The Snowflake herald., 1923-06-01

Hell do vouchsafed Miranda at
last, the evening before the arrival.
Hes no hand at cookies or dough
nuts an never will be, but I'll bring
them over from time to time. He can
make pie an biscuit an he can broil
meat I've taught him to mash his
pertaters with milk stead of water
an to put butter in his hot cakes. I'm
stayin' over till supper termorrer to
see every thing has IA good staht,
There's room for fiye-supposed to
be-in my car. An there's four Of
us an six 10 come back The other
cars in use. How we goin' to man
age it?"
"Mollyll ride in with me- said
Sandy. "Tm goin' over early on
Pronto an take the white blazed bay
along that Molly rode over the Goats
pass"
"Ride In? She won't be dressed foi
1t. travelin' on the train" said Mi
randa
1--WE got hunch she WILL" Sandy
answered simply. "They got their
own private car. If she amt, why
Sam can ride the bay back. But me
an Pronto the bay an Grit are goln
thataway."
There were certain tones of Sandy's I
voice that gave absolute finality to his
statements. He used them on this !
occasion. The argument dropped. IL
a way Sandy was making the matter
a test of Molly. If she was as anxious
as she wrote to fork a broncho." II /
she understood Sandy and he her, she /
would feel that he would be waiting
with her mount for her to return &c |
the ranch western fashion. If not, ii
meant that she was out of the chrys I
ais and had become, not the busy I
bee that belongs to the mesquite and /
the sage, but a gaudier, less respon !
sible flutterer among eastern flower
beds
Miranda's caravan started an hOul I
after Sandy left, she driving, Mormon
and Sam in the back, each dressed in
his best minus chaperajos and spurs,
but otherwise most typically the COW
boy and therefore out of place-and
feeling it-as they sat stiffiy in the
leatherette-lined tonneau. Miranda ,
was in starched linen, destitute of all
ornament, dark red ribbon at her
throat the only touch of color, look /
ing extremely efficient and, assam
whispered to Mormon, "a bit stand.
Offish."
The train rolled in majestically, the
private car cleaning with varnish
and polished glass and brass, with a
white-coated darky flashing white
teeth on the platform as the fussy
local engine took the detached luxury
to the side-track designated for its
Hereford location. The flivver was
rarked and Miranda, Mormon and
Sam made one group a little ahead
of the others. recognized by the crowd
as privileged.
If Wilson Keith, clad in tweels
tailored on Fifth avenue. little
portly. square-faced, confident, trifle
condescending typified the East. (
Sandy was the West. A good horse
is the incarnation Of symmetry, grace
and power Sandy, erect in the saddle, /
lean and keen. matched all of Prom.
to's fitness. Man and mount both
eminently belonged to the land SHIN
mering with sage, far-stretching to
the mountains, land that demanded
and bred such a combination.
Keith stood by the railing of his
platform, the darky ready with the
dismounting stool. He surveyed the
crowd affably, with the poise Of q
successful candidate assured of vel
come, waving his hand in demi-salute /
to Sandy, Sam and Mormon. lifting
his hat graciously to Miranda Bailey /
The man and the car emanated pros
perity. Yet, for all the booming of
Casey Town. the finding of pay-ore
the sale of shares. Keith's present
financial status was not all that he
trusted it might be within short time. !
1t was part of the technique of his pro-
fession to assume a mask and manner |
of financial success, and of late he had !
worn these until at times they faded !
him, but they were we'll DESIGNED /
we'll worn, and no one doubted hut /
that Wilson Keith was a man of ready |
millions.
Keith had dallied with oil, had spec
ulated, plunged, been persuaded to in
vest heavily. He was beginning to
have vague fear of not being so
certain as he would have wished as
to which end of the line he had taken. |
fhH4 Of thn hoitod hook or tbo anH /
that was attached to the reel that au /
tOmatically plays the fish.
He sold gold and he was buying oil |
Others, partners with him in new en-
terpriseS in the petroleum field, were |
making sudden fortunes. His turn
had not come yet, but they assured I
him that his ventures promised even |
o. tla.Ac.1 Al.s,A L.