Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-03-08

rest Of the herd"
Rod stiffened and seemed about
to strike Reggie. Lyla broke in an
Igrily: "Why Reggie!" she exclaimed,
"how dare you insult my guest like
that? How dare you'll" She turned
her back on him, and taking Rods
arm pulled him out of the DOORS
please don't mind him - what he
said, Mr.. Herrick," she begged as they
walked down the broad steps into
the garden.
A wave OF laughter swept out after
them. Jyla felt the muscles Of Rods
arm swell and grow into rock like
hardness.
"Eow terribly strong you must be-"
she flattered as she sank gracefully
into a wicker garden chair. She wav-
ed Rod into one beside her. Now
please try to forget Reggie's rude
ness" she begged, land tell me about
yourself"
There's nothing much to tell"
Rod sighed. "At least nothing that
would interest you"
"Well, you go ahead and tell me
anyway" she commanded.
Slowly at first, then with increas-
ing freedom as he SenSed her inter-
est in his recital he told her of his
life in the rugged hills of his home
state.
His father had taken out home
stead claim long before Rod was born,
he told her, and after several years
of bitter toll, had made it into a
cattle ranch. From earliest child
hood, Rod told her, he had work
ed with cattle, ridden horses, taken
part in roundupS, and done many
other such things pertaining to ranch
life.
During the winter his mother had
made him attend school in Broken
Arrow, the nearest town, which was
fifteen miles away.
Through grade and high schools
he related, he had ridden on his
horse to and from school despite
driving blizzards. and everything else.
His mothers greatest desire, he eX-
plaired, had been to see him thor
oughly educated. She had died just
as he was ready to enter college two
years previously.
Although his father had felt that
he would be of more service at home
on thu ranch than at the State Uni
versity, Rod had insisted that he be
allowed to attend.
On his twenty-first birthday, which
had been month ago, his father
had given him a letter left by his
mother with the provision that it be
given him on the day he attained
manhood.
tn letter had disclosed the horror
of the lonely ranch life which Rods
mother had suffered uncomplaining-
ly. She begged him to strike out for
himself, and not to allow his stern
father to tie him to cattle raising
in the deSolate range country.
"Ive not been able to figure out
just what she meant" Rod told her,
"but right or wrong I'm bound to try
to do what she asked" His voice
grew wiStful as he continued: But
I love that country. It's big. It's
a mans country. Why you ought to
see the mountains in the early morn
ing and at sunset. They're = they're
just swell. And the air is clear and
fresh not like this awful gaSoliny
air in your town." he chuckled
aloud. "But say, you should have
heard my old man cusS when I told
him I was coming here to finish
school. He's tough, my father is, but
way down deep he's got fine, big
heart. He just believes every man
should stand on his own feet. When
I left he told me that since was
so determined to get an education I
need not depend upon him for any
financial support. So I've got to find
a job" he concluded whimsically.
Lyla had been silent, absorbed in
his tale. "When you tell me about
that glorious country out there" she
told him. at makes me realize just
how futile life in the city is. We
just live to dress and go places to be
seen. We grub for money and don't
care how we get it.
"Mv father is a politician. Folks
say terrible things behind his back,
but they almost kiss his feet when
they meet him. Sometimes wish I
could get away from all of Its
so false, so unreal"