Roanoke Rapids herald., 1923-09-28

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
little money"
"Please tell me. Mr.. Stllwell, ex-
actly what you would do here II you
had unlimited means?" went on Made
line
Good Lud!" calculated the rancher.
wall, Miss Majesty, 1t jest makes my
old heart warm up to think of such
a thing. l dreamed lot when first
come hyar. What would I do if
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 l 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. I'd dam up that draw out
there. A mile-long dam from hill to
hill would give me n big lake. an
hevin' an eye fer beauty, I'd plant cot
tonwoods around it. 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 tear down
them old corrals 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
an smoke an watch the cattle string
in in fer water an straggiin' back
into the valley. An thet red sun out
in the world than Bill Stillwell. last
of the old cattlemen.'
Madeline thanked the rancher, and
then rather abruptly retired to her
room, where she felt no restraint to
hide the force of that wonderful idea,
now full-grown and tenacious and
alluring.
Upon the next day, late in the after
noon, she asked Alfred If It would be
safe for her to ride out to the mesa.
"1'll go with you," he said gayly.
Dear fellow, l want to so alone"
she replied.
"Ah" Alfred exclaimed, suddenly
serious. He gave her just quick
glance, then turned away. go ahead.
think it's safe. I'll make 1t safe by
sitting here with my glass and keep
ing an eye on YOU. Be careful coming
down the trail. Let the horse pick
his way. That's ALL"
She rode Majesty across the wide
fiat, up the zigzag trail, across the
beautiful grassy level to the far rim
of the mesa, and not till then did she
lift her eyes to face the southwest.
In that darkening desert there was
something illimltable. Madeline saw
the hollow of stupendous hand; she
felt mighty hold upon her heart. Out
of the endless space, out of silence
and desolation and mystery and age,
came slow changing colored shadows,
phantoms of peace, and they whis-
pered to Madeline. They whispered
earth; that time was eternity; that
life was fleeting They whispered for
her to be a woman; to love someone
before 1t was too late; to love any
one, everyone; to realize the need of
work. and thus find happiness.
She rode back across the mesa and
down the trail, and, once more upon
the fiat. she called to the horse and
made him run. His spirit seemed to
race with hers. The wind of his speed
blew her hair from its fastenings.
When he thundered to halt at the
porch steps Madeline, breathless and
disheveled, alghted with the mass of
her hair tumbling around her
Alfred met her. and his exclamation,
and Florence's rapt eyes shining on
her face, and Stillwel's speechless-
ness made her self-conscious. Laugh.
ing, she tried to put up the mass of
hair.
"My hat-and my combs-went to
.he wind. 1 thought-my hair would
go, too There is the evening
star. l think 1 am very hun
gry."
And then she gave up trying to
fasten up her hair. which fell again in
a golden mass.
"Mr. Stillwell," she began, and
paused, strangely aware of hurried
note, deeper ring in her voice. "Mr.
Stillwell, l want to buy your ranch
to engage you as my superintendent.
l want TO buy Don Carlos ranch and
other property to the extent, say, of
fifty thousand acres. want you to
buy horses and cattle-in short. to
make all those Improvements which
YOU said you had so long dreamed Of
Then have ideas of my own, in the
development of which l must have
your advice and Alfreds. l intend to
better the condition of those poor Mex
leans in the valley. l intend to make
life little more worth living for
them and for the cowboys of this
range. Tomorrow we shall talk 1t
all over, plan all the business details"
Madeline turned from the huge,
overwhelming smile that beamed down
upon her and held out her hands to
her brother.
alfred. strange, Is it not. my COM
ing out to you? Nay, don't smile.
*x*x*x*x"x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x.
WAS NOT LONG I