Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-08-16

lures VI camp ulc lDr mautiitt
: guests we're sleep and rest. The me-
were nor visibly affected by Nh
+. mountain air han the m
This languorous spell disappeared
presently, and then the days were full
Of life and action. Necessarily, o
course. Madeline and her guests wer'
now thrown much In company viii
the cowboys. And the party grew Il
be like n big family.
Madeline found the situation one oil
keen and double interest for her. II
before she had cared TO study hel
cowboys. particularly Stewart, now
with the contrasts Afforded by her
guests, she felt by turns she was
amused and mystihed and perplexed
and saddened, and then again subtly
pleased.
From the thought of Stewart, and
the watchfulness growing out of 1t,
she discovered more about him. He
was not happy he often paced up and
down the grove at night he absented
himself from camp sometimes during
the afternoon when Nels and Nick
and Monty were there he was always
watching the trails, as IL he expected
TO see some n come riding up. He
alone Of the cowboys did not indulge
In the fun and talk around the camp
fire. He remained p~reoccupied and sad,
and was always looking away Into dis
lance. Madeline had a strange sense
of his guardianship over her and. re-
membering Don Carlos. she imagined
he worried a good deal over his
charge, and. indeed. oyer the safety
OF all the party.
A favorite lounging spot of Made
lines was a shaded niche under. the
lee Of crags facing the east. Here In
the shade of AFTERNOON, she and Edith
would often lounge under a low
branched tree. Seldom they talked
much, for II was afternoon and dreamy
with the strange spell OF this noun
tain fastness. There was smoky haze
In the valleys. a feecy cloud resting
over the peaks. a sailing eagle In the
blue sky, silence that was the un-
broken silence of the wild heights,
and a soft wind laden with incense of
pine.
One afternoon, however, Edith APP
penred prone to talk seriously.
See here. Majesty Hammond. do you
intend to spend the rest OF your life
I'm this wilderness? 2" she asked, bIuntiy.
Madeline was silent.
ooh, II Is glorious! Don't misunder-
me, dear" went on Edith. earn
estly, as she laid her hnnd on Made
This trip has been a revela-
tlon to me. | did not tell you. Majesty,
that I was III when | arrived. Now
I'm well. SO we'll. Look at Helen
Why, she was a ghost when we
got here. Now she is brown and strong
md beautiful. If 1t were for nothing
Else thar this wonderful gift OF health
would love the West. But l have
TO love II for other things-even
spiritual things. Majesty. | have been
studying you. | see and feel what this
life has made OF you. When / came
wondered at your strength. your viril-
ty, your serenity, your happiness. And
was stunned. wondered at the
,auses of your change. Now | know.
Tou were sick OF idleness. sick of use
essness. II not of society-sick Of the
noises and smells and contacts
me can no longer escape In the cities.
am sick OF all that, too, me | could
ell you many women of our kind who
uffer In a like manner You have
lone what many of us want to do, but
ave not the courage, You have left
{. / am not blind to the splendid diff
erence You have made in your life.
hlnk I would have discovered, even II
our brother had not told me, what (,
God you have lone to the Mexicans
nd cattiemen of your range. Then
have work to do. That is much the
ecret of your happiness, Is Ii not?
ell me. Tell me something OF what 1t /,
to your" 1
Work, of course, has much to do
18th any ones happiness" replied /
ladeline. mo one can be happy who I
no work. AS regards myself-for
ne rest l can hardly tell you. l have ,
ever tried to put Ii In words. Frank
:, | believe, IL | had not had money 7
nat / could not have found such con {
here. That Is not In any
snse a Judgment against the West.
ut II l had been poor l could not
bought and maintained my ranch. I
tillwell tells me there are many .
rger ranches than mine. but mons h
,st like Ii. Then ] an almost pay 6
IL my expenses out of my business. n
hink Of that My income, instead of 4
ling wasted, Is mostly saved. think 4
hope / am useful. OF course my n
,nch and range are real, my cowboys n
typical. If | we're to tell you how n
feel about them II would simply be a n
ory of how Madeline Hammond sees
Ie West. They are true to the West. n
is | who am strange, and what y
for them may be strange. too. \.
nth, hold to your own Impressions. !.
but, Majesty. my impressions have
,anged. At first l did not like the
nd. the dust, the sun. the endless
zen stretches. But now I do like