The Texan A Story of the Cattle Country

ttom of this river bed." With deft fingers Alice Marcum caught back

an arm upon the polished brass guard rail of the observation car. "T

both sides of the mile-wide valley through which the track of

hy couldn't they have b

vel sky-line where the mouths of creek beds and coulees flashed glimpses of far mountains

their old shiny rails and scraggly green bushes and dirt walls, while up there only a half a mile away th

ds are built primarily with an eye to dividends and-"

nster whose god is dollars-and who serves that god well. What does any tourist know of the real West-the West that lies beyond those level rims of dirt? How much do you or I know of it? The West to us is a thin row of scrub bushes along

y you enjoyed

ork and Palm Beach. The real West lies east of the Rockies, the uncommercialized, unexploited-I suppose you would add, the unpractical West. A New Yorker gets as good an ide

saw of it. A business trip does not affo

port and Palm

ored the in

bit of business with a very big bit of pleasur

l have to say 'no' again, and explain that I'm not ready to marry anybody." She regarded him with an air of mock solemnity. "But really Mr

years have made a really noticeable improvement. Do the Cincinnati newspapers always remember to use your whole name or do they dare to refer to

"Are you never se

so than th

dy to many. You expect t

pect to. I'

ry me when yo

use during which her eyes centred upon the point where the two gleaming rails vanished into the distance. "He must be impract

r unconventional

tical things! It is the men who are the real sticklers for convention. The same kind of men that

t out resentfully. "I'm not conventional, nor pr

I have always l

ll really and truly in love with you. But-Oh, I don't know! Here I am, twenty-three. And I suppose I'm a little fool and have never grown up. I like to read stories about knights errant, and burglars, and fair ladies, and pirates, and mysterious dark oriental-looking men. And I like to go to places where everybody don't go-only Dad won't let me and-- Why just think!" she excla

d for your convenience? These people are experienced travell

very well that there isn't a traveller among them. They're just tourists-professional goers. They do the same things, and say the same thin

a cigarette, brushed some white

very, very much I wouldn't just sit

night errant, nor a burglar, nor a pirate, nor a dark myste

a past. It would show at least, that he hadn't followed the line of the least resistance. The world is full of canals-but there are only a few canyons. Look! I believe we're s

tion up ahead-quite a crowd. If I can get this blame

me down. I'm just dying to know what's the matter. And if