Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-25

she can't get back now. You surely
won't leave-you can't" Chaplin add.
ed, hopefully: "Why, you would break
up Jeans party. You see. there's no
body around here to take your place"
| "But-"
NONSENSE! This is an unconven-
tional country. What's wrong with
you as a chaperon. anyway? Nobody
out here even knows what chaperon
is. And I'll be back as soon as can"
"Do you really think that would
help?" Roberta's eyes laughed humor.
ously.
I'm not thinking Of the others. I'm
thinking of myself" declared the
young man, boldly. II don't want you
to go before return. You must not!
II you 60, II shall follow you" He
grasped her hand impulsively.
"Oh!" exclaimed the chaperon.
''This makes 1t even more impossible.
Go! Col" She pushed him away, her
color surging. go to your old Eleven
z Ranch right away
"But mean It," he declared, earn.
estly. Then, as she retrcated farther:
''It's no use, shan't go now until"
"You have known me less than
week."
"That is long enough. Roberta"
| Mrs. Keap spoke with honest EN-.
barrassment. Listen! Don't you see
what situation this is? If Jean and
! Helen should ever discover"
"Jean planned 1t all; even this"
Mrs. Keap stared at him in Mortified
silence.
"You do love me, Roberta::" Chaplin
undertook to remove the girls hands
from her face, when slight cough in
the hall behind caused him to turn
| suddenly in time to see Berkeley Fres-
no passing the open door.
! There! You see!" Mrs. Heaps face
was tragic. you see!" She turned
! and fled, leaving the master of the
ranch in the middle Of the floor, be-
wildered, but a bit inclined to be
happy. A moment later the plump
face Of Berkeley Fresno appeared eau
tiously around the door.jamb. He
coughed again gravely.
'T happened to be passing" said he.
You'll pardon me?"
"This is the most thickly settled
spot in New Mexico!" Chaplin declared
with an artificial laugh. choking his
Indignation.
Fresno slowly brought his round
body out from concealment.
II came in to get match
"Why don't you carry matches?"
Fresno pulled complacently upon his
| pipe. "This." he mused. as his host
departed, eliminates the chaperon.
and that helps some"
Still Bill Slower lost no time In
breaking the news to the boys.
There's something comm or" he
advised Willie. We've got another
foot.runner!"
If he had hoped for an outburst Of
rapture on the part of the little gun
man he was disappointed, for Willie
shifted his holster. smiled eyilly
through his glasses, and inquired. with
ominous restraint:
where Is he?"
Being the one man on the Flying
Heart who had occasion to wear a
gun, Willie seldom smiled from a
sense Of humor. Here 1t may be said
that, deceived at first by his scholarly
appearance, his fellow.laborers had
jibed at Willie's affectation of swing
ing holster, but the custom had Ian
guished abruptly. When it became
known who he was. the other ranch
hands had volubly declared that this
was free country, where a man
might exercise q wide discretion in
the choice Of personal. adornment;
and as for them, they avowed unani-
mously that the practice Of packing a
Colts was one which met with their
most cordial appreciation. In time
Willie's six.shooter had become &C.
| cepted as a part Of the local scenery.
and, like the scenery, no one thought
Of rcmarking upon it, least Of all those
who best knew his lack Of humor He
had come to them out Of the Nowhere.
some four years previously, and while
he never spoke Of himself, and dis
coureged "Reminiscences in others, 1t
| became known through those vague
uncharted channelS by which news
travels on the frontier, that back in
the Texas Panhandle there was .
limping marshal who felt regrets at
mention Of his name, and that farther
north were other men who had su-
perstitious dread Of undersized cow
men with spectacles.
"This here IL real foot-runner."
said Slower.
Exactly" agreed the other. where
10 he?"
Hell be here this afternoon. Mig
eer Mixes bringin' him over from the
railroad. He's q guest"
"Oh!"
"Yep! He's intercollegit champeen
cs Yale"
"Yale?" repeated the near-sishted
man. Don't knows ever been
there. Much Of q town."
II amt never travelled east myself.
but Miss Jean and the little yaller-
haired girl say he's the fastest man In
the world. I hggered we might RIB
up something with the Contipede."
| Still Bill winked sagely.
"see here, do you reckon he'd rum"