Show langfort oaf the THREE dy KATE AND VIRGIL D BOYLES copyright tj A C co 1807 SYNOPSIS george a poor ranchman high minded and cultured searches for cattle missing from his ranch the laev S on a wooded spot in the ahers bed that would have been an island had the missouri been at high water he discovers a band of horse thieves engaged in working over brands on cattle he creeps near enough to note the changing of the three bars brand on one steer to the J it brand CHAPTER II 11 on the trail himself came to the door his thin scholarly face looked drawn and worn tn the midday mid day glare A tiredness in the eyes told graphically ot a sleepless night I 1 m glad to see you langford be said it was good of you to come leae your horse tor mary shell give her water when ashes cooled ott a bit you sent tor me asked the young man rubbing his face affect tlona tely against the wet neck ot bis mare I 1 did it was good of you to come to soon fortunately your messenger found me at home As tor the rest sade here her beat in he cow country it she Is only a cow pony eha sadie at that moment mary came into the open doorway ot the rude claim shanty set down in the very heart of the sun seared plain which stretched away into heart chok ing distances from every possible point ot the compass and sweet she was to look upon though tanned and glowing from close association with the ardent sun and riotous wind her auburn hair more reddish on the hendges from sunburn was fine and soft and there was much of it it seemed newly brushed and suspicious ly glossy one sees far on the plains and two years out of civilization are not enough to make a girl forget the use of a mirror even if it b but a broken sliver propped up on a pine board dressing table she looked strangely grown up despite her short rough skirt and badly scuffed leather riding leggings langford stared at her with a startled look of mingled admiration and astonishment she came forward and put her hand on the mares bridle she was not cm barr assed in the least but the color came into the strangers face he swept his wide bat from his head quickly no indeed miss water sade myself please let me id love to ashes used to it langford said in his quiet gentlemanly voice the wall bred cadence of which spoke of a training far removed from the harassments and harsh nesses of life in this plains country you see eha s the only boy I 1 have she must of necessity be my chore boy as well as my herd boy in her leisure mo ments sho holds down her kitchen claim I 1 dont know how she does it but she does you had better let her do it she will hold it against you it you don t but I 1 coulden couldn t have a woman doing my grooming tor me why the very idea he sprang into the saddle but you waited for me to do it said the girl looking up at him cu did IT I 1 mean to yes I 1 did too but I 1 beg your pardon you see say look here are you the little girl who left word tor me this morn ang yes why bof well you see smiling but apolo getic one of the boys said that wai listen s little girl had ridden over and said her father w anted to see me as eoon as I 1 could come so you eee I 1 thought dad always calls me that so most of the people around here do too it la very silly 1 1 I dont think so at all I 1 only why I 1 have not known about you before with a frank smile it must bo because I 1 ve been away so much of the time lately why dlan t you wait for mo he asked suddenly ten miles Is a sort of a lonesome run for a girl 1 I did wait a while said mary tio nestly but you dlan t seem in any hurry I 1 expect ou dlan t care to be bored that long way with the silly chatter of a little girl well eald langford ruefully 1 I m afraid I 1 did feel a little relieved when I 1 found you had not waited I 1 never will again I 1 do beg your pardon he called laughingly over herf shoulder as be galloped away to the spring when he returned there was no one to receive him but together they entered the bouse it was A za a small room into which langford was ushered it was also very plain it ads more than that it was shabby an easy chair or two that has sur alved the wreckage of the house of williston had been shipped to this land of promise together with a few other articles euch as were abao indispensable the table was i big shipping box though langbord Lang tord td not notice that for it was neatly i with a moth eaten plum col doted felt cloth A rug crocheted out of parti colored rags a relic of mary s conservative and thrifty grandmother served as a carpet for the living room A peep through the open door into the next and only other room disclosed glimpses of matting on the floor there was a holy place even in this castaway house on the prairie As the young mans careless eyes took in this new significance the door closed softly the little girl had shut herself in the two meu sat down at the table it was hot they were perspiring freely tho hies swarming through the doorway stung alsa agreeably gree ably laconically williston told his story he wasted no words in the telling in the presence of the man whose big success made his own pitiful failures incongruous his