Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-06-13
The LIGHT Of Western Stars

thls brother who had given # to her
alfred /"
Lear old GIRL" he said. "you
nav emit changed at all. except to grow
lovelier. Only you're a woman now
and you've fulfilled the name I gave
you. Cd! how sight Of you brings
Dack home! 1t seems hundred years
since | left. I missed you more than
all the rest"
Madeline seemed to feel with his ey-
cry word that she was remembering
MIN. She was so amazed at the change
In MIN that she could not believe her
eyes. She saw a bronzed, strong
Jawed, eagle-eyed man, stalwart, SUI
perb OF height, and, like the cowboys.
Delted, booted, sparred. She had bid
den good-by to a disgraced, disin-
herited, dissolute boy. Well she re-
membered the handsome pale face
with its weakness and shadows and
careless smile, with the ever-present
cigarette hanging between the lips.
Inc years had passed, and now she
saw him a mantle West had made
MIN man. And Madeline Hammond
felt a strong, passionate gladness and
gratefulness, and direct check to her
sudden inspired hatred of the West.
Majesty, it was good Of you to
come. I'm all broken up. How did
you ever do it? But never mind that
now. Tell me about that brother of
mine"
And Madeline told him, and then
about their sister Helen. Question
after question he fired at her; and she
told him of her mother; of Aunt Grace,
who had died year ago; Of his old
friends, married, scattered, vanished.
But she did not tell him Of his father,
for he did not ask.
Quite suddenly the rapid-fire ques-
tioning ceased; he choked, was silent
a moment, and then burst into tears.
1t seemed to her that long, stored
up bitterness was flooding away. 1t
hurt her to. see him-hurt her more to
hear him. And in the succeeding few
moments she grew closer to him than
she had ever been in the past. Had
her father and mother done right by
him? Her pulse stirred with unwonted
quickness. She did not speak, but she
kissed him, which, for her, was an
indication of unusual feeling. And
when he recovered command over his
emotions he made no reference to his
breakdown, nor did she. But that
scene struck deep into Madeline Ham
mond's heart. Through it she saw
what he had lost and gained.
alfred, why did you not answer
my last letters" asked Madeline 81
had not heard from you for two years."
$50 long? How time fiiesl Well,
things went bad with me about the
last time heard from you. 1 always
intended to write some day, but I
never did. You remember all about
my little ranch. and that for a while
I did well raising stock? / wrote you
all that. Majesty, man makes enc
mics anywhere. Perhaps an eastern
man in the West can make, If not so
many, certainly more bitter ones. At
any rate, I made several. There was
cattleman, Ward by name-he's gone
now-and he and / had trouble over
cattle. That gave me back-set. Pat
Have, the sheriff here, has been in
strumental in hurting my business.
He's not so much of rancher, but he
has influence at Santa Fe and Ell Paso
and Douglas. I made an enemy of
him. I never did anything to him.
toward me is that he loves Florence,
and Florence is going to marry me-"
"Alfred"
"What's the matter, Majesty? Didn't
Florence impress you favorably?" he
asked, with a keen glance.
"Why-yes, indeed. 1 like her. But
1 did not think of her in relation to