Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-06-21

> his ledu anu Win ears " looked
/, M the trail by which he had come
and beyond the foothills. He was
! looking over the range. Someone was
calling to him. perhaps, from beyond
the mountains. Madeline liked him
the better for that memory. and pitied
the hayward cowboy who had parted
with his only possession for very
love of II.
AT ~supper-time Madeline was unusu-
ally thoughtful. Later. when they as
sembled on the porch 10 watch the
sunset, 1Stillwell's humorous com
pIainlngs inspired the inception OF an
Idea which flashed up In her mind
swift as lightning. And then by lis
tenlng sympathetically she encouraged
him to recite the troubles Of a poor
cattleman. Theyswere many and long
and interesting, and rather numbing
10 the life of her inspired idea.
"AIr. Stillwell, could ranching here
on a large scale, with up-to-date meth
DDS. be made-well. not profitable, ex-
actly. but to pay-to run without
loss?" she asked, determined to kill
her newborn idea at birth or else give
II breath and hope Of life.
"Wal, | reckon II could" he replied,
with a short laugh. IT'D sure be a
money-maker. Why. with all my bad
luck an poor equipment I've lived
pretty well an paid my debts an
haven't lost any money except the
original outlay. / reckon thet's sunk
fer good"
Would you sell-if someone would
pay your price7"
Miss Majesty. I'd jump at the
chance. Yet somehow I'd hate to
leave hyar. I'd Jest be fool enough to
go sink the money In another ranch"
would Don Carlos and these other
Mexicans SELF
"They sure would. The Don has
been after me fer years, wantin' TO
sell tibet old rancho Of his; an these
herders In the valley with their stray
cattle. they'd fall daid at sight Of a
little money"
please tell me, Mr.. Stillwell, ex-
actly what you would do here II you
had unlimited meansY' went on Made
line.
Good Ludi" CALCULATED the rancher.
"Wall, Miss Majesty. II jest makes my
old heart warm up to think Of such
a thing. l dreamed a lot when / first
come hyar. What would I do II i
he'd unlimited money? Listen. I'd
buy out Don Carlos an the Greasers.
I'd give a Job to every good cowman
In this country. I'd make them pros
per as I prospered myself. I'd buy
all the good horses on the ranges. I'd
fence twenty thousand acres of the
best grain. I'd drill fer water In the
valley. I'd pipe water down from the
mountains. Id dam up that draw out
there. A mile-long dam from hill to
hill would give me a big lake, an
hevin' an eye fer beauty, I'd plant cot
tonwoods around IL. I'd fill that lake
full of fish. I'd put In the biggest field
OF alfalfa In the Southwest. I'd plant
fruit-trees an garden. I'd ear down
them old c~orrals an barns an bunk
houses to build new ones. I'd make
this old rancho some comfortable an
fine. I'd put In grass an flowers all
around an bring young pine trees
down from the mountains. An when
all tibet was done I'd sit in my chair
smoke an watch the cattle string
In In fer water an stragglln' back
into the valley. An tibet red sun out
there wouldn't set on a happier man
In the world than Bill Stillwell. last
the old cattlemen."
Madeline thanked the rancher. and
rather abruptly retired to her
room, where she felt no restraint to
hide the force OF that wonderful Idea,
now fu%ll-grown and tenacious and
alluring.
Upon the next day. late in the after
noon. she asked Alfred If 1t would be
safe for her to ride out TO the mesa.
"T1l go with you" he said gayly.
"Dear fellow. / want TO go alone"
she replied.
"Ahi" Alfred exclaimed, suddenly
He gave her Just a quick
then turned away. go ahead.
think it's safe. I'll make 1t safe by
here with my glass and keep
an eye on you. Be careful coming
the trail. Let the horse pick
lis way. That's ALL"
She rode Majesty across the wide
lat, up the zigzag trail. across the
,eautiful grassy level to the far rim
4 the mesa. and not till then did she
lit her eyes to face the southwest.
n that d%arkening desert there was
omefhing illimitable. Madeline saw
he hollow of a ~stupendous hand; she
a mighty hold upon her heart. Out
Z the endless space, out of silence
nd desolation and mystery and age !
anne slow-changing colored shadows.
OF peace, and they whis-
erred to Madeline. They whispered
hat 1t was a great, grim. Immutable !
arth; that time was eternity that
re was fieeting. They whispered for !
er TO be a woman; TO love omeon !
efore 1t was too late: TO love any :
everyone; TO realize the need of !
Iork, and thus find happiness. !