www.freeclassicebooks.com

"Funny them greasers don't come in from the north range with thet bunch o'

steers. They ben gone all day now," he said to the boss, ignoring the girl's parting

sally.

Bridge sat tip-tilted against the front of the office building reading an ancient

magazine which he had found within. His day's work was done and he was but

waiting for the gong that would call him to the evening meal with the other

employees of the ranch. The magazine failed to rouse his interest. He let it drop

idly to his knees and with eyes closed reverted to his never-failing source of

entertainment.

And then that slim, poetic guy he turned and looked me in the eye, "....It's

overland and overland and overseas to--where?" "Most anywhere that isn't here,"

I says. His face went kind of queer. "The place we're in is always here. The other

place is there."

Bridge stretched luxuriously. "'There,'" he repeated. "I've been searching for

THERE for many years; but for some reason I can never get away from HERE.

About two weeks of any place on earth and that place is just plain HERE to me,

and I'm longing once again for THERE."

His musings were interrupted by a sweet feminine voice close by. Bridge did not

open his eyes at once--he just sat there, listening.

As I was hiking past the woods, the cool and sleepy summer woods, I saw a

guy a-talking to the sunshine in the air, Thinks I, "He's going to have a fit--I'll

stick around and watch a bit," But he paid no attention, hardly knowing I was

there.

Then the girl broke into a merry laugh and Bridge opened his eyes and came to

his feet.

"I didn't know you cared for that sort of stuff," he said. "Knibbs writes man-verse.

I shouldn't have imagined that it would appeal to a young lady."

But it does, though," she replied; "at least to me. There's a swing to it and a

freedom that 'gets me in the eye.'"

Again she laughed, and when this girl laughed, harder-headed and much older

men than Mr. L. Bridge felt strange emotions move within their breasts.

For a week Barbara had seen a great deal of the new bookkeeper. Aside from her

father he was the only man of culture and refinement of which the rancho could

boast, or, as the rancho would have put it, be ashamed of.

236

The Mucker