| Show ar I 1 zen yo do A bu robert sted stead J J AUTHOR or y THE COW PUNCHER PUNCH I 1 11 W i i f 11 1 COPYRIGHT fv by STEAD f S a thap t tho u good word nalcy 1 never expected it to happen to too me but it lid did nil till of n sudden BU ilden Yo youat youmans ant to look out maybe its catching 11 Tr ansler wae wax evidently in prime humor under linder had bad indeed noted this tilts good humor for somo some time but bad had attributed it to the very successful operations in which hie his employer had been enticed engaged he ile pulled himself together enough to offer a somewhat confused congratulation and may I 1 ask who ie to to be the fortunate youn radar he lie ventured you may said Tra naley abut but it if ou could da seo co the length of your nose it bo be necessary under linder youre the beat best foreman I 1 ever had just because you dont ever think of an thine thing cleo else when you pose pass on therell be no heaven for you unless they civo sivo you charge of a bunch of men and teams where you can raise a sweat went and make money for the boas it you seren lt liko like that you would have anticipated what bat ive told you or perhaps made a play for zen your self zen you dont mean tda e daugh ter terr if I 1 dont mean YD MD e daughter I 1 dont mean apy anybody body and you can take that from me you bet ite zen say under I 1 think I 1 could go silly over a ciri girl but im plumb locked I 1 bought tho the biggest old sparkler in this town and sent it out with YD if it he lose it through tho the lining of his vest iest he handled it like it might have been a box of thill bad ellla under lv I 1 e cut got it nn it figuring bow nucci 4 ptiip pt iio o lie con put on a house lie betm a 11 on in the cost colit ou see und aud otto of these nights im going 1 to buy you a dinner keep you fed till I 1 never knew before that sili hiess and anti happiness go together but they do ini im glad ivo got a biber old forcin un 11 t hints bats nil all that keeps the business 1 going 1 and after Tra naley had turned au abay auay OY linder had hie his head and aid said by thunder under linder hen ou oil uko iu up bo be dead after her tier practically saying the waters aters tine fine well why im a foreman and always will be L nut but after a little reflection under linder came to the conclusion that perlian s it 1 was all nil for the beet best he ile could not have bought YD YM s daughter daUR liter a biff big sparkler spar ller or have built her a fine home because he was a foreman it was a round circle he ile threw himself sec into the building of house with aa ax much fidelity ns its it it had bad been his own he ile cave gave hie his undivided attention to Tran inter egts making dollars for him while earning cents for himself this attention was wax more needed than it ever had been as found it necessary I 1 to make weekly trips to the ranch in ili the foothills to consult with YD upon I 1 business matters zen found her tier interest in Trun sley crowing growing as his its attentions continued he spent money upon her tier lavishly to he he point nt at she protested for although al YD ax was rated ne n millionaire the family ramm lift life was as one of almast tark stark simplicity sis fissured tier 1 that he was making money r than lo lie 10 possibly could plind it and even een if it not money had find no nobler than to bring her tier hi lie 4 explained atio blue printa of fit the house hou and dl its cussed with till her detallo of the appoint merits an the build building lits ewd ho lie brought her weekly photography of it he lie urged her tier to urt not the binte about durieu the winter contract ing ln would he 1 nt at n standstill so they I 1 would appt nd three months in nin anti return in ili ahne for tho the oaring dy day by tiny tho tile girl tamed lie the situ altu alloh 0 ncr pr in tier mind nind hor life we had hn been dept into und ed 1 11 aind tile experience aled her wi sho 1 herself lic relf that ehe she 1 looked fort formo ird to her tier inar ringe with trundle 1 fill tile proper of a bride to tobe ix and imad it ax n iroe pros pct lct alint could well ell be contemplated alth etli 1 lind had win in complete confidence of her fa dior and ana hi lim doubts liar zen found round in hint that fact it very comfort YD Y D wax a shrewd man n nian titan adio hn guessed cl aed rone rong zen did not nIt tilt that sho site wax allowing allow inc her r to chlome it for her tier hut the fact that her father concurred in ili tho choice cholee strengthened tier in it Trun Bley sley lind in him qualities would I 1 win in not oni balth eal th hut but ditA und she he would in ili the 11 sho she told herself that it wrin a delightful outlook that mile 1 wax n very duppy cirl girl indeed and won on dared eliy bitic ns not tint tilie inid it upon liero herself telf that she must now low finally Iti