thereafter consider themselves on the
same footing with the lords of British
landed estates.
Ned Perkins. the man who spoke the
! above words. was one of this type.
He was riding along with a rife and
a lariat slung to his saddle dressed as
! a wild westerner on the dramatic
stage, when he met little Mexican
girl with very black eyes. a rose in
| full bloom on each cheek and a pair
of buds for lips who looked up at him
innocently and, making a courtesy,
said:
Good morning. senior"
Then to his question she replied that
she was going to the store a mile down
the road to buy dress.
"You don't need anything prettier
than the costume you have on he
said. THAT skirt bedecked with gold
lace, that jacket adorned with the
same material, that Spanish headgear,
are exceedingly becoming. II you will
get up behind me will turn about and
take you to the store. The distance is
too long for you to walk"
She looked at him shyly without re-
ply for some moments, when he dis
mounted, took her hand, led her to his
horse, she raised her little foot, he
took 1t In his hand and lifted her into
position behind the saddle. Then,
mounting himself. he started for the
store.
Perkins liked ranching well enough
except for the absence of feminine
companionship He had no trouble in
becoming companionable with little
Inez, whose father owned few cat
tie. but whose principal business was
gambling There was something unique
about the girl, who was sixteen years
old. but unduy developed, as are girls
who inhabIt tropical climates. 1t did
not occur TO the young ranchman that
there was any harm In passing some
Of his time In her company. joking
with and 1ollying her to his own in
finite amusement.
He invited her to go with him TO
dances that were held In the neighbor-
hood and noticed that none OF the
cowboys asked her TO dance with them. |
IL was some time before he realized
that they regarded her as belonging TO
him. and none of them would trespass !
on his domain.
II was then that he began to under
stand the situation. He did not fear
any trouble In breaking with the girl /
she was such gentle little soui-but (
II occurred to him that he might have
trouble with her father or one OF her
brothers. From this moment he did
not act the same toward lnez herself.
He tried to do so and thought he was
succeeding, but any woman can see
such a change In man.
Perkins was becor ing tired Of ranch
ing. and he did not find that IL was
likely to pay him. Besides. he was
pinIng for his associations In the east.
One day he made up his mind TO go
back there He kept his resolution to
himself: he did not offer his ranch
for sale; he simply determined to leave
II when no one would be aware OF
what he was going to do and not come
back. He could sell 1t without staying
there for the purpose.
He formed this resolution not long
after he had begun to consider his
with the little Mexican
girl liable to cause him trouble lnez
appeared no different than she had {
been. In fact, he doubted IL after all I
his going would make much difference
to her. True. no other man was atten-
tive to her. They had all withdrawn =
when he began to notice her.
The evening before his intended de-
parture-he was to start at 2 o'clock In
he morning and ride ten miles to a
station. where he would take train
ne was with Inez till 10 o'clock. Net
her by word nor act did she indicate
hat she suspected his departure. Be ,
lore starting for his ranch he said
some very nice things to her. for his I
heart smote Am: then. holding her
land for a few moments. he dropped
t and sailed forth. as he had done \
,ften before.
1t was his habit to smoke pipe be- \
ore going to bed His fayorite pipe
vas a large merschaum bowl with
berry stem. Taking the pipe from =
ack. he found il filed with fresh to-
,acco. He was somewhat surprised. I
nut thought that perhaps he had filed
/ during the day. intending to smoke, G
tut had laid Ii aside without doing so.
PUTTING the stem in his mouth. he was a
bout TO light the tobacco when he re-
nembered that he had not smoked
lnce the noon meal and had not filled
after smoking. Dropping the match.
e turned the contents of the pipe out
n the table. On the top was a layer
{ tobacco. beneath which was-well,
he Ind smoked the pipe as IL was he 4