Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1911)

118 THE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE work alone. She can work well if she chooses but she hasn't yet passed the age of selfishness." "And she never will so long as you humor her as you do," replied her husband. "If I could only spare the money, I would have you go East for a visit and let Edith look after the house. The work and responsibility might cure her of some of her foolishness. I am afraid that girl will have to be taught a pretty severe lesson some of these days." But the well meaning rancher had never yet been able to spare the money, so his wife still worked and his daughter murmured against the fate which denied her the pleasures enjoyed by other girls of her age. Altho they had risen early that morning the pitiless sun had been streaming down upon them for hours. The stillness was intense and the great stretches of sun-baked land in all directions made the eyes ache. Just outside the door of the "lean-to," Mrs. Burton bent over the foaming suds and rubbed wearily at the garments in the tub. Edith, not for love of the work but because her conscience troubled her a little, made a pretense of assistance in rinsing the clothes and hanging them on the lines. She had wanted to go over to her cousin Helen's at the 0. K. ranch that day if her mother hadn't insisted upon the necessity of having the washing done, so she was more fretful than usual. As she swung the sheets over the line she turned just in time to meet Bill Hawkins, one of the men from her uncle's ranch which was not far distant. "Hello, Bill! What brings you over?" she inquired, eagerly, for in the dull dreariness of life on a ranch the most trivial circumstance serves to enliven the monotony. Edith knew Bill had not left his work at her uncle's busy place to saunter over that hot day unless he had been sent on a special errand. "Howd'y," said Bill, producing a note as he spoke. "I reckon you got a bid to th' dance Helen's goin' to down at th' Bar-X next week. She told me to give you this," putting the note into Edith's hand. "Oh, joy! You don't mean it!" exclaimed Edith, hastily scanning the note only to learn that Bill's surmise was correct. Helen, who was a year or more older than Edith, had long ago promised to take her, sometime, to the Bar-X ranch, and now she was going to keep her word. Edith had always been somewhat jealous of Helen ; for, to her girlish mind, her cousin had not a wish ungratified. In vain Mrs. Burton had tried to make her daughter realize the difference in financial circumstances between her father and uncle. "Your uncle is prosperous," she would say. "He has good health, plenty of money and only one daughter. It is but natural that he should provide well for her happiness. On the contrary, your father has always been in ill health. He has lost heavily and has had a family of four children to provide for until within the last few years since your sister married and the boys have been old enough to do for themselves." "Since Frank and Ben have gone away to work," Edith would reply, "father ought to have all the more for me," and her mother had found it useless to argue the matter further. "Wait a minute, Bill !" called Edith, excitedly, after reading the note, as she ran to where her mother was at work. "Listen, mother, what do you think ! I'm going to the dance at the Bar-X ranch next Tuesday. Bill's here with a note from Helen. Stop a minute and just hear what she says — " Mrs. Burton looked up from her work with a sigh. "Good morning, Bill," she remarked, wiping her hands on her apron and sitting wearily down on the bench near the door. " Are they all well over at the 0. K. ?" "Yes'm," answered Bill, leaning against the side of the house and preparing for a smoke. "Miss Helen's gettin' ready to ride down to th' post office and wanted some word from Edith before she went, so I come over for her.' "Well, I guess you found it pretty tolerable warm," sighed Mrs. Burton,