The guardian., 1941-08-09
Winning the West
By DUFORD JENNIE
Mcclure Syndicate-WNU Service.)


Marjorie sat in her car and pom
dered the situation; in more than
one way it looked bit dubious.
She had met Clyde in an eastern
city, had liked him from the start,
and it had been only a brief step
to love between them both. Now he
was coming from his eastern home
to visit her people at the western
ranch; and just how he would be
taken troubled her.
She thought of her rugged father,
and the husky, rough and ready out
fit at the ranch, and then of her
fiance. She would love him in spite
of their attitude, but in his slim
blond gentleness, his perfect groom
ing, there was an open mark for the
men at the ranch. He was far from
dude-yet was he? She had seen
him only at dances and parties and
behind the wheel of his powerful car.
The great express slid with grind
ing wheels to a stop, and from the
Pullman Clyde alighted-slim, per-
fectly garbed, his blond wavy hair
shining in the sun as she ran up to
him. He kissed her in his gentle
way.
"Well, here 1 am, my dear, out in
the wide open spaces, and I'll say
they are wide!" he suggested,
smiling. 3
"They will seem wilder still when
you reach the .ranch," she replied
and then wondered if some unhappy
presentiment lay behind her thought.
She drove the car swiftly over the
rolling miles to the sprawling ranch,
and, as the day was fading, drew
up to the hacienda. Her father came
to meet them, his big form looming
over her slight lover. His greeting
was cordial and kind, but with her
intimate knowledge Of the tones of
her fathers voice, she sensed his
disappointment.
Later on, after Clyde had gone to
his room, she said to her father,
"Well, dad, don't you think you'll
like him?"
He swung her up into his arms.
much you like him! He looks like
clean, fine lad who will always be
good to the woman he loves; but
he-er-never went in for athletics,
did he?"
She was a bit exasperated at her
fathers attitude, and she wanted to
scold him for it-all men couldn't
be football heroes or prizefghters!
But she thought better of it par
ticularly when Clyde appeared
again, his handsome, friendly face
showing his keen boyish interest in
the place to which he had come,
and his eyes always softening when
he chanced to glance at her.
Her next trial came when Ben
Lane, the superintendent of the
ranch, came in for his next days
orders. Ben's bronzed face was
open in his frank and generous well
come to Clyde, but the cowboys
eyes held little twinkle of amuse-
ment as his hand swallowed the
eaSterner'S.
Because she knew them, she knew
something would be hatched up to
try out Clyde. The next day her ia
ther suggested to Clyde that he and
Marjorie ride out to the painted
bluffs. She was a bit angry, but
there was nothing to do but see it
through. So she made her prepara-
tions, but with fear in her heart for
CLYDE who she knew had never rid
den in saddle.
When she came out the scene was
set. Her father was on the porch,
twinkle in his eyes; the men in
the bunkhouse had drifted out, each
seeming to be busy at something,
but all actually out to see the fun;
and there was Ben leading up a
saddled horse. Marjorie gasped. 1t
was "Bony"-one of the meanest
bucking bundles of horsehide on the
ranch. Ben's face was innocent, but
Marjorie hated him with all the hate
of which she was capable. The
scene was set; to try to save Clyde
now would be to humiliate him.
She mounted her own favorite
roam, and Clyde was helped into the
saddle by Ben Then the fun start
ed. The buckskin turned into a
rearing, tearing, jumping whirl of
horse and man, up in the air and
down on four still legs, around in
dizzy circles, out straight away,
away, then sudden stop; the dust
rose and swirled. Marjorie pressed
her hands against her heart. But
the slim, blond-headed figure stuck
and stuck-and the buckskin be-
gan to slow down-to waver-under
command.
She heard her fathers awed voice
beside her. We'll, by gawd!"
And his meaning was not profane.
Clyde brought the buckskin to the
porch and said simply, "All ready,
Marjorie, if you are"
A gust of cheers swept up from
the bunkhouse. Clyde acknowledged
them with a grin.
The minute they were out of sight,
she halted him, and said with won
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