The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-06-07

ergetic, good-fellow-well-met promotes
and engineer of other peoples for
tunes.
There was not much spoken be
tween Molly and Sandy on the wa
back TO the ranch. She seemed con
tent TO breathe In deep the herb
scented air and gaze at the noun
tains.
Sandy, riding a little to one side, q
little back OF her, SO that he could see
her better without appearing to stare
echoed, for the time, her happiness
This was Molly, the girl who had
sworn when she told them Of her
fathers death. He could recall the
tone of the words at will.
The id road jest slid out from
under. He didn't have a h-l-chance ="
Molly, who had put arms about his
neck and kissed him good-by when she
went to schOol-how long ago that
seemed-and said, SANDY, l don't
want to go, but III be game"
This was his Molly! The knowl-
edge swept over Sandy and left him
tingling. Love came to him, the first,
clean white fame of first love, burn
ing like a lamp in the heart of a man.
1t was for this, he knew, that he had
been wOman-shy, that he had cher.
lsbed his own thought of w0manhOOd
as something so rare d thought might
tarnish it. First love, shOrn of boy
~fallacles, strong, irresistible, protec-
tive, passionate.
Game and dainty, tender, true, a
girl-woman. partner-what a partner
she would make, western-bred J.
He checked himself there. She was
western born, but what had The trans
planting done? Would she ever now
be satisfied with western ways? She
would come to him, Sandy knew that.
Whatever he asked her she would not
refuse. But would that be fair to
her? And he did not want her to
come to him out Of gratitude. He
wanted her nature to fuse with his.
1t seemed no time since he had
taken her from her saddle and car
ried her, q tired, heartsOre child, in
his arms. She must have a fair
chance to see If the East, with all Ii
could offer her of amusement and in
tereSt, would not outbid the claims
of the West. He must wait and watch
and hold himself In hand though his
love and his knowledge of 1t thrilled
through him, charging him as II with
an electric current that strove to
close all gaps between him and Molly.
struggling ever, In mind and body, to
complete the circle.
They got to the ranch ahead OF the
1ivver by a scant margin. Miranda
Bailey indicted Molly and her chap
erOn governess into the quarters she
had helped prepare for them, Molly
giving little cries of delight at the
improvements she saw downstairs.
Miranda came dowr first and Joined
the partners.
"Molly Is certainly sweet" she said.
"She's grown into a woman an she's
grown away from the old k6lyy.
Can't say as how she's affected none
an her speech an is sure
fine. That gels natcEerally got a
grand disposition.
"The Nicholson person-her first
name Is Clarice-is well-meanin'
enough. Sic amt shlfless, but she
amt what you'd call practical.
reckon she does fine in teachin' Molly
some things, but she'd be plumb
wasted ont west. I'll say she never
washed out anything bigger than a
h~ankychif or cooked a thing larger'n
an egg. An she c'udn't boss a sick
lizard. But she's easy to git alor
with, suppose.
"That Donald Is a good-lookin' lad"
went on Miranda. 1T must take him
an awful waste of time to fix his
clothes every time he puts 'em on. I
don't know how smart he Is inside,
but he's got some of them movin'-
picture heroes beat on appearance.
I'm wonderin' what Molly thinks
about him. As for HIS father, he's
smart enough inside an out. But he
talks too much like a politician To
suit me. I'm mighty glad we got cash
for u claims. Keith's too slick an
smooth an smilln' to suit me-"
II IA q lengthy dfatribe from MI.
randa Bailey, accustomed as they
were to hear her state opinions freely.
The trio at Three Star had univer.
sally come to respect her decisions
and also her in%tuitfons, and none OF
them had felt especially cordial
toward Keith as a nan. though they
considered him good IN his profession.
"The writer. Kipfin'." said Sandy.
wrote a poem about East an West,
sayin' that never the two c'ud meet.
FL Keith tries to fiamjlgger Molly ont
Of anything that's comm to her by
rights, why. I reckon that's one time
the West an East Is goin' TO meet
an mebbe lap ver a bit. So fur, hes
nut money In our pockets. Here's
Molly :"
I'm goin' home" said Miranda. a.
the girl entered the room. "rve go,
You started an I'll run over once In
n uybfIa IN coo hor, nul