Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-05-05

Il IN throw Il awayi" Louise haa
entered the cabin ahead Il them.
She stood now In the door, an apron
over her dress. threatening with .
bread knife.
Temple laughed. "She means that
too! We'd better 60 in and eat"
Dinner was set on the bare boards
Of slab table. A platter full of
thick steaks, a bowl Of mashed po-
tatoes. then canned fruit, and big
round loaves of homemade bread.
Grub for man! Breck felt that
food had never looked nor tasted so
good.
He sat across from Louise, Tenn
pie at the end, and they talked Of
many things but not of cattle and
grazing. There was reason. Breck
surmised, though If the man held
any hard feeling over enforcement
Of the permit rule, he covered it well
beneath his hospitality.
The manner Louise had with her
father gave Brock a new perception
Of herself. She was sympathetic,
understanding, yet never once PAM
pered him in ways that would only
have emphasized his crippled condi-
ton.
And Temple was proud of his girl.
His eyes followed her, always bright
with a strange eagerness. Over
their dessert of canned peaches, he
said, "You won't find many cow
hands like the one I've got, Rang
er!" .
Brock looked across at Louise
laughingly, though serious in his an
swer: "I'm beginning to believe it."
"Ain't no man on the range can
beat her ridin' or ropin'," Temple
went on. "Just you wait till we
have a rodeo after saltin' time-al-
ways in the top money, she is"
"Now Buster" Louise checked
him. BE careful. You know last
year
"They judged you wrong, kidd"
Temple declared hotly.
''Where do you have this rodeo?"
Brock asked.
"Here on the meadow-end of this
month or first part of August. Every
outfit in the mountains rides a man
or two. Better aim to be on hand"
Breck promised he would.
They sat at the table until the
sun had passed the door and was
beginning to slant through a west
ern window. Reluctantly Breck
thought of the trail to Rock House.
Hate to do it." he said at last,
but I'll have to move on"
As the girls father stood up and
walked from the door, Brock lin
gered with Louise, helped clear the
table, and watched with a growing
intensity of feeling as she paused be-
fore the mirror to give q little in
definite push and pat to her brown
hair. Then she came to him and
they went outside together.
Temple was not around, but Breck
saw q thick canvas roll tied on his
saddle skirt, and knew that II was
the cattle country's goodwill offer
ing-a present Of fresh beef. He
could count this man his friend.
After untying Kit, he walked with
Louise toward a gate in the fence
that circled the cabins. Her face
was averted and she did not speak
as they approached the opening.
Brock reached to pull back the
bars; lifted one and put it down.
He slipped his hand down over
hers and the pressure of his fingers
was answered. He could have taken
her in his arms, but she gently
moved away and pushed back the
poles. It seemed a gesture for him
to 60.
Mounting, he rode through, said
"Good-by" and passed on toward
the forest. At its edge he looked
back. She had remained near the
gate. The poles were still down.
Her very poise showed how intently
she watched him, and when he
turned, she waved with a quick ca
ger movement of her whole body.
ITO BE CONTINUED