Show THE FICTION THIRD RICHEST GIRL CORNER by richard H wilkinson IF IT had happened back in westchester or most anywhere in the world except here on the edge of a high mesa at the rim of death valley it would have made the front pages of every newspaper in the country the reading public would have been delighted this was explainable for joan roberts was the third richest girl in the united states and whatever happened to 3 fiction her was news it if the reporters had been been on hand that day she had her face slapped the telegraph wires would have hummed if they had known that the man who slapped her face was a cowhand editorial offices would have been thrown into info a shambles joan roberts and Lanky Andrews who was the cowboy had ridden away from the wagon wheel ranch that afternoon with the idea of watching the sunset from the i rim of howling cocoe Coyo teMe mesa sa this was not the first timothey time tim ethey they had ridden off alone together jether to at first joan thought lackya attitude of deference was a dose pose but bui later she decided hellias he was acting natural the discovery delighted her casually she had observed lanky andrewal Andrew sl without appearing to boso doso she registered the fact that he wis was a good deal more more fian handsome csome than you noticed at first glince glance nothing about his hia manner or what ho he said was affected N 0 v lanky andrews kissed joan as effectively as she had ever been kiss kissed ed casually too she made inquiries about him and learned to her astonishment that he be owned a harvard diploma and a small cattle ranch down on the mojave her frequent trips into them the des art rf with lanky coupled with the knowledge she had acqua acqui a c q u fr red e d gave joan so to speak a nellease new lease on life up to now her general outa outlook was bitter she trusted no one she hated people who posed lanky andrews without knowing it gradually changed all that 8 SO 0 joan prolonged her visit and demanded landys services moro more and more she tried to be nice to him tried to give the lm im that sha she appreciated what he was doing lor for her but lanky remained the same ile he was a good dude wrangler ahe was dependable kind thoughtful courteous cour ui but never personal that Is he was never personal until tha evening they stood on the edge of howling coyote mesa and the sun ease down i the desert without turning her head joan said its lovelys love lovel lyl and lanky andrews unexpectedly arid without warning turned to her and said 11 that sunsets a washout compared to you and he kissed her as effectively as joan had ever been kissed wow NOW LANKY was acting like A I 1 the men Joan knew and understood Aeri der stood tood she acted on impulse she slapped his faco face why you he began anil 1 slapped I her face s a resounding crack joan stared at him mouth open cheeks white how dare youl bythe same right you dare to slap me lanky said easily you you apparently mr andrews you dont know who I 1 am im the third richest girl in the united stalest Stat Sta esl test so what im the best dudi dude wrangler anywhere around att binl just as human as you just because youve go got t mare dough than I 1 give you any more rights or make me any less feeling why couyou you you 6 well bhatt what cant you thank ol of anything 0 to o say of course you cant time you learned a few things this time joan say a anything y she merely gaped at him she was conic conscious lous of only one thought one feeling one fear ht H might riot not kiss her again but he did and the newspapers newspaper had bad to be satisfied with the result they were never told about the th face slapping episode but the story of subsequent events elems was plenty tc make lovely big black headlines |