Middletown transcript., 1912-03-09


Robert Maitland laughed.
what do you take US for, Steve;
do you ever read the western news
papersF
Il confess that / have not given
much thought to the west since !
studied geography and-the Philadel'
phia papers have been thought sufh-
cient for the family since"
Good Lord" exclaimed Maitland.
THE house cost half a million dol
lars, If you must know 1t, and II there
is anything that modern science can
contribute to comfort and luxury that
isn't in It, / don't know what it is.
Shall 1t be the house in Denver, or
the ranch, or a real camp in the
wilds, Enid?"
First the house in Denver" said
Enid, and then the ranch and then
the mountains"
"Right-O; that shall be the pro
gram"
"Will my daughters life be perfect
ly safe from the cowboys, Indians. and
0eSperaQoeSE
Quite safe," answered Robert, with
deep gravity. The cowboys no longer
shoot up the city and 1t has been years
since the Indians have held up even
a trolley car. The only real desperate
in my acquaintance is the mildest gen.
tie old stage driver in the west"
DO you keep up an acquaintance
with men Of that class stilI?" asked
his brother In great surprise.
you know 1 was sheriff In a bor-
der county for a number Of years
and"
But you must surely have with
drawn from all such society now"
"Out west" said Robert Maitland,
when we know a man and like him,
when we have slept by him on the
plains, ridden with him through the
mountains, fought with him against
some border terror, some bad man
thirsting to kill. we don't forget him,
we don't cut his acquaintance, and it
doesn't make any difference whether
the one or the other Of US Is rich or
poor. 1 have friends who can't frame
a grammatical sentence, who habitual-
ly eat with their knives, yet who are
absolutely devoted to me and to
them. The man is the thing out
there" He smiled and turned to
Enid. Always excepting the su-
premacy of woman" he added.
How fascinating" exclaimed the
girl. Il want to go there right away"
And this was the train Of events
which wrought the change. Behold
the young lady astride Of horse for
the first time in her life in a divided
skirt, that fashion prevalent elsewhere
not. having been accepted by the best
equestriennes Of Philadelphia. She
~ss F=aata4af4s riding aeaA 81 es numbering z,aet,E.-
tain wagon surrounded by other rid,
ers, which was loaded with baggage,
drawn by four sturdy broncos and fol-
lowed by a number OF obstinate little
burros at present unincumbered with
packs which would be used when they
got further from civilization and the
way was no longer practicable for any
thing on wheels.
Miss Enid Maitland was clad in
way that would have caused her father
a stroke Of apoplexy If he could have
been suddenly made aware Of her
dress, If she had burst into the draw
ing-room without announcement, for
instance. Her skirt was distinctly
short, she wore heavy hob-nailed shoes
that laced up to her knees, she had
on a bright blue sweater, kind Of
cap known as a tam-o-shanter was
pinned above her glorious hair, which
was closely braided and wound
around her head. She wore a silk
handkerchief loosely tied around her
neck, knife and revolver hung at
her belt, little watch was strapped
to one wrist, a handsomely braided
quirt dangled from the other, pair
Of spurs adorned her heels and most
discomposing fact OF all, by her side
rode q handsome and dashing cava-
Her.
How Mr.. James Armstrong might
have appeared in the conventional
black and white Of evening clothes
was not quite clear to her, for she
had as yet never beheld him in that
obliterating raiment, but in the habit
Of the west, riding trousers, heavy
boots that laced to the knees, blue
shirt, his head covered by noble
"Stetson," mounted on the fry restive
broncho which he rode to perfection,