Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-01-07

LURE OF STRENGTH
. IDA

INr
when they saw the cowboy at the wire
fence waiting for them.
He had dismounted and was stand
Ing by his pony feeling a 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 tu~rned-down Mexican hat.
ALI the long afternoon she'd been
CHANGING 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 sa'
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.
a l<CL Gill upy ulhls bdiu Nv oiiSA
bald-headed man who had accompanied
her this far. This lets me out. It's
me for the ranch"
HGood-by-oh, and thank yor,
Badly" said the girl, smiling at him.
Well 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, land 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 af-
f~ectionately.
She rode true western fashion, we'll
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?"
eNot a bit" she said, and tossed her
head. "Baldy called to me to come
ahead II / was goin' to Uncle Ben's to
stay all night and he'd ride as far as
the south pasture fence with me. And
he did" she laughed, intoxicated with
the bravado of their plan for elope'
ment.
"Baldy's q good old button" said
Jim. delightediy.
They rounded. an u%ndulating bit Of
prairie and in the distance, to the
right, q windmill came in view.
, "Wen go by the shack" he said,
"and you "a rest a WHILE"
But before they reached 1t, there
were two hours of riding in the beat
ing July sun.
| They had turned toward the west
nov and sometimes Jim held his big
cowboy hat before her face to shield
her eyes from the glare.
The heat waves ROE and danced on
the surface of the shrubbery, the crick
cts and locusts chirped in ~unceasing
monotonous strain.
tlaNN = h6A rs LLO cAuDcl dICc VI DDbll. .
spirits died out gradually unit. f-!
was only a tired little maid with -an
.4Grnt checks 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 y~earning
toward her swept over him, and he
reached out for her hand on the bride
rein and crushed 1t in his own big
rough paw, Once he rode near enough
to- bend owe 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.
/ 1t was a one.room shack of rough
lumber, with a lean-to kitchen in the
rear.
There was a bed In one corner with
a decent quilt and two pillows with
snowy slips. The floor was brushed
clean. and two empty cracker boxes
In lieu of chairs. was all the room con,
tanned, except a small zinc trunk.
Jim went for a fresh bucket Of
water. and as Bonita stared about her
the last remnant Of romanc slipped
away and she was seized with a com
d. Al -. W. ~ 81. .
plete revulsion Of feeling.
She pictured the big, low.ceiled
rooms of the ranch house of her ia
Their, the dainty muslin curtains, the
piano. the comfortable rocking chairs
and the new velour-covered davenport
folding I'D of which she and Nil had
been 80 proud.
Jim returned with the water. fol
want OF q chair, the weary girl hat
dropped down on the side Of the bee
and half-reclined against a pillow. He
dipped up q dripping cupful and gave
It to her. setting the bucket on one Of
the boxes.