Show EIE THE LOWRIE PASS D S FEUD by my ELLEN ELLEI MARIE CLIFFORD copyright by W U G chapman chalm 1 I am coming to your house to lick you thursday night june II 11 11 wrote budd nevers to hla his rival and enemy wharton lind here was the situation at lowrie pass the better class of the th ranch community had centered two miles down the river the settlement called painters paynters tere had bad been slow to meet the advance guard ot of civilization when young wharton lind had come to angry words with budd the wharton family discerning trouble had moved over to lowrie it was the sister ot of wharton lind who received the warning challenge she opened it and read it and her proud handsome face flashed bashed and her eyes took a somber determined look to their depths wharton had bad been away at college up to a year previous lie he was brave as a a lion but he had not acquired the sturdy strength that comes with outdoor ranch life on the contrary helena had gained the bronze the hardened muscles the health glowing flowing face of a truo true northwestern prairie girl she was the admiration of her own sex and the cherished model of her numerous gentleman friends there went back to dudd budd a terse single line wharton Wb arton lind la Is ready tor for you dudd u dd swaggered around his friends d down own at paynters painters all the morning of the day set for the combat he went over to lowrie about dusk took a drink or two and rode up to the und home on his broncho boldly and full of confidence it was m as a moonless night and the 4 house was wrapped in darkness except where a broad stream ot of radiance reflected across the grass from a lamp in the untenanted sitting room lie he made out a figure leaning against one of the posts clad in buckskin garb slid and wearing the shadowing sombrero of the district I 1 m budd paynter announced the visitor brusquely ready for business in reply his waiting adversary nodded and led the way to a clear level spot fifty feet away then began the battle budd sailed in over oter overconfident confident in his opinion of his superiority over a tenderfoot then he set on guard there had come halt half a dozen quick blows that dazed him As his opponent grappled he felt himself lifted featherlike and flung ten tea feet away landing with a shock youve won he acknowledged and then with true frontier chivalry advanced with outstretched hand band budd changed the anticipated grip to a clasp his recent opponent had suddenly staggered and had he be not reached out would have fallen to tho the ground dudd budd halt half lifted halt half dragged his inanimate burden towards the house hey therel there he hailed balled as he came within the radius ot of the light young lind has overdone himself though he whipped me mind you and fair and square Thun thunder derl for the first moment budd paynter 0 saw aw the face of his opponent the h hat at had fallen off the light streamed directly across helena across one cheek was an abrasion her lower up lip was slightly cut and bleeding 1 I 1 I 1 hit youl you gasped budda woman I 1 did that say bay I 1 could cry over it lady I 1 shall never forgive myself I 1 aye he could indeed have wept over his rough handiwork he could have kissed those trembling lips As helena roused up in her usual strong womanly way she directed one brief stinging rebuke it was to upbraid him for his idle useless ways because her brother was ill because he would have met the challenge even at that disadvantage she had assumed his part she told budd and he hung his big head in shame hame then he m went ent from her presence nee for the first arst time in his life with lo lowered ered head bead and awakened conscience then strange things began to hup hap 1 1 len en at painters paynters the old chums of budd began to marvel at a sudden I 1 somber change that had bad come over i him I 1 A month later two days before the announced wedding of wharton lind there appeared at the lind home the subject of consid considerable emble thought and interest to helena the new budd paynter ive come from the boys down home miss und lind announced budd shyly but very polite though embarrassed authorized me to do the usual thing when a friend like miss willis steps off and he produced d d a neat at case containing a band some bracelet why this Is truly charming declared helena and she invited the caller in then when he went away she accompanied him to the road there budd halted baited tumbling fumbling hla his hat seriously ile he stole a glance at her proud handsome face mikii lind he blurted out im a better man than I 1 was when I 1 first met you you deserve credit said helena and she flushed a trifle you can meke me still better ha be continued ind end I nd only you miss lind if I 1 could call here once in a while P his face glowed with hope his spirits rose high and he faced the deepening twilight bursting into s happy sont song that echoed like ft a alad owe come cheer |