The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-07-29
Darlington
A Story of Ranch life
BY ESTHER vANDEyEER

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No' only boys read stories of deeds
Vi herolsm. Girls sometimes ahsor,,
sneAn and fall in love with the heroes
!" Asn ! was girl / dotted on such
stories Soldier boys were nv favor.
i.es Dur l conceived a great adm,ra.
'-on LOT the western cowboy. Having
eoine from refined family and bvad
AZ Ine east, where 1 never saw 81 cru,-
ooy' IL Is quite possible that had | mat
one OF them my illusion wopla h.ra
disappeared like thin mist before the
suns rays. 'A'e
ne TYPICAL cowboy or cowpuncher
as ne is called, / was told later. mur'
oers the kings English, the corners NJ
ns mouth are gummed with tobacco
JUICE his every third word is an oath
ana be gets drunk whenever he finds
an opportunity. don't mean to say
'u"t there are not quiet, respectable
young men among them, but the mn
!ority don't pretend to be Garnet
knights.
"hen ! was nineteen years old INV
orolher' after graduating at college.
concluded 10 make a ranchman of
nlmseH and. going to the west. mr.
enased ana stocked ranch. He wrote
glowing letters about the life he led
riding over his broad acres WATCHING
us nerds Increase. and seemed rather
pieased with the lawlessness of a conn
Try wherein every man was his own ar
torney and his revolver his constable
de sent home photograph of himself
on horseback. a sombrero on his head
a laf1at at his saddlebow and n revolv-
er al MS hip. 1t fired my Imagination.
and | thought how fine it would be for
me TO have n lover rugged out in the
same fashion.
a Time came when he wrote me To
make him a visit. | was wild TO go
out my parents objected. However. I
was 80 persistent in my entreaties that
tney at last consented. Having no es-
cort was obliged to travel most of
the way alone. My brother wrote ma
that he would send some one to es-
cort me over the last sixty miles since
the journey was through a rough coun-
try and he was unwilling that | sbould
pass over alone. This distance was
made up Of fifty miles of railway and
ten or wagon travel The man was
10 meet would wear yellow ribbon in
his buttonhole. He would pass through
the train and was to stop him when
ne reached me and ask If he was John
Darlington.
When Mr.. Darlington came slowly
walking down the aisle of the car |
saw that be fulfilled my ideas of the
man i would like to love and be loved |
by. Though roughly dressed In flannel
shirt and trousers and a light coat. he
showed unmistakabIe signs of being TO
the manner born. How many pistols
and knives he carried on his person
did not know, but one huge revolver
was stuck in his belt in front.
In a buttonhole of his coat he car
r1ed yellow ribbon which l recognized
at once as having held together bun
die OF cigars. This assured me that
he was the man was TO meet, and
addressed him. asking him if he were
not Mr.. Darlington. His face broke
into beautiful smile, and he lifted his
sombrero and took a seat beside me.
Mr.. Darlington told me that he had
a ranch near my brothers and that
they. being the only two gentlemen in
the neighborhood, had become fast
friends. My brother had mentioned my
coming. and Darlington had asked per-
mission to be my escort over the latter
part OF the journey. OF course real
lied that he would relish the care OF a
young girl, since he had probably not
seen one OF his own class for a long
while.
found Mr.. Darlington very agree
ible conyersationalist / asked him
Why he wore a revolver in front In
'tead of at the hip, where the heroes
had read about carried their weapons.
His reply was not very satisfactory.
learned afterward that the trains had
,een often robbed, and he desired to
ave his gun" where he could grasp
In the shortest possible time. The
eason why he did not tell me this
vas because he did not wish to fright
n me. Nevertheless his being thus
rmed naturally suggested danger to ,
ne, and felt how fine 1t would be to
e protected by him.
We had passed over the principal
art Of the journey. The train was by 3
% means full. and my escort In order ,
D give me more room turned over the Z
ack of the seat In front and sat there
acing me. | was looking out through =
be window when | heard the forward
COR thrown open with bang and the {
lords pronounced in a quick, sharp, O
ngry tone:
Hands up. air. -
A man entered the car, while another b
closed the door and stood
18th his back against it. carbine at =
Is shoulder. pointed down the aisle. G
he first man had no arms in his hand r
Only few seconds elapsed E
efore heard the same banging Of
le rear door and, turning, saw a man