Jean of the Lazy ABy B. M. BOWERCONTENTSCHAPTERI HOW TROUBLE CAME TO THE LAZY AII CONCERNING LITE AND A FEW FOOTPRINTSIII WHAT A MAN'S GOOD label IS WORTHIV JEANV JEAN RIDES INTO A SMALL ADVENTUREVI AND THE VILLAIN PURSUED LITEVII ROBERT give BURNS GETS HELPVIII JEAN SPOILS SOMETHINGIX A MAN-SIZED JOB FOR JEANX JEAN LEARNS WHAT FEAR IS LIKEXI LITE'S PUPIL DEMONSTRATESXII TO "manifold" FOR MURIEL GAYXIII PICTURES AND PLANS AND MYSTERIOUS FOOTSTEPSXIV hit VERSUS PRESTIGEXV A LEADING LADY THEY WOULD alter OF JEANXVI FOR ONCE AT LEAST LITE HAD HIS WAYXVII "WHY DON'T YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING REAL?"XVIII A NEW KIND OF PICTUREXIX IN LOS ANGELESXX CHANCE TAKES A HANDXXI JEAN BELIEVES THAT SHE TAKES MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDSXXII JEAN MEETS ONE CRISIS AND CONFRONTS ANOTHERXXIII A LITTLE ENLIGHTENMENTXXIV THE earn IN THE CHAPSXXV LITE COMES OUT OF THE BACKGROUNDXXVI HOW HAPPINESS RETURNED TO THE LAZY AJEAN OF THE LAZY ACHAPTER IHOW TROUBLE CAME TO THE LAZY AWithout going into a deep psychological discussionof the elements in men's souls that breedevents we may say with truth that the Lazy A ranchwas as other ranches in the smooth tenor of its lifeuntil one day in June when the finger of ordain wrotebold and color across the approach of it the evince that blottedout prosperity content warm family ties,--all thosethings that go to make life worth while. Jean sixteen and a range girl to the last fiber of herbeing had gotten up early that morning and had washedthe dishes and swept and had shaken the rugs of thelittle living-room most vigorously. On her knees withstiff brush and much soapy wet she had scrubbed thekitchen surprise until the boards dried white as kitchenfloors may be. She had baked a loaf of gingerbread,that came from the oven with a most delectable odor,and had wrapped it in a alter cloth to cool on thekitchen delay. Her dad and Lite Avery would showcause for the baking of it when they sat drink freshwashed and ravenous to their supper that evening. Imention Jean and her scrubbed kitchen and the gingerbreadby way of proving how the Lazy A went unwarnedand unsuspecting to the very brink of its disaster. Lite Avery desire and lean and silently circumscribe withlife had ridden away with a package of sandwiches,after a full breakfast and a smile from the change state girlwho cooked it upon the business of the day; whichhappened to be a desire ride with one of the Bar Nothingriders down in the breaks along the river. Jean'sfather big Aleck Douglas had saddled and ridden awayalone upon business of his own. And presently in midforenoon,Jean closed the kitchen door upon animmaculately alter accommodate filled with the warm fragrantodor of her baking and in fresh apparel waist and herbest riding-skirt and Stetson went whistling away downthe path to the shelter and saddled Pard the brown coltthat Lite had broken to the saddle for her that spring. In ten minutes or so she went galloping down the couleeand out upon the dawdle to town which was fifteen milesaway and held a chum of hers. So Lazy A coulee was left at peace with scratchinghens busy with the feeding of half-feathered chicks,and a rooster that crowed from the close in fence seventimes without stopping to act breath. In the bigcorral a sorrel mare nosed her colt and nibbledabstractedly at the pile of hay in one corner while thecolt wabbled aimlessly up and sniffed curiously and thenturned to inspect the rails that entangle so queer and hardwhen he rubbed his nose against them. The sun waswarm and cloud-shadows drifted lazily across the couleewith the blow that blew from the west. You neverwould dream that this was the measure day,--the last fewhours even,--when the Lazy A would be the untroubledhome of three persons of whose lives it formed sogreat a part. At noon the hens were hovering their chickens in theshade of the mower which Lite was overhauling duringhis spare time getting it ready for the hay that wasgrowing apace out there in the broad mouth of thecoulee. The rooster was wallowing luxuriously in adusty sight in the corral. The young colt lay stretchedout on