Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-11-19
THE
WOLF AND THE
LAMB
By GERALD MONTAGUE
"a by W. O. chapmanA

shepherds hut" his friends
told Larry Owen, when he
announced his Intention OF getting
married and retaining his job.
Larry smiled, and when his friends
saw his bride they changed their opin-
ion. Dorothy was mite Of a thing,
just like a little gray mouse-Welsh,
like Larry, and girl whom he had
been engaged to before he went to
Montana to work on the sheep
ranges.
Larry did not intend to keep Doro-
thy In seclusion upon the hills for
ever. Just as the seaman has thoughts
of a quiet farm where he can spend
the latter years OF his life, so Larry
had always dreamed of snug little
country place with an orchard, bees,
and chickens, and no sign Of sheep
within hundred miles. He was an
expert farmer. besides being shep-
herd, and he had twelve hundred dol
lars stored snugly away - almost
enough to start the farm.
There was certain orange farm
In a California county on which he
had his eye for some months. How
Dorothy would love the life there, the
warm companionship of the westerner
beyond the ranges, the sun, the ease.
He had paid n flying trip there six
months before. But he said nothing
Of this to Dorothy.
A man should take his wife into his
confidence. As rule the surprise
element does not work out satisfac-
torlly. Rather 1t Is the man who gets
the surprises.
This case was no exception. Doro-
thy soon began to weary of the eter-
nal hills. They had been married six
months when Larry discovered that
she was running a bill at the nearest
town for clothes, far In excess Of what
he had planned for her.
"Well I'm just sick Of the monOtony
here" she said defantly. 81 can't
live here forever, seeing nothing but
the sheep. Won't you get another
jobT"
The Welsh girl was hOmesick for
the old friendly society. She longed
for the faces she had known; she felt
that she had stepped into n vast, per
petual prison.
It has been said man and woman
cannot live In utter seclusion and re
tain their love for each other. In
spite of their love OF dozen years
dating back to boy and girl times
they began to drift apart
Where there are sheep the wolf
comes. II was no exception here
Jim Collins was six feet one, flashy
and taking" with women. He had a
sinister reputation among the folks of
the district. But he was the man for
whom Larry was working. He had
not often paid n visit to the range,
preferrlng to gamble away his money
in the city, where he had a string OF
racers and two or three automobiles.
He had the patronage of the county,
too Many women had given their
love to Collins. They had lived to
regret it--but Dorothy only saw I'm
him n big, goOd-natured man, longing
for sympathy and to be understood.
Once Larry, returning from the
found Collins in the hut, bending over
Dorothy ms she made tea. lie looked
up brazenly and laughed. Larry said
nothing then. Later he taxed his wife
with caring for Collins. That was a
mistake. A man should hold his peace
10 ~ Inf
all Larry's wounded soul, all the suf-
ferlng he had endured during those
days OF estrangement came to his lips
In food OF bitterness.
Next morning he went to work with
out word having been spoken. When
he was gone Dorothy slipped out OF
the hut. An hour later she stepped
! into an automobile that was waiting
for her below the hill.
When Larry came home that night,
his heart overlooking with contrltion,
he found the hut empty. A little note
was pinned to the dresser.
81 don't love Jim Collins" 1t read,
but he can give me something better
than sheep. We leave for California
on the night train and you will never
see me again. But you won't want to,
as long as you have your sheep"
Larry stood staring at the note for
long time, and into his mind came
the picture Of Dorothy as he had seen
her In Wales, the innocent girl In the
big sunbonnet whom he had loved.
What had he done? How had this
thing come between them7
lie saddled his horse and rode five
miles to his nearest neighbor.
keep charge Of my sheep a day or
two" he said. "Tm going to the city"
Something wrong with the wifer'
asked the neIghbor alphabetically.
ayes" answered Larry, riding away.
However he had no intention Of going
to the city. He knew that the night
train stopped to take on water at a
siding a few miles down the valley.
He could catch her II he rode hard.
And, once abOard-wel, Larry had a
revolver In his coat.
Yet his object was less to be re-
yenged upon Collins than to preserve
DOrOthy's good name, to save her from
herself
He rode hard. The moon came up
and 1T the mountain way. Time and
again, he thought he heard the train
snorting up the incline In the distance,
but always the sound proved imag-
mary. And now .e was nearing the
rnIlrOad track which ran narrow
edged RIB bcEpalh him. He