Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-08-25
CHAPTER II:
-. -! EEa0'
H1his is our RANCH"

CHAPTER u:
s4 "This is our ranch"
IN EFORE Berea could reply mans
* voice called. Hello, there!' and
tall fellow stepped up to her
- with confident mien.
Norcross awkwardly shrank away.
This was her cowboy lover. of course.
It was impossible that so attractive 4
girl should be unattached. and the
knowledge produced in him faint, but
very definite pang4of envy and re-
greet. s atSt ssl 3
The happy girl. even III the excite
ment Of meeting her lover, did not for
get the stranger. She gave him her
hand in parting. and again he thrilled
to it's amazing power. 1t was small.
but it was like steel clamp. stop
IN ON your way to Meeker's.' she said.
as kindly man would have done.
You pass our gate. Nv father is
Joseph McFarlane. the forest supervis-
or Good night ,.. p =, ~. as.-7 .
Good night" he returned with sin
cere liking. 20" ~
The hotel was hardly larger than the
log shanty of a railway grading camp
but the meat was edible, and just out
side the door roared Bear creek. which
came down directly from Dome noun
tain, and the young easterner went to
sleep beneath its singing that night.
He should have dreamed of the happy
mountain girl. but he did not. On the
contrary. he imagined himself back at
college in the midst of innumerable
freshmen yelling: bill Mccoy! Bill
Mccoy .>,$2 n 49,
He woke a little ,bewildered by his
strange surroundings. and when he be-
came aware of the cheap bed, the film
sy washstand. the ugly wall paper and
thought how far he was from home and
friends he not only sighed, he shivered.
The room was chill. the pitcher of wa
ter cold almost to the freezing point.
and his joints were stiff and painful
from his ride. What folly to come so
far into the wilderness at this time!
As the eastern youth crawled from
his bed and looked from the window he
was still further disheartened. In the
foreground stood a half dozen frame
buildings. graceless and cheap. with
out tree or shrub to give shadow or
charm Of line-all was bare. bleak.
sere. But under his window the
stream was singing its glorious noun
tain song. aud away to the west rose
the aspiring peaks from which it came.
Romance brooded in that shadow and
on the lower foothills the frost touch
ed foliage glowed like a mosaic Of jew
els. =.
Dressing hurriedly he went down to
the small barroom.S whose litter Of
duffle bags. guns. saddles and camp
utensils gave evidence Of the presence
of many hunters and fishermen. The
slovenlv landlord was porting over 4
newspaper. while a discouraged half
grown youth was sludging the floor
with a mop. But a cheerful clamor
from an open door ut the back Of the
hall told that breakfast was on.
Venturing over the threshold. Nor
cross found himself seated at table
WIFI SUIlo 1--WE Ut Mn ulcu III SoluuIoF
jackets and laced boots. who were. in
fact, merchants and professional men
from Denver and Pueblo out for fish
and such game as the law allowed.
and all in holiday mood. They joked
the waiter girls and joshed one anoth-
err in noisy good fellowship. ignoring
the slim youth in English riding suit.
who came in with an air Of mingled
melancholy and timidity and took
seat at the lower corner of the long
table.
AS he looked about the room the
tourists eve was attracted by four
young fellows seated at small table
to his right. They wore rough shirts
of an olive-green shade and their faces
were wind scorched. but their voices
held a pleasant tone, and something in
the manner Of the landladv toward