The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-26
The Evening Story
Clothes and the Man.
(By Elsa Grimshaw.)


| ranch, and then tramped away.
Letter for you, Rose" said Uncle
Dick, tossing missive to his niece.
Looks as if It might be from that
New York dude you're going to
marry"
Don't tease the child, Dick" pro-
tested Aunt Susan, with a glance at
Roses blushing face. I'm sure Mr..
Dixon is charming, and I am anxious
to meet him. I'm tired of the very
sight of sombreros and spurred boots
I'd like to see a man dressed in civil
lized clothing once more!"
"Hear-hear!" gibed Uncle Dick,
juggling his own spurred heels. keep
your young man away from the Red
Bar outfit, my dear, or your Aunt Su-
san will monopolize him.
Rose looked up. "She shall have a
chance, very soon," she said slowly
Burton writes that he will be here
Thursday
That's tomorrow" cried Aunt Su-
san arising in a flutter. Il will have
Ching Ling clean the spare room at
once, and, Dick, do have Bob wash
the blackboard and mend the russell
harness. It's disgrace!' She bus
tied out of the room and Rose, slow
ly folding her letter, was conscious
of the half-humorous scrutiny of her
uncle.
You don't seem overjoyed at the
prospect of meeting your sweetheart"
said Uncle Dick.
''Why. Uncle Dick, I am; only
only-somehow, after being out here
in the open, where the men are so big
in every respect, big minded and
warm hearted, it does seem as though:
Burton appeared pigmy by compar-
ison.'
Tut! Tut chided the rancher
seriously. You mustn't let romantic
ideas of the west run away with your
common sense. These cowpunchers
are all right, my dear. They average
up like other men-they are no worse.
For my part, I'm stated with the lone
forward to meeting a cultivated man
who can talk something save cattle
and the weather." He patted her
shoulder as he passed out. Rose
walked out to the veranda. Reddy
Peters, gallant form astride huge
sorrel horse, was daShing out through
the gates. Her eyes followed him I'M
til he disappeared over a rise of
ground.
What would all these laughing,
carefree cowpunchers say to the i'm
maculate Mr.. Dixon of New York?
She wished desperately that some
thing would prevent Burton from
coming She dreaded the ordeal of
his visit He shrank by comparison
with these sons of the plains. If she
had come here first, she told herself,
she should not now be engaged to
Dixon.
told herself as she mounted her buck
skin pony, and, quite regardless of
uncovered head and ungloved hands, |
rode out of the yard and away over
the free hills.
Wont Burton be shocked when he
sees my tanned skin? ~ she laughed
once when she paused breathlessly to
rest in the silent shade of a wind !
distorted cottonwood tree. Il am of
the very 'tomboy' type he abhors.''
The next day Reddy Peters was
delegated to drive over to the station
for Mr. Dixon. Somehow the news
had got about that the expected |
guest was the fiance of their employ |
er's niece, and his coming was await |
ed with interest by the dozen men
in the Red Bar outfit.
Il expect he's some lily-fingered |
Willie boy sncered Chappie Dill |
scOrnfully.
1--WE might teach him that East |
can't never be West, no matter how |
who read Kipling, although he had |
never been to school in his adven-
turous life.
81 expect the boss wouldn't thank |
anybody for making a fool of his |
guest" snapped Abel Gray, the vet |
eran of the ranch.
Il reckon Burtie boy can make a
fool out of himself all right without |
any help sulked Chappie. I'm |
going to lend him Black Satan to
ride
you better &c moseying for an
other job right soon,' muttered Abel.
Chappie laughed scornfully and |
Hoped toward the corral
Abel turned to the more serious
Liscum. Better keep your hands
off him, Lis he warned.
Liscum yawned and made no reply.
At the last moment Rose decided to
accompany Reddy Peters, and, mount
ing Buckskin, she rode beside the |
wagon it rumbled over the dusty
trail to Pinto station.
Out of the corners Of her violet
eyes she caught glimpses of Reddy's
huge form slouched over on the seat
of the blackboard and she decided
that he made a better appearance in
the saddle.
dering into Pinto station and thun-
dered away again, leaving on the
platform a we1l-dressed young man,
tall and rather slimly built, with q
decidedly good-looking face under his
ca -eless gray felt hat.
'-Dolled up some" muttered Ready
as he noted Dixons well-fitting gray
Norfolk jacket. You won't look
much like a dude by the time L get
back to the Red Bar" he added with
a chuckle.
Burton Dixon may have felt sur
prised at sight of the sun tanned face
of his pretty sweetheart. but he ex-
pressed only a lover-like delight at
seeing her again-a delight that
found expression in close clasp of
her hands and a long look from his
brown eyes
Strange to say. Rose felt the old
thrill OF his presence, the magnetism