Show 9 the boss on the scene V by H LOUIS TN ALL his fifteen years of running 1 a dude ranch stanley had never concerned himself over any of his guesta beyond their actual welfare and entertainment until daphne mont started lu making miserable the life of jims nephew brent burgess brent was an intermittent cow who turned to in alie summer time and helped his uncle pack outfits tor the dude camping trips A nice looking boy but tremendously bash ful woman sav his uncle called him and was glad of it nothing was worse in his opinion than a cowboy who fell healy for casual summer flirtations daphne so fir from lurting with brent seemed to have singled him out not exactly for ridicule perhaps but tor a certain persistent teasing and jim had seen the lad flush rosily at some sally ot hers or clench his fist while his ees flashed funny too for daphne was a good sort even if somewhat overindulged over indulged by her father who had been a friend of jims for years jam had welcomed the advent of this particular party who proved to a very decent crowd of young people with an older woman in the capacity of that old fashioned creature the chaperon it was to mrs mortimer that he finally spoke about brent alss daphne rags him contin 1 he said the boy actually goes white when she appears bave you noticed it sirs mortimer nodded if it had been that fellow the boys call redhead ruminated rumina ted stanley I 1 could understand it there miss surely would have met her match 1 I would take daphne to task said mrs mortimer thoughtfully but opposition of any sort has always act ed as a ebur rati er thain a check I 1 think that there must he behind it all eliat we dont know biow had it not apen for an benl enl sode alie next morning of which urn was an involuntary witness he have decided to let the run its course every summer had an end in tact he had rather come to the con overnight alint he was a sent mental old fool making mountains out of mote hills shortly after breal fast he mauu down towards the carril to see how the horses were bearing up under tenderfoot riders hounding the comer of the ice house lie came suddenly upon brent and D iahn en in what wis evidently a spited conversation brent standing awkwardly with his hands behind him ans un ihly resenting wint ever daphne was suing in would he so stupid was all jim actually overheard for ns he both started and brent looking punished turned away do you think miss daphne jim quite as if unwire that he and interrupted little drama that a three days trip to I 1 lake in the pass sounds very inter asting cs ting 1 I sure do mr stanley replied daphne with a similar effort to meet his everybody going bivs with assigned as her gide pondered tim would mike her we the light would bring her to appreciate fellow of brents caliber the crimson haired take rogers was retained on the V bar annh for other sterling qualities than his to in good 1 h his best in a hid one he ws as full of nils chief ns he could without ahping brent hp ivar to n mil alv girl Incur aMy norald of and thunder showers of the second day of the found alip party camped under the pimps houlde like lupin A of email apak tants ar pitched around central camp of mammoth logs horses and rook tent and quarters for the men were distinguishable in the forest gloom at the rear jim wandering down to the fringe of sand at the lakes edge t smoke a cigar in the solitude he loved was surprised to hear voices why did you plague me so if you really cared daphne because the voice was muffled as if it came from the depths of some ones shoulder you acted as if you loved me but would never believe I 1 loved you it made me so a ing mad to have you sure I 1 was only flirting how could I 1 think other not until today when that fool jake was careless enough to let you take that on the outside did I 1 realize that I 1 simply must take a chance on nl lowing mp to look out for you flip of my life jim drew back ns softly ns n deer daphne and brent suffer be cause ehe loved him the way of a maid with a mani well the lad was every bit ns well born na daphne he and h id hia four years at the AS for money whatever his had would some day be hia just for the moment however ap here tn the cool mountains with a young moon setting aslant the black lodge pole pines the lap of water the only sound eave for an occasional of the night wind money or birth or education im than love |