The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-04
Observation-Disclosures
Lure OF STRENGTH
BY IDA SPEED.

ihSS were dUOut mali Il ililie away
when they saw the cowboy at the wire
sence waiting for them
He had dismounted and was stand
ilg 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 been
glancing 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.
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.
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-
fectionately.
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?"
mot a bit" she said, and tossed her
head. Badly called to me to come
ahead If 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 brayado of their plan for elope-
ment
"Baldy's a good old button" said
Jim, delightedly.
"Baldy asked if thirty miles wasn't
a long ride for me to stay in the same
notion" she declared, showing her
dimples. But | reckon | won't back
out now. Even if see Bill Perry when
| 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 face was inscrutable.
Oh, but it was fun to keep him
guessing.
This was no boy, but 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 9K ranch to
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.
Wen 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 I!;n nod ii, biz
cowboy hat befo-C her iaee 30 shield
her eyes from die glare.
The heat waves ICse and danced on
the surface of the shrubbery, the crick-
cts and locusts chirped in unceasing,
monotonous strain.
Then the exuberance of Bonita's
spirits died out gradually until she
was only tired li';!e N ID with sun
burnt CHEEKS ami lips almost biistered
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