The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1916-12-22


ht cigarette and said:
"Fire awayF
I had prepared an exposition Of IN,
condition of the property and begar
at the beginning, but had not proceed
Cd far before she stopped me.
See here, pard." she said In q mix
ture Of Scotch and cowboy dialect
"I'm no shot at business could ma
hit q barn door that away. My IA.
Their and your father run this ranch
together 80 long az my father lived,
since when your father dealt the cards.
You say your father left the manage
ment to you. What can I do but the
same thingf IN ma interfere with ye."
This ended our business talk, and II
was not very long before preached
another subject ! asked Miss Helen
II she intended to live on the ranch
for the future as In the past
@You bot your bottom dollar don't"
she said. Then her face took on q
troubled expression as she continued.
"But what can dof Where can goi
I'm M At to associate with girls who
have been brought up as girls. I'm
nothin' but a cowboy"-the adjective
preceding the word cowboy Ia omitted.
Girls Of my age would turn the cold
shoulder to me. All I'm fit for h b
hobnob with punchers."
My father had been her adviser and
had submitted plans for her bringing
up, but had not insisted on any Of
them. Now she was beginning TO 10
alise the necessity for getting educated
and polished, and I found no difficulty
In persuading her to assent to O plan
I proposed. II was simply to take her
east with me and place her at boarding
school
remained several weeks on the
ranch studying the estate TO which
had fallen Joint heir with Helen Mac
Alister. Then we started east togeth
or, and at the end Of tho Journey she
became an inmate OF school the prin
cipal Of which informed OF her an.
tecedents and received the lady's prom
ise that she would treat Helen accord.
ingly.
There was no money income to our
Joint estate, so I paid Miss MacAlls.
ter's expenses from any funds that
happened to have on hand. keeping an
account Of the expenditures. She ask,
ed no questions an to where the money
came from, nor did she ever inquire as
to tho condition Of her property. She
wrote me frequently. at first address
ing me as "Dear pard," but soon the
new influences changed all this, and
was addressed properly. The principal
Of the school considered her my ward
and sent me reports Of her progress, a.
surfing me that she was getting on "a.
mously. One Of the most difficult Of
her former habits to eradicate was that
Of using profnne language, since It was
liable to come out under impulse.
Helen MacAlister remained at the
academy two years. when ! arranged
for her transfer TO finishing school
where she remained another year. Dur.
Ing her schooldays I never saw her.
She complsinsd that I left her "for
lorn," she having no one but me to be
Interested In. At the end OF the third
year Of her studies arranged that she
should visit lady whom had inter
ested In her. and then for the FIRST time
In three years called on her.
! found a beautiful woman Of TWEEN.
~, In whom not trace Of the ranch
remained. Since I was tho only per.
son In the world with whom she had
the slightest connection she was nat
urally much moved ut meeting me. In
deed, II seemed difficult for her TO re-
strain herself from throwing her arms
about me.
Meanwhile | had been getting our
property into shape. The herds had
grown from hundreds to thousands.
and the necessary sales OF cattle pro
duced large Income. The most rea
sonable plum for me with one who
though not Iegally. had really become
my ward, was II she was so disposed
TO marry her.
Her reception Of my propOsal con
vinced me that former habits are liable
TO crop out under strong emotion. My
declaration was preceded by a matter
OF fact statement Of our connected
business Interests and the fact that
was her only protector. From this
dropped into vein more akin TO my
feelings and ended by telling her that
I loved her and asked her TO be my
wife.
you betr' she exclaimed. and threw
herself into my arms,
! certainly had no objection to this
Of her but II did not seem
10 me very honorable thing for me
10 take girl who had seen no men, n
girl with something Of a fortune, and
appropriate her TO myself. formed
I very virtuous resolution, which was
10 arrange home for her with some
older person Of her own sex TO guide
and control her for. say, two years
II during that time she mot any one
The wished to marry, then II would be
my duty to give her to such person. II
after two years familiarity with the
world she was still fancy free I would
II perfectly proper for me to
win her II I could.
! had difficulty In inducing her to
to see the world. She said
hat We, being partners In business
Ihould remain together, she not consid
ring that would be impossible with