The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1914-06-26


new pretty girl most got heart. Then
stop there, white man. quick. Old
love gone away. New love not quite
come Heart empty. White man safe!
That. white man, is Pretty Flowers
love cure" She dropped his hand and
stepped back. surveying him with
bright, watchful eyes.
well. of all the Say, Pretty Flow
er. that's not bad scheme Of yours!"
burst forth Lew excitedly. THAT'S
some little cure. believe I'll try 1t.
Here" He brought out Il roll of bills
and placed in the delighted squaw's
palm a crisp and cracking five dollar
note.
So Sun Dog and Pretty Flower went
joyfully home to the reservation.
while Lew Kelsey wheeled his horse
about and returned to the Twin Star
ranch. He reached there just in time
for supper. and when the meal had
been hurried through he Joined his
companions in making an elaborate
toilet. for they were all going to attend
the dance ut the schoolhouse in Red
Spider that evening.
All was merriment in the school,
house. The desks and seats had been
piled outside. and on the platform
were three flddlers and cracked nj
ano. But the music was of the popu-
lar order. and amusements were few
and far between in Red Spider. so
that the dancers were not overpartic-
ular so long as the tiddlers kept in
tune with the piano and their feet
could beat time on the hard oaken
floor.
Anita Rooney was there. the center
Of laughing. joking crowd of men
and girls. Lew Kelsey stood against
the wall and felt brief pang as his
gaze included Anita's crisp red hair
and glimpse Of her laughing face.
Then he steadied himself and looked
about for the girl who was to effect
Pretty Flowers love cure.
He knew most Of the girls present,
but there were one or two who were
strangers to him. One of them. a pref
ty, dark eyed. black haired girl. dressed
in white. with pale blue girdle about
her slim waist. seemed more Of a
stranger than the Others She was
with DR.. Blake's wife. and as Lew
Kelsey was an intimate friend Of the
Blakes he felt no hesitation in ap-
preaching the doctors wife and in OBJ
tanning an introduction to her guest
from the east. Esther Gray.
Miss Esther Gray proved to be
most delightful acquaintance. She was
as sweet and charming as she was
pretty. and Lew felt that there wouldn't
be the least difficulty in losing his
heart to Esther. Only the trouble was
he might want her to keep it. In that
case, where was the good Of Pretty
Flowers love cure?
At any rate. he would be out of love
with the scornful Anita!
AS the evening wore on Lew found
himself quite forgetting Miss Rooney
and her ruddy charms On the other
hand. Anita sensed that she was los
ing an admirer. 1t was all very we'll
to laugh at Lew Kelsey's pretensions
to her hand and heart; still she had
been proud Of the attentions Of the
handsome young cowpuncher. only
only-well, Anita Rooney was ambi
tfous. and she had set her heart on
marrying well. No mere cowpuncher
would do. 1t must be the ranch owner
himself for Pat Rooney's daughter. Ii
was one thing to refuse Lew Kelsey
and still have him dangling at her
heels disconSolate lover. 1t was
quite another matter to have him ap-
parently forgetting all about her and
paying devoted attention to that black
eyed witch from the east.
So Anita sent for Lew and told him
reproachfully that she had saved three
dances for him. las usual" and that
he had not come to claim them And
Lew. who recognized Anita's wiles
grinned good naturally and asked her
to dance. Even while his strong arm
guided her through the maZes Of the
waltz. which Is still popular in Red
Spider district. Anita resentfully felt
that his thoughts us we'll as his eyes
We're following the graceful figure OF
Esther Gray.
At the end of another week Prett,
Flowers love cure was working. Lew
had almost forgotten his love for Ami
tn Rooney. while his growing love
for Esther Gray was an ever present
Joy.
One morning while he was herding
cattle on the western ranges the
thought of the projected love cure,
>mote his memory.
"Ah. | Couldn't couldn't keep my
self from loving herr" he said. with a
tender smile
'Ill ask her to ride out to Sunset
point with me-" he decided. ''rhere
I'll ask her. and If she'Il have me
why. I'll buy that little ranch of Nick
ArsOns. and we'll-we'll call it Para
lise. for it can't be anything else with
Esther there"
1t was just ut sunset when Esther
and av X ulsnv r<,t..