The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-03-14

vi course, OF course, said Stephen
Maitland, you are your own mistress
anyway, and having no mother"
'-nids. mother had died in her in
iancy-"I suppose that could not iu-
terfere or object II | wished to. but
no marrying or giving in marriage.
Remember that"
Nonsense, father" answered the
young woman lightly. Il am not anx-
ious to assume the bonds of we'd
took"
Wei, that settles it," said Robert
Maitland. Well give you a royal
good time. | must run up to New
York and Boston for few days. but
| shall be back in week and | can
pick you up then"
What is the house in Denver; is it
er-may | ask. provided with all mod
ern convenbenses and" began the
elder Maitland nervously.
Robert Maitland laughed.
What do you take us for, Steve;
co you ever read the western news.
papers?"
Il confess that l have not given
much thought TO the west since /
studied geography and-the Philadel-
phia papers have been thought sufYi-
cient for the family since"
Good Lord" exclaimed Maitland.
The house cost half a million dol
lars. If you must know IL. and IL there
Is anything that modern science can
contribute to comfort and luxury that
isn't In 1t. don't know what 1t is.
Shall 1t be the house in Denver, or
the ranch, or real camp in the
wilds, Enid?"
FIRST the house in Denver" said
Enid, land then the ranch and then
the mountains
"Right-O; that shall, be the pro-
gram"
VIII my daughters life be perfect
ly safe from the cowboys, Indians and
desperadoes?"
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
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 still?" asked
his brother In great surprise.
You know l was sheriff in a bor-
der county for 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. have friends who can't frame
a grammatical sentence, who habitual-
~ 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 SUI
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. Behole
the young lady astride of horse for
the first time In her life in divided
skirt. that fashion prevalent elsewhere
not having been accepted by the bes.
eQuestriennes Of Philadelphia She
was riding ahead of numbering noun
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 a
way that would have caused her .sa..hs.er
a stroke OF apoplexy II he could have
been suddenly made aware OF her
dress, II she had burst into the draw
ing-room without announcement for
instance. Her skirt was distinctly
short abe wore heavy hob-nailed shoes
that koed up to her knees. she had
on a bright blue sweater. kind of a
cap known as a tam-o-shanter was
pinned above her glorious hair, which
was CLOSELY braided and wound
arowad her head. She wore silk
handhsrch&sf loosely tied around her
meek, . knife snd revolver hung az
her bsst, htt1e vsteh was strapped
20 one wrist q handsomely braided
qu4rt AeaGseA fro@ sAs other. q pasr
Of sp1rs adorned her heels and noes
cfscorpcs1ng fsst 81 all. By her ade
rode = h~mdsens szd deshins cave
Her.
How Mr.. James Armstrong might
have appeersd In the conventional
black ard white Of evening clothes
was not quite clear 10 Def. for she
had ~ yst never beheld him IN that
oblfaerating raimenf. bot IN the habit
OF The west. riding trousers. heavy
boots that laced 10 the knees, blue
shirt his head covered by a noble
"Stetson," mounted on the fry restive
broncbo which he rode to perfection.
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