Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1915-02-18
ooooeoooooooooooooooooOoOO
LURE OF STRENGTH
BY IDA SPEED.
(copyriEht.)

He had dismounted and was stanu
Ing by his pony feeling little nervous
for about the first time in his COW
punching existence.
Bonita was SO young. He could see
from there how erect she sat her little
blue pony, and he knew how fetching
ly she could look at one from beneath
that turned-down Mexican hat.
All the long afternoon she'd beer
glanclng at him thus, and after that
something caught in his strong, mus
cular throat-after that she would be
his beyond the power Of law or pa
rental persuasion.
He could see her little gauntleted
hand now raised above her head In ga
lutte. He waved back and presently
jerked loose the three strands Of wire
which here stapled into the crooked
cedar post and stood on them while
she rode out of her fathers ranch
properties.
Let EN- up, JIM" said the homely
bald-headed man who had accompanied
her this far. "This let's me out. It's
me for the ranch"
"Good-by-oh, and thank you
Badly" said the girl. smiling at him
We'll do as much for you some day"
BE good, and If you can't be good,
be pretty" admonished Jim, as he
mounted.
"Adios," called Badly, ignoring his
friend, "and good luck to you" and
jabbing his spurs into his pony he
was gone in the direction whence he
had just come.
The man and girl rode on toward
the south. He looked her over az
fectionately.
She rode true western fashion, well
back in her saddle. heels down, and
toes pointed out. Behind her a bundle
was tied by the leather thongs Of the
saddle.
Beauty" he said caressingly, did
you have trouble gettin' away from
Mil and stepmother?"
Not Bit" she said, and tossed her
head. Badly called to me to come
ahead if was goin' to Uncle Ben's tc
stay all night and he'd ride as far as
the south pasture fence with me. And
he did," she laughed, intoxicated with
the braYado Of their plan for elope
ment.
"Baldy's a good old button" said
Jim, delightedly.
"Baldy asked II thirty miles wasn't
a long ride for me to stay in the same
notion" she declared, showing hei
dimples. But I reckon I won't back
out now. Even If see Bill Perry when
l get to town." she added. with touch
of the seasoned coQuette in spite Of
only eighteen summers to her record.
Jim looked at her keenly. He was
always uneasy when she talked like
that. Bonita's face was inscrutable.
Oh, but it was fun to keep him
guessing!
This was no boy, but o six-foot man
Of Drawn and strength, a decade her
senior in years, and century in ex.
perience.
Besides, had she not taken him away
from Mildred, her older sister, whom
he had first come to the ok ranch tc
see? Had she not stopped him from
riding dangerous horses, and from 9th.
er bad habits?
They rounded an undulating bit OF
prairie and in the distance, to the
right, windmill came in view.
"We1l go by the shack" he said,
"and you can rest a WHILE"
But before they reached It, there
were two hours Of riding in the beat.
ing July sun.
They had turned toward the west
now and sometimes Jim held his big
cowboy hat before her face to shield
her eyes from the glare.
The heat waves rose and danced on
the surface of the shrubbery, the crick.
cts and locusts chirped In unceasing.
strain.
Then the exuberance Of Bonita's
spirits died out gradually until she
was only a tired little maid with sun.
burnt cheeks and lips almost blistered
in the intense heat.
He tried to cheer her with plans for
the future and many yarns Of the sort
which hitherto had held her spell |
bound.
Sometimes an irresistible yearning |
toward her swept over him, and he
reached out for her hand on the bride
rein and crushed It in his own big, |
rough paw. Once he rode near enough |
to bend over and kiss her cheek.
When they reached his shack at last |
Bonita had become difident.
She protested feebly that they ought |
not to go in, but she was tired and hot
and allowed herself after all to be
lifted down from her saddle and al
most carried In the house.
II was a one-room shack Of rough
lumber, with lean-to kitchen In the
rear.
There was a bed in one corner with
! decent quilt and two pillows with
snowy slips. The floor was brushed
clean, and two empty cracker boxes,
n lieu of chairs, was all the room con-