The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-22
EVENING STORY
The Star Trail.
BY IzoLA FORESTER.

BY lZOLA FOHRESTER.
If Walt had not been young and
trusting he'd never have answered tie
advertisement, but when you've spent
your life in western Nebraska, person
ally conducting squads of cattle from
range to railroad station, and there
after riding with them and punching
them into submission to an all-wise
providence. you're apt to be in a re-
ceptive condition for romance.
Walt was. From the first day when
he found the advertisement, he knew
the star path his feet must tread He
was sitting on a baggage truck in the
cool shadow of the Three Bears ex-
press office, peacefully sleeping.
Runty. the agent, laid over his face
a copy of the Omaha Eagle. When
Walt wakened, his glance wandered
idly over its want columns. 1t was
down among the Personals" Walt
read it over carelessly at first, then
carefully, looking up once to gaze at
the demure but forbidding face behind
the telegraph office window. Then he
read over The "ad' again.
Wanted - Young astern
widow, blonde, "a, wishes to cor
respond with western ranchman.
not over 80. Object, matrimony"
He held the newspaper firmly in
both hands. There was no reason why
he should not answer the appeal He
didn't have a ranch all his own, but
Bill and he had been good partners
with the Triple Star outfit. The house
wasn't so bau. three rooms and
leanto. He'd fix it up for her, chuck
all the old clutter he and Bill had
put up with. and send up a load of
mail order honeymoon things for her
to make her know she was welcome.
Here Walt took second look at the
unfriendly face at the window, but the
girl never turned her head or noticed
around into the station doorway and
leaned over the little partition at the
| ticket office. Could he have a tele-
graph blank, please? Cherry did not
glance up at all, just passed one to
him coolly. He spent half an hour
writing his message, took a long drink
from the water cooler and handed the
telegram to he~ to count up.
send it off any time it's handy"
he remarked, trying to be nonchalant
also. Cherry ran her pencil over it.
| Dear Administering your adj in
! Omaha Eagle, 1 am hereby present.
| ing myself with honorable intentions.
| Have 7S2-acre ranch, in partnership
1 with one Bill Owens. No money in
! bank, but credit hereabouts and with
mail order firms. Height six feet one
| inch; weight, one hundred and sixty.
If satisfactory. will wire fare, Wane-
onta, Nebraska.
WALTER X RAMSDELL."
Might message?" asked Cherry,
pleasantly, as she drew her pencil
I thru Dear Madam"
[ Walt resented her air of aloofness
and lack of curiosity. He hauled out
| a pigskin wallet and extracted a yell
low bill.
Send it now and get it there this
afternoon 1 don't care what it costs.
] Any corrections to suggest?"
| Cherrys blue eyes looked him over
/ slowly, in one sweeping summary of
| his apparent shortening as an ideal
sutton. and shook her head aggravat-
| ingly, with a certain little curl to her
/ short upper lip. Some months pre-
viously, she had been courted assid-
uously by Mr.. Ramsdell, and being
the only attractive and desirable girl
| in a radius of forty miles, she had
failed to take his offer at its proper
valuation. Walt waited grimly until
she had dispatched the message, then
| rode away with new aggressive tilt
to his hat and sinking feeling in his
heart at the desperate step he had
! taken.
In the days of waiting for his an
| swer, he haunted the telegraph office.
Cherry was likewise postmistress, and
! Bill warned him of his danger.
Its just as dangerous hanging
| around some female you've been once
attached to as it is getting measles the
second time. 1 wouldn't put it past
Cherry bit to try and get ahead of
the eastern widow and think she's do
Ing something mighty smart"
But Cherry held serenely to her own
course of action. Instead of being
scornful, she became sympathetic and
rather remorseful. When she found
T,1N
der catalog that guaranteed to furnish
a honeymoon equipment at 81 much
per room, she aided, him instead of
| laughing. Walt found himself defer
| ring to her taste in snowflake cur
tains and golden oak sideboards. II
! was Cherry who suggested cutting out
the photograph and putting in a stu
do willow set instead. and a low
bookcase. Walt had hesitated over a
red velvet set.
1T isn't becoming to blondes" she
said. thoughtfully.
brown short curls and wide brown
eyes, alert as a squirrels, and for one
instant he thought of how she would
look surrounded by the studio willow
set He leaned over the little wooden
barrier between them eagerly, forget
full of windows
IT'S awfully good of you to tend to
all this stuff for me. Cherry. I'd never
thought of that fireless cooker or the
washing machine or that line oil
things. You know there wasn't any
real reason why we dtdn't-well-
didn't get married ourselves, only you
seemed unwilling"
| Cherry's bowed head gave no sign oil
attention: she was getting the sigma
for the incoming train on the eastern
track.
Cherry, girl" Wait felt all caution
leave him suddenly. Il amt any hand
at delivering speeches. but 1 cam
stand II. seeing you here day after
day. You're just the only girl in the
whole world for me-"
Cherry swung past him with the
mail pouch over her shoulder. laugh
| aoftlxy avaa filled with mis-.