ully grunt grant from her tier mind it was to that she care cured more for grant thun ulio mile did for naleY the two tio men were pro so dir ferent it was impossible to make they occupied quite different spheres in her tier regard to be lie sure orant wae as n very IlLe ablo man but lie as not eligible 1111 ne no it husband and she else could not marry two tuo it uny any cuso case zen entertained no delusions delU BlonK nebout thero being only one roan man in tits world orld on oil the contrary she was co minced that there were very many men in ili tho tile solid and dinong the better aper there was not so much to between them grant would undoubtedly be a good husband within hie his a means so would woold and anti ills tits means were ere greater the blud prints of the new house in town had hud not awen tx cn without their effect it was an a different prospect from being a alf wafe an a k ranch iler ainther never hear bear cf a it so 80 ehe she busied busted herself with ith preparations for tho the areat great event and what but preparations they were I 1 zen her father hod had said for once the lid Is off go the limit I 1 bhe tool him nt at his word ord there were ere many trips to town and activities s about tile old ranch buildings such os as tile had never known since jessie wilton wilt on came to finish YD as s bringing upbringing up nor even then them the good word spread throughout the foothill country and down over the prairies and many ninny a iaze cloud oc of dust lay along the november hillsides as the women folk of neighboring ranches came to pay their respects and gratify their curiosity zen had bad treasures to show which sent them home with nith ne new standards of extravagance YD had not thought he lie could become so worked up over n simple matr cpr ilka uk fl time had dulled the tile edge 1 of memory but tut even arrer ilig allowances ho lie could not recall that his marriage to jessie jeanie wilson had been nuch such an event in hie lilts life as this it did not at least reflect so much dory glory upon him hint personally iio ire basked ID ili tile ali reflected flow glow of his tits daughter daughters and popularity as an happily ae an the tile ift cat lying on tho the sunny side of tile bunkhouse bunk house honeo iio ilo found all sorts of for invading where here hie his pros pres enco was un little wanted anted while zens fani ry was an bring being daspin displaced pd for admira ion lion I 1 D always pretended that such linum lons wore were quite accidental and 11 afine n indifference to all this 11 M oin i ns lux funs an in feather leathers but hie in deceived 14 Ived at least none of tho boltl older r visitors AH an ow ho great day approached YD s alf if 0 shot a n bomb shell at him what do ou propone 1 to wear for zens wed till 10 alie demanded the matter with the suit I 1 go y to t town ton in Y D eald said tits wife kindly there are certain crt little touches tou clies which you overlook your town suit li in all right for halling steers although I 1 wont any ay that it anent outlived its prime even for that to attend zene zens wedding it 1 hardly the thing thin its been a rood good suit he protested it lo 10 it line lins it Is in aino also a ven venerable emble suit sult hut but really YD it will not do for this 1 you inart get 1 yourself a new alt wid a white shirt what do I 1 want with a white hart it has ling to be hie tits wife insisted have to deck yourself out in a now new ruilt and a white shirt and collar Y 1 I stumped around the room and in n moment slipped out all fool etim ho he confided to himself on his aay xi ay to tho the bunkhouse bunk house its all right for zen to have good clothes I 1 tell her to go the llmott but ns as for me t aint me gettin married laiq 1 it up before all thim cow punchers in a white shirt I 1 1 iho I lie i of auch such disgrace cut the old rancher no less keenly than titan the physical discomfort which ho he forecast for himself yet he lie put his hix own desires sufficiently to one sido side to buy a suit of clothes and a white shirt and collar when he lie was next in town it not be supposed that YD admitted to the salesman that he per xon tilly was descending to any such garb A suit for a fellow about my size ho lie explained hes iles out at the ranch an he lie hefts about the same as me put in ony one of them hereford shirts on an a collar Y D tucked the package surrepta in his Ws room and awaited the da of zens marriage with I ith mingled emotions zen 31 yielding elding to Tran aleys 8 imbor tunit leg had at last said that it should be christmas day the wedding would bo be in the boure with the leading ranchers and formers farmers of the district as incited guests and the general understanding der standing waa was to be given out that the countryside as a hole would bo be uel nel conie conle all could not be taken care of in the house so YD gae orders that the ha lia vas as to be cleared out of one of the tile barns and the floor put in iliade for dancing open house would be held in the barn and in the bunkhouse where substantial refreshments would be served to all and sundry christmas day da dawned ned with ith a sea honable nip to the air but the SUB sun rose warm and bright As the hour zen found herself possessed of a calmness which she deemed worthy of YD s daughter ulie he had elected to be un unattended attend ed as she had no ery special girl friend and that seemed the simplest way out of the problem of selecting someone for or this tilts honor she was ao however wever amply assisted with her dressing and the color of her tier fine cheeks burned deeper with the compliments to which she listened with modest appreciation at a quarter to the leour it was as discovered i that YD had not bet et dressed for the occasion he ile was as in fact engaged with etli landson in fit making a tentative arrangement for the distribution trib ution of next bears haa ha zen had been so insistent upon an being sent to mr and mr mrs landson that Y D although fearing a snub for bis his pains at last conceded the point ho had done his neighbor rather less than justice and now he and landson with kith the assistance of a u well ell filled stone jug were ere burying the hatchet in a corner of the bunk house dang this dressin YIL remonstrated when a message demanding instant action reached him landson hear me now I 1 I 1 take a million dollars for that girl y understand der stand and I 1 nt trade a mangy cayuse for an another otherl 1 so grumbling he found his way to his room and began a wrestle with his store clothes before the tight was over he was wag being reminded through the door that he roping a steer and everybody was wait ing at the last moment lie discovered that lie had neglected to buy owes there was nothing for it but his long ranch boots boom so 0 o on they A ent iio lie nought zen in her room III I 1 do in this he asked feeling very aboe pash zen could have laughed or she could he lime cried but she did neither she sensed in some way the fact that wat to her father this experience was a pos positive Itle ordeal so she just slipped her orm through his and whispered of course do yon you silly old dutter duffer and tripped down the stairs by the side of his ponderous 8 steps tuf after the ceremony the elder people mple fat al down to dinner in the house and the others in the bunkhouse bunk house zen 1 was radiant and calm handsome delighted self possessed his good luck was the subject of many n comiti comment ont both inside and aird out of ia tiia old home house accepted it at if its full value and yet as ono one who alto has a right to expect that luck will play him some favor suddenly there was a rush from outside and zen found herself being carried bodily uway away the young people had decided that the dancing could wait bo ho longer so a half dozen hustlers had been deputed to kidnap the bride and carry cay her to tb the e barn here the fiddles were already strumming zen insisted that the first dance munt belong to translay Tra neley but after that ohp danced with the young yog era und and cowboy cowboys with strict impartial ity ily and oven as no she he danced lobe be found herself wondering on dering if among all tills this representation of the countryside that one upon whom her thoughts lind turned no 0 o much hould should be missing 11 she found herself watching the door surely it would have been only a decent respect to her surely he might have helped to whirl hor her joyously away into the tile new life in which alch the poet had to be forgotten now how much better they should pa part rt that way than alth the ide memories morles they hadt had I 1 hut but dennison grant did not appear evidently he lie preferred to keep his memories I 1 when ut lael last tho the night had worn thin and it wan wax time for the bridal couple to leuc lene if they were to catch the morning train in fit town and they had ridden down the foothill tralle to the thi tuder or ot runny hoof bettit the old ranch became nud sud deni deril a place very quiet and til and alone Y D icat at doy don n in die the comer corner of the tile biff room by the alre and saw franco picture in if its dylus embers jh zen zeni zen Tra neley was a good fellow but how much a man mail will take with carce scarce a thank you I 1 presently YD became aware of a hand renting upon hie his shoulder and angling from its fingertips tipe came something akin to the al 1 meet most forgotten rapture of a day long 9 cone gone he ile malsed hie tits great paira palm and took that lowly slowly ageing hand once round and fresh like zena zens in his to gether they watched tho the fire die out in the silence of their empty houm to ro be continued next week |
