The Raymer enterprise., 1923-08-09
The Light of Western Stars
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noblemen. The hard thing b to dls.
cover II. All his hideous person, all
his actions and speech. are masks OF
his real nature. Nels 10 = Joy. a sim
pie. sweet, kindly. quiet man whom
some woman should have loved. What
would love have meant to himl He
told me that no woman sver loved him
except his mother, and he lost her
when he was ten. Every man ought to
be loved-especially such . man a.
Nels. Somehow bis gun record does
not impress me. l never could believe
he killed man. Then take your fore
man. Stewart. He u . cowboy. his
work and life the same a the others
But be has education and most Of the
graces We are In the habit Of saying
make 4 gentleman. Stewart y .
strange fellow, Just Ike this strange
country. He's . man. Majesty, and I
admire him. 80. you 80, my impres.
sions are developing with my stay out
here. ! like the country. IKE the men.
One reason i want to 90 home soon
% because I am discontented enough
At home now, without falling In love
with the West, for. Of course, Majesty.
! would. I could not 1--we out hare.
And that brings me to my point Ad-
mitting all the beauty and charm and
wholesomeness and good Of this won
derful country, still It 10 no place for
you, Madeline Hammond. You have
your position, your wealth, your name,
your family. You must marry. You
must have children. You must not
give up all that for quixotic life in q
wilderness"
II am convinced. Edith, that I shall
live here all the rest Of my life"
"oh. Majesty! hate to preach this
way. But I promised your mother I
would talk to you. And the truth IL I
hate-I hate what Tn saying. / envy
you your courage and wisdom. know
you have refused to marry Boyd Har-
vey. I could see that In his face.
believe you will refuse Castleton.
Whom will you marryi What chance
Is there for a woman Of your position
to mary out here? What In the world
will hornsuo ~ vos, -
"Quien sabe1" replied Madeline,
with q smile that was almost sad.
Not SO many hours after this con-
versation with Edith Madeline sat with
Boyd Harvey upon the grassy promon-
tory overlooking the west, and she
listened once again to his suave court.
ship.
Suddenly she turned to him and
said, Boyd, II I married you would
you be wllling-glad to spend the rest
Of your life here In the Westf
Majesty" he exclaimed. There
was amaze In the voice usually 90 even
and well modulated- in the
handsome face usually % Indifferent.
Her question had startled him. She
saw him look down the iron.sray cliff,
over the barren slopes and cedared
ridges beyond the cactus-covered foot
hills to the grim and chastity desert
Just then, with its red wells Of sunlit
dust.clouds, its illimitabls waste Of
ruined and upheaved earth, It was q
sinister spectacle.
mo" he replied, with q tingis ol
shame in his cheek.
Madeline said no more, nor did ho
speak. She was spared the pain Of r.
fusing him, and she imagined he would
never ask her again. There was both
relief and regret in the conviction.
It was impossible not to like Boyd
Harvey. He was handsome, young.
rich, well born, pleasant, cultivated
he was all that made a gentleman Of
his class. He was considered a very
desirable and eligible young man.
Madeline admitted all this.
Then she thought Of things that
were perhaps exclusively her own
strange ideas. Boyd Harvey's white
skin did not tan even In this south
western sun and wind. His hands
were whittier than her own, and as soft.
They were proof that he never
worked. His frame was tall, graceful,
elegant. It did not bear evidence Of
ruggedness. He had never INDUCED In
q sport more strenuous than yachting.
He hated effort and activity. He rode
horseback very little, disllked any but
moderate motoring, spent much time
in Newport and Europe. never walked
when he could help 1t, and had no am
bition unless 1t were to pass the days
pleasantly. II he ever had any sons
they would be like him, only 4 genera
tion more toward the Inevitable extinc.
ton Of his race.
Madeline returned to camp In just
the mood to make q sharp, deciding
contrast. It happened -fatsfully, pr.
haps-that the nrst maa she saw Wa
Stewart Stewart was . combination
Of Ore. strength, and action. These ct.
tributes seemed to cling abeut him.
There was something vital and com.
pelling In his presence. In him Msde.
line saw the strength of his forsfa.
Tiers unimpairsd. The life In him waa
marvelously significant.