sensitive scholars nature had shut up like a clam langbord Lang tord s jaw was set his young face was tense with interest he had thrown his hat on the floor as he came in as Is the way with men who have lived much without women he had a strong bronzed face with daredevil dare devil eyes blue they were too and he had a certain turn of the head a mark of distinction which success always gives to her sons he had big shoulders clad in a blue flannel shirt open at the throat in his absorption he had forgotten the little girl as complete ly as it she had in very truth been the loyear oid of his imagination how plainly he could see all tha un holy situation the handful of des men perfectly protected on the the little island one man sighting from behind a cottonwood could play havoc with a whole sheriff a posse on that open stretch of sandbag sandbar nothing but a surprise and did these insolent men fear surprised 9 they had laugh ed at the suggestion of the near who could J R be presence of an officer of the law and did they not do well to laughe surely it was a joke a good one this aided of an officers being where he was needed in kemah county and my brand was on that spotted steer he interrupted 1 I know the creature know him well he has a mean eye had the gall to dispute the right of way with me once not so long ago either he was in the cor ral at the time but he a been on the range all summer he may have the evil eye all right but hes mine bad eye and all and what la mine I 1 will have and is that the only original brand you saw the only one quietly unless the the J R on that red steer when he got up was an original one J R who could J R be 1 I say but the man was jesse black jesse blackl the repeated words were fairly opt jesse black I 1 might have known who else bold enough to loot tho three bars but his day has come not a hair nor a hide not a hoof not tallow enough to fry a flapjack shall be left on the three pars before he repents his insolence what will you do asked ton what will you doa retorted lang ford ia what can X do in the vague helpless manner of the 1 everything it you will briefly he snatched up his wide hat where are you going askco 1 listen curiously to see dick gordon before this day Is an hour older will you come alonga ye cs hesitatingly gordon chasn t made much success of things so tar has he because you and men like you are under the thumb of men like jesse black said langford curtly afraid to peach for tear of antagonizing the gang afraid to vote against the tools of the cattle thieves for fear of antagonizing the gang afraid to call our souls your own for tear 0 antagonizing the gang your on the fence policy dlan t work very well this time did it you haven t found your cattle have you the angel must have forgotten thought you were tainted of egypt eh it la easy tor you to taik said wll it would be difficult if T your bread and butter and ion lettla girls as well depended on a scrawny little bunch like mine maybe said langford shrugging his shoulders doean doesn t seem to have exempted you though does it but diack Is no respecter ot persons you know however the time has coma for dick gordon to show of what stuff be Is made it was for this that I 1 worked for his election though I 1 con fess I 1 little thought at the time that proofs for him would be furnished from my own herds present condl alons humiliate me utterly am I 1 a weakling that they should exist are we all weaklings wea klings A faint appreciative smile passed over face no langford did not look a weakling neither had the professed humiliation lowered his proud head langford strode to the door then be turned quickly look here I 1 shall make ou angry I 1 suppose but it has to go in the cattle country and you little fellows haven t shown up very walta in these deals you know that sour self well are you going to stand pat with us it you mean am I 1 going to tell what I 1 know when called upon an with a simple dig alty that made langford color with sudden shame I 1 am there are many of us little fellows who would have been glad to stand up against the rustling outrages long ago had we ra calved any backing the moral support of men of your class has not bp t what you might call a sort of on i spot support now has it relapsing into a gentle sarcasm at least un til ou came to the front he quail fled you will not be the loser and there s my hand on it said lang ford frankly and earnestly ignoring the latter part of the speech the three bars never forgets a friend they may do you before we are through them but remember the three bars never forgets mary from her window as Is the way with a maid watched the two horsemen for many a mile as they galloped away she followed them with her eyes while they slowly became faint specks in the level distance and until they were altogether blotted out and there was no eign of living thing on the plain that stretched between but paul lang ford as la the way with a man forgot had seen a beautiful girl and had thrilled to her glance he looked back not once as he urged his trusty little mare on to see dick gordon TO BE CONTINUE CONTINUED D |