The Ocala banner., 1914-08-28
A Question
of Value
1t Involves the Subject
Love
BY IDA SPEED
pyright by Frank A. Munsey Co.

Given two men and woman you ii
most always have romance: two wo-
men and one man are apt to produce
a riot. but take two women and two
men, all in love. and every one of 'em
bein' a misfit. as you might say, and
it's like two ring circus-you can't
possibly take in all the details
When this here Miss Daphne Don
aldson first throws i'm with the west
it's with no notion except to forgit
past unpleasantnesSes which, | learn
afterward was caused by her havin'
Pullman tastes and her husband hav-
In day coach pOcketboOk.
Course, in order to win her he puts
up d bigger front than his bank ac-
count calls for, and when he can't live
up to the premises she pleads nonsup
port and requests her maiden name.
so when we first see her she's got
both the divorce and said maiden
name and has few west to escape the
gossip and scandal ensuin' from the
same.
III IOOh a SPCOtdt W AlCA5hL hCh
trunks out to the ranch, and she had
clothes that made the men set up and
take notice and the wOmen's eyes turn
green with envy:
2 She shore has the heart broke look,
and she amt been here a week before
see plain that Johnny Duval is gOin'
to be first aid to the injured.
You see, the biggest part Of this
ranch is owned by a man back east
named Stoner. who was her confiden-
tial adviser, and he tells her just to
come and make herself at home here
till such time as she feels like facin'
the world again.
Now, Mary Talbert, whose folks have
charge Of this outfit, is one Of them
quiet. practical girls who only know
one way to lOve-that's with secret,
consumin' passion.
Secret, that is only to the object of It,
and consumin' all her time in thinkin'
about it. The object OF Mary's devO-
tion was Johnny Duyal.
That such is bad enough.
But about three weeks after Miss
Daphne arrives Mr.. Talbert gifts a let
ter from this StOner sayin' he can't
come out to look after some matters
as he does once each year, but is send
in substitute who will make new
contract with Talbert and attend to all
business for him.
I drive in to meet this duck, whose
name is SmithsOn. and | find a tall.
slim fellow dressed like them pictures
in the back of the magazine where it
says:
IF you want to feel at ease in any
society, wear"-etc., and who can ask
more questions than a jackleg lawyer?
When we reach the house Daphne
and Mary are on the east gallery.
make 'em acquainted with Mr. Smith
son.
Daphne is standin' foolin' with a
chain she always wears around her
neck with some kind of little hOodus
on the end Of it.
'How do you do?" she says, noddin'
her head. Indifferent Then she turns
with a rattle of silk and walks in the
house.
"Glad to meet YOU" says Mary. hold
In out her hand. Have you all had
your dinnerT'
When we say we haven't she gifts up.
smOothin' out her fresh gingham dress.
and goes in to set dinner out.
That was the difference between 'em.
In weeks time Mr. Smithson looks
like he's forgot he was sent here for
any purpose but to make love to Mary.
who is real nice to him to keep from
showin' how she hates to see Johnny
and Daphne together so much.
But. listen, that's not the worst.
What does the grass widow do but
begin to build a stack at this here
Smithson, who don't seem to notice it,
he's that took up with Mary Talbert
1t was like singin' "Three Blind
Mice" They all fell in with the same
words to the same tune, but only pro-
duced tumble in the end.
watch 'em pretty close and observe
more or less human nacher in all of
'em.
From the very first l know why
Mary is treatin' Smithson so nice. but
1T takes long time for me to CLEAN
that Johnny is playin' the same game
with Daphne because he don't think
Mary cares for him.
l tiggered that this Daphne didn't
take to western ways and folks. and II
wasn't so much Smithson as them back
east garments of his'n that was hold
1n' her spellbound.
And it took this here Smithson Just
a month to do what Stoner usually
attends TO, gittin' back by return mail
Before he leaves we begin to work
the cattle. The first day we rounded
up the north Cross S, and course the
women wanted to go on the drive.
Johnny Duval was on his fancies
cuttin' horse. Don. and he was shown
tof the least mite, as cowboys will dt
with back east folks lookin' on.
Smithson was swell in his ridin' togs
with little race spurs, and his noun