Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1923-12-14
The Dude
Wrangler
Caroline Leckhart

: Caroline Leckhart Z
: Copyright. Doubleday. Page & Co. =
iIIIIIlIIIiiIiIIlIlIlIlIIIlIlIlIliIIIlIIlliillll;
FIFTH INSTALLMENT
CONTINUED from previous lssue)
VX1ALLIE had told himself emphat
w icelly that he would never speak
again to Helene Spencely. That
would be an easy matter since she
had glared at him when they had
passed as she was going in for break
fast in way that would have made
him afraid to speak even II he had
intended to. To refrain from think
ing of her was something different
He sat on a rustic bench on the
Colonial lawn watching the silly rob
ms and wondering why she had
called him Gentle Annie" It waE
clear enough that nothing fatterine
was intended, but what did she mean
by it? There was no reason that be
could see for her to fly at him
quite the contrary. He had been
very generous and gentlemanly, II
seemed to him, in congratulatins
Pinkey when it was due to them that
he, Wallie, was thrown into the pc
tunias.s
Gentle Annie! Gentle Annie!
Gentle Annie!" The name ranked
Wallie pitched pebble at a robin
and accidentally hit 1t. Stunned FOR
an instant, 1t keeled over. and Wallie
glanced guiltily toward the hotel to
see If by any chance MI. Cone, who
encouraged robins. was looking.
Pinkey was crossing the lawn with
the obvious intention of Joining him
''Gee!" he exclaimed, sinking down
beside Wallie, 1--WE nearly sprained
nay tongue answerin' questions. Is
it true that snakes shed their skin
and do the hot pools in the Yellow
stone Park freeze in winter?' I'm
goin' to drift pretty pronto, can't
stand visitin'."
do you like the East, Mr.. Fripp ??
inquired Wanie, formally.
I'm glad they's a West" 'Pinkey
replied, crptically.
"You and Miss Spencely are from
the same section, l take it,"
"Yep-WyOmin'.
"Er-by the way"-Wallie's tone
was deliberately casual-"what did
she mean yesterday when she called
me Gentle Annie'?"
Pinkey moved uneasily.
Gould you give me the precise
signifcance?" persister Wallie.
Il could. but 1 wouldn't like to,
replied Pinkey, dryly.
''Oh. don't spare my feelings" said
Wallie. loftily, there's nothing she
could say would hurt thsm."
III that's the way you feel-sho
meant you were harmless"
Il trust So" Wallie responded with
dignity.
''Td ruther be called a-er-a Nor,
mon," Pinkey observed. ~
Shocked at the language, Wallie
demanded.
1T is, then, an epithet of oppro-
brium"
Il can't say as to that" replied
Pinkey, judicially. 'but she meant
you were perfect LADY,"
Its more than / can say of her!"
Wallie retorted, reddening.
Pinkey merely grinned and
shrugged shoulder.
He arose a moment later as if the
conversation and company alike
bored him.
"Well-Im goin' to pack my war
bag and ramble. Why don't you come
West and git civilized. With your
figger you ought to be good fel
somethin'. Slong,. feller!"
Naturally, Wallie was not comfort
ed by his conversation with Pinkey
Now he knew himself to have been
insulted. and resented it, but along
with his indignation was such a
feeling Of dissatisfaction with his life
as he had never known. His brow
contracted while he thought Of the
monotony of it. Just as this sum
mer would be duplicate OF every
other summer, 30 the winter would
be repetition of the many winters
he had spent in Florida with Aunt
Mary. After a few months at home
they would migrate with the robins
He would meet the same people he
had seen all summer. They would
complain of the Southern cooking
and knit and tat while they babbled
amiably of themselves and the mem
bers Of the family and their doings
The men would smoke and compare
business experiences when they had
finished faying the Administration
Discomfort grew within him as he
reviewed 1t. Why couldn't he and
Aunt Mary do something different
for the winter? BY George! he would
suggest 1t to her!
I've come to make a suggestion
Aunttab Wo11in hooop xui+h n 1;@+I L,