The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-05-30
CHAPTER TX
The New Foreman.

Toward the end of the week Still
well informed Madeline that Stewart
had arrived at the ranch and had
taken up quarters with Nels.
"Gene's sick. He looks bad" said
the old cattleman. Hes so weak an
shaky he can't lift a cup. Nels says
that Gene has he'd some bad spells. A
little liquor would s~traighten him up
now. But Nels can't force him to drink
a drop, an has he'd to sneak some
liquor in his coffee. Genes losin' his
strange on It,"
Stewart was really ill. 1t became
necessary t. send for a physician.
Then Stewart began slowly to mend
and presently was able to get up and
about. Stillwell said the cowboy
lacked interest and seemed to be a
broken man. This statement, however,
the old cattleman modified as Stewart
continued to improve. Then presently
it was a good augury of Stewards
progress that the cowboys once more
TOOK up the teasing relation which had
been characteristic of them before his
Illness.
wal, the boys are sure after Gene
said Stillwell, with his huge smile.
"Joshin' him all the time about how
he sits around an hangs around an
loafs around jest to get a glimpse Of
you, Miss Majesty. Sure all the boys
hev a pretty bad case over their pretty
boss, but none of them is a marker to
Gene. He's got 1t so bad, Miss Maj
esty, tibet he actooly don't know they
are joshin' him. It's the amazin'est
strange thing l ever SEEN"
Madeline smiled her amusement. 1t
had been impossible for her to fail to
observe Stewards singular behavior.
She never went out to take her Gus
tomary walks and rides without seeing
him somewhere In the distance. She
was aware that he watched for her and
avoided meeting her. When she sat on
the porch during the afternoon or at
sunset Stewart could always be des-
cried at some point near. He idled
listlessly in the sun lounged on the
porch of his clubhouse, sat whiting
the top bar of the corral fence, and
always it seemed to Madeline he was
watching her. He was pale, haggard.
drawn. His eyes held a shadow
through which shone a soft, subdued
light; and, once having observed this,
Madeline fancied it was like the light In
Majesty's eyes, in the dumb, worship
ing eyes of her favorite s%tag-hound.
She told Stewart that she hoped he
would soon be In the saddle again, and
passed on her way.
That Stewart loved her Madeline
could not help but see. When she dis
covered this she felt a little surprise
and annoyance. Then she Intercepted
herself, and concluded thai It was not
that Stewart was SO different from his
comrades, but that circumstances made
him stand out from them. She re-
called her meeting with him that night
when he had tried to force her to mar
ry him. This was u~nforgettable in it
self. She recalled subsequent mention
of him, and found it had been peculiar
ly memorable. The man and his ac-
tons seemed TO hinge on events. Last
ly, the fact standing clear of all others
in its relation to her interest was that
he had almost been ruined, almost lost.
and she had saved him. That alone
was sufficient to explain why she
thought of him differently. She had
befriended, uplifted the other cowboys;
she had saved Stewards life. To be
sure, he had been a %ruffian, but a
woman could not save the life of even
a rufian without remembering it with
gladness. Madeline at length decided
her interest in Stewart was natural,
and that her deeper feeling was pity.
Perhaps the interest had beer forced
from her; however, she gave the pity
as she gave everything.
Stewart had taken up his duties as
foreman, and his activities were cease
less. He was absent most of the time,
ranging down toward the Mexican line.
When he returned Stillwell sem for
him.