The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-11

Wen, ENID, you seem to have run
the gamut of the east pretty thor
oughly; come out and spend the sum-
mer with me In Colorado. My Denver
house Is open to you: We have ranch
amid the foothills, or If you are game
we can break away from civilization
entirely and find some unexpiored, I'M
known canon In the heart Of the noun
tains and camp there. Wen get back
to nature, which seems to be impos-
sible in Philadelphia, and you will see
things and learn things that you will
never see or learn anywhere else. It'll
do you good, too; from what / hear,
you have been going the pace and
those cheeks OF yours are little too
pale for 80 splendid a girl; you look
too tired under the eyes for youth and
beauty"
Il believe I am not very fit," said
the girl, land II father will permit
"Of course, of course" said Stephen
Maitland, you are your own mistress
anyway, and having no mother"
Ends mother had died In her in
fancy-I suppose that could not in
terfere or object IL l 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 wed
lock-"
We'll, that settles it," said Robert
Maitland. Wen give you a royal
| good time. l must run up to New
York and Boston for few days, but
shall be back In a week and I can
pick you up then"
What is the house in Denver; is it
er-may l ask, provided with all mod
ern conveniences and" began the
elder Maitland nervously.
Robert Maitland laughed.
What do you take US for, Steve:
| do you ever read the western news
papers?"
II confess that I have not given
much thought to the west since /
studied geography and-the Philadel-
phia papers have been thought sufi-
cient for the family since"
Good Lord" exclaimed Maitland
THE house cost half q million dol
lars, II you must know 1t, and II there
| Is anything that modern science can
| contribute to comfort and luxury that
| isn't In 1t, I don't know what it is.
Shall 1t be the house In Denver, or
the ranch. or q real camp In the
w1lds. Enid 2"
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
desperadoes7"
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 still?" asked
his brother In great surprise.
| "You know | was sheriff In a Dor
| 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 1t
doesn't make any difference whether
the one OR the other Of us Is rich or
poor. l have friends who can't frame
a grammatical sentence, who habitual-
ly eat with their knives, yet who are
absolutely devoted to me and I 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. II want to go there right away"
And this was the train of events
which wrought the change. Behold
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
was riding ahead of lum bering noun
tain wagon surrounded by other rid
ers, which was loaded with baggage,
drawn by four sturdy broncos and fol-
lowed by q 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 father
. stroke OF apoplexy II he could have
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