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Show I Cavanagh, I Forest I Ranger I The Great Conservation Novel By HAMLIN GARLAND H Copyright. 1010, by H&mlln Garland H CHAPTER V. VMOIKIA TARES ANOT1IEH MOTOR HIDE, 1EB VinGINIA'S efforts to rofino the Itttlo hotel , produced nit amazing chango In Ellzn Weth- erford's affairs. Tlio dining H room Bwn'rnicd with tlioso seeking H food, and as tbo news of the girl's H beauty went out upon tbo rnngo tbo H cowboys sougbt excuse to rldo In and H get n squaro meal and a gllmpso of the H "queen" whoso hand hnd witched "tbu H old sback" Into a marvel of clcnnllucss. H Generally they failed of so much as a H glance at her, for sho kept away from H tbc dining room 11 1 mealtime. Leo Virginia was fully awaro of this H male curiosity and vaguely conscious H of tbo light which shoue In the eyes H of Bomo of them (men like Gregg). H She bad beguu to understand, too. that H her mother's reput'uttou was n barrier H between the better class of folk nnd herself. But as they came now and H again to take a meal they permitted H themselves n word In her praise, H which sbo resented. "I don't want H their friendship now," slio declared bitterly. As sho gained courage to look about H her sho began to bo Interested In somo H of her boarders. H 60 far as the younger men were con- I ccrned, sbo saw Itttlo to admire and H much to bnte. They wcro crude aud I uninteresting rowdies for the most part. Sho wns put upon her defense by their glances, nnd sho enma to dread I walking along tho street, so open and I conrso were their words of praise. I Few of theso loafers hnd the courage H to stand on their feet and court her I favor, but there wns one who speedily I beenmo her chief persecutor. This wns I Nelll nallnrd. celebrated (and niruf- I Impudent) by two years' travel with n wild west show. lie wns tall, lenn. angular and freckled, but bis horse-I horse-I manshlp was marvelous nnd hi skill I with tbo rope innglcnl. " Ho bad lost his engagement by rea son of n drunken brawl, aud he wns m now living with his sister, the wife of I a small rancher near by. Virginia do- splscd tho other men, but sbo feared this ouc, and quite Justly. Tho Greggs, father and son, wero In open rivalry for T.co also, but In dlf-I dlf-I fcrcnt ways. The older man, who bad already heen married several times, wns disposed to buy her hand hi what I ho culled "honorable wedlock." but tho I son, nt heart u libertine, approached her as ono who despised the west and I . who, being kept in tho beastly coun- try by duty to a parent, was ready to I nnmso himself nt any one's oxpeiibo. I IIo had no purpose In life but to feed I his body nnd cscnpo toll. I Tho chlvnlry of tbo plains, of which I Lee had read so much nnd which she I supposed sho reniombored, wna gone. I Sho doubled If It hnd over existed I among theso centaurs. Why should It I Inhere In ignorant, brutal plainsmen I any more than In Ignoraut, brutal fue- I tory bnnds? I There camo to her now and ngaln I 'gentlo old rnnchers-"grnngers," they I would bo cnlled-nnd shy boys from 1 tbo fftrms, but for I ho most part the I men she saw lmliUlered her, and sbo I kept out of their h ht ns much ns pos- I slblo. Her kecnoi pleasures, nlmost I her ouly pleasu ..-, lay lu tbo oceaslon- I nl brief visits 'f Cuvnuagh as he rodo I In for his mnl' I Izo percc'M-d all theso attacks on I her dnugblT and was Infuriated by I thorn. Ho brows were knotted with I enro ns ul' ns with pnlu, and sho in- I cessnntl.v urged Vlrglnln to go bnck to I Sulphur "I'll send you mouej to pay I ' your ho.ird till you strike 11 Job" Hut I to this the girl wmd not agree, mid I tho business by reason of her presence I wenfe-u Increasing from day to day. I To Itcdflold Llzo one day confessed I her pntn. "I ought to send, for that I doctor up there, but the plain truth Is I I'm nfrnid of him. I don't want to I intiv what's tbo mattor of me. It's I bis ib to toll mo I'm sick, and I'm I scared of bis verdict." I "Nonsense!" ho replied. "You can't afford to put off setting him much - longer. I'm going back tonight, but I'll bo over again tomorrow. Why don't you let mo bring hlin down? It will snvo you $12. And, by tbo wny, supposo you let mo tnko Leo Virginia homo with mo. Sho looks a bit depressed. de-pressed. An outing wilt do her good. She's tnken hold hero wonderfully." "Hasn't sho? Hut I should havo setit her nwny tho very llrst night. I'm getting get-ting (o depend on her. I'm plumb .foolish abort her now can't let her out of my sight, nnd yet I'm off my feed worrying over her. Gregg la get ting dangerous. You can't fool me when It comes to men. Curso 'em! They're nil alike, ovory ono of them I won't havo my girl mistreated, I tell jtou that. I'm not (It to ho her mother. Now, that's tho truth, Neddy, and this rotten llltlo back country cow town Is no place for her. Hut what can I 1.0 She won't leave mo so long ns I'm etck, nnd every Iny tics her closer to me. I don't know what I'd do without her. If I'm going to die I wnnt her by mo wbeti I take my drop, so you soo Just how I'm placed." She looked yellow and drawn ns she ended, and ItcdOeld wns moved by her unwonted tenderness. "Now, let mo dvlse," bo began nft-er nft-er n moment's pause. "Wo mustn't let the girl get homesick. I'll toko her homo with mo this afternoon and bring her back along with n doctor tomorrow." to-morrow." "All right, but before you go I wnnt to havo a prlvoto talk. I want to tell you something." Ho warned her away from what promised to bo n confession. "Now, now, Eliza, don't tell me nnythlng that requires that tono of voice. I'm a bad person to keep n secret, nnd you might bo sorry for It. I don't want to know anything more about your business than I can guess." "I don't menn tho whisky trade," sho explained. "1'vo cut that nil out anywny. It's something more Important-It's about Ed nnd me." "I don't want to hear that either," ho declared. "Let. bygones bo by-goncs. by-goncs. What you did then Is outlaw-ed outlaw-ed anyway. Thoso wero flcrco times, nnd I wnnt to forget them." no looked look-ed about. "Let mo sco Miss Virginia nnd convey to her Mrs. Itedfleld's invitation." in-vitation." "She's In tho kltchcu, I reckon. Go right out." Ho wns rather glad of a chanco to sco tbo young reformer in nctlon and smiled as bo camo upou her surrounded surround-ed by waiters aud cooks, busily superintending super-intending tbo preparations for the noon meal, which amounted to a tumult tu-mult each day. Sho saw Itcdflcld, nodded nnd n few moments later camo toward him, flushed and beaming with welcome. "I'm glad to seo you again, Mr. Supervisor." Super-visor." IIo bowed profoundly. "Mrs. Red-field Red-field sends by mo n formal Invitation to you to visit Elk Lodge. Sho is not quite nblo to take tbo long ride, else she'd come to you." Hero bo handed her n note. "1 suggest that you go up with mo this afternoon, nnd tomorrow wo'll fetch tbo doctor down to sco your mother. What do you sny to that?" Her eyes wero dewy with grateful appreciation of his kindness ns sbo THE TOUNO HKFOllMCH WAS HUltllOUMJKD 11Y WAUKKH AN1 COOKS. s answered. "That would be a great pleasure, Mr. Redtleld. If mother feels ublo to fcpnro 1110." "1'vo talked with her. She It anxious anx-ious to havo you go." Virginia was Indeed greatly pleased and pleasantly excited by this message, mes-sage, for she hnd heard much of Mrs. Itedfleld's cxcluslvcucss aud nlso of tho splendor of her establishment. Sho hurried away to dross with such a flutter of Joyous anticipation that Red-field Red-field felt qulto repaid for tho pressure ho had put upou his wlfo to Induce her to write thnt note. "You may leavo Llzo Wetherford out of tho count, my dear," ho had said. "There Is nothlug of her dlscernlblo In the girl. Virginia Is a lady. I don't know where sbo got It. but she's a gentlewoman gentle-woman by unture." It wus hot und still In town, but no sooner wns the enr lu motion than both heat nnd dust wcro forgotten. Itedfleld's machine was not large, aud. ns bo wns content to go nt moderate speed, conversation wns possible. IIo wns of that sunny, optimist! ever youthful nnturo which find delight de-light In human companionship under any conditions whatsoever. IIo nccept-cd nccept-cd this girl for what she secmed-a fresh, unspoiled child. He saw nothing noth-ing cheap or commonplnco In her nnd was not disposed to Impose nny of her father's wild doings upon her calen dar. Ho hnd his misgivings as to her future. That was tho main reason why ho lind sold to Mrs. lied field. ,iTbo girl must bo helped." Aftenvurd ho had said "sustained." It was inevitable that tbo girl should soon refer lo tbo ranger, qnd Hcdfleld was ai complimentary of him us sho could wish. "Hoss hasn't n fault but one, nnd that's a negative one be doesn't enre a hang about getting 0.1, as they Bay over In England. lie' content Just to do tbo duty of the mo. ment. Ho made n good cowpuuclnr nnd a good soldier, but as for promo' tlon he laughs when 1 mention It." "IIo told me that be hoped to b chief forester." protested Virginia. "Oh, yes, he says that, but do you know he'd rather be where he K riding over the hills, thnn live In l.on don. You should see his cnbln son time. It's most wonderful, renlly. II N walls are covered with bookshelves of bis own mnniifncturo und chairs nf his own design. Where the boy gul tho skill I don't sec. Heaven knows, his sisters nro conventional enough! He's capable of being supervisor, but ho won't llvo in town nnd work In nn office, no's llko nn Indian in bis love of tho open." t To Bo Continued. |