Marlowe Amy Bell - The Girl from Sunset Ranch: or, Alone in a Great City стр 6.

Duds blue eyes were frank, his lips were red and nicely curved; but his square chin took away from the lower part of his face any suggestion of effeminacy. His ears were generous, as was his nose. He had the clean-cut, intelligent look of the better class of educated Atlantic seaboard youth.

There is a difference between them and the young Westerner. The latter are apt to be hung loosely, and usually show the effect of range-riding at least, back here in Montana. Whereas Dud Stone was compactly built.

They chatted quite frankly while the patient ate his supper. Dud found that, although Helen used many Western idioms, and spoke with an abruptness that showed her bringing up among plain-spoken ranch people, she could, if she so desired, use school English with good taste, and gave other evidences in her conversation of being quite conversant with the world of which he was himself a part when he was at home.

Oh, you would get along all right in New York, he said, laughing, when she suggested a doubt as to the impression she might make upon her relatives in the big town. Youd not be half the tenderfoot there that I am here.

No? Then I reckon I can risk shocking them, laughed Helen, her gray eyes dancing.

This talk she had with Dud Stone on the evening of his arrival confirmed the young mistress of Sunset Ranch in her intention of going to the great city.

CHAPTER IV

HEADED EAST

When Helen Morrell made up her mind to do a thing, she usually did it. A cataclysm of nature was about all that would thwart her determination.

This being yielded to and never thwarted, even by her father, might have spoiled a girl of different calibre. But there was a foundation of good common sense to Helens nature.

Snuggy wont kick over the traces much, Prince Morrell had been wont to say.

Right you are, Boss, had declared Big Hen Billings. Its usually safe to give her her head. Shell bring up somewhar.

But when Helen mentioned her eastern trip to the old foreman he came purty nigh goin up in th air his own sef! as he expressed it.

What dyer wanter do anythin like that air for, Snuggy? he demanded, in a horrified tone. Great jumping Jehosaphat! Aint this yere valley big enough fo you?

Sometimes I think its too big, admitted Helen, laughing.

Well, by jo! youll fin city quarters closet nough an thats no josh. Huh! Las time ever I went to Chicago with a train-load of beeves I went to see Kellup Flemming what useter work here on this very same livin Sunset Ranch. You dont remember him. You was too little, Snuggy.

Ive heard you speak of him, Hen, observed the girl.

Well, thar was Kellup, as smart a young feller as youd find in a days ride, livin with his wife an kids in what he called a flat. Be-lieve me! It was some perpendicular to git into, an no flat.

When we gits inside and inter what he called his parlor, he looks around like he was proud of it (By jo! Id be afraid ter shrug my shoulders in it, twas so small) an says he: What dye think of the ranch, Hen?

Ranch, mind yeh! I was plumb insulted. I says: Its all right what there is of it only, whats that crack in the wall for, Kellup?

Sufferin tadpoles! yells Kellup jest like that! Sufferin tadpoles! That aint no crack in the wall. Thats our private hall.

Great jumping Jehosaphat! exclaimed Hen, roaring with laughter. Yuh dont wanter git inter no place like that in New York. Cant breathe in the house.

I guess Uncle Starkweather lives in a little better place than that, said Helen, after laughing with the old foreman. His house is on Madison Avenue.

Dont care where it is; there natcherly wont be no such room in a city dwelling as there is here at Sunset Ranch.

I suppose not, admitted the girl.

Huh! Wont be room in the yard for a cow, growled Big Hen. Nor chickens. Whatter yer goin to do without a fresh aig, Snuggy?

I expect that will be pretty tough, Hen. But I feel like I must go, you see, said the girl, dropping into the idiom of Sunset Ranch. Dad wanted me to.

The Boss wanted yuh to? gasped the giant, surprised.

Yes, Hen.

He never said nothin to me about it, declared the foreman of Sunset Ranch, shaking his bushy head.

No? Didnt he say anything about my being with women folk, and under different circumstances?

Gosh, yes! But I reckoned on getting Mis Polk and Mis Harry Frieze to take turns coming over yere and livin with yuh.

But that isnt all dad wanted, continued the girl, shaking her head. Besides, you know both Mrs. Polk and Mrs. Frieze are widows, and will be looking for husbands. Wed maybe lose some of the best boys weve got, if they came here, said Helen, her eyes twinkling.

Great jumping Jehosaphat! I never thought of that, declared the foreman, suddenly scared. I never did like that Polk womans eye. I wouldnt, mebbe, be safe mysef; would I?

Im afraid not, Helen gravely agreed. So, you see, to please dad, Ill have to go to New York. I dont mean to stay for all time, Hen. But I want to give it a try-out.

She sounded Dud Stone a good bit about the big city. Dud had to stay several days at Sunset Ranch because he couldnt ride very well with his injured foot. And finally, when he did go back to Badgers, they took him in a buckboard.

To tell the truth, Dud was not altogether glad to go. He was a boyish chap despite the fact that he was nearly through law school, and a sixteen-year-old girl like Helen Morrell especially one of her character appealed to him strongly.

He admired the capable way in which she managed things about the ranch-house. Sing obeyed her as though she were a man. There was a rag-head who had somehow worked his way across the mountains from the coast, and that Hindoo about worshipped Missee Sahib. The two or three Greasers working about the ranch showed their teeth in broad smiles, and bowed most politely when she appeared. And as for the punchers and wranglers, they were every one as loyal to Snuggy as they had been to her father.

The Easterner realized that among all the girls he knew back home, either of her age or older, there was none so capable as Helen Morrell. And there were few any prettier.

Youre going right to relatives when you reach New York; are you, Miss Morrell? asked Dud, just before he climbed into the buckboard to return to his friends ranch.

Oh, yes. I shall go to Aunt Eunice, said the girl, decidedly.

No need of my warning you against bunco men and card sharpers, chuckled Dud, for your folks will look out for you. But remember: Youll be just as much a tenderfoot there as I am here.

I shall take care, she returned, laughing.

And and I hope I may see you in New York, said Dud, hesitatingly.

Why, I hope we shall run across each other, replied Helen, calmly. She was not sure that it would be the right thing to invite this young man to call upon her at the Starkweathers.

Id better ask Aunt Eunice about that first, she decided, to herself.

So she shook hands heartily with Dud Stone and let him ride away, never appearing to notice his rather wistful look. She was to see the time, however, when she would be very glad of a friend like Dud Stone in the great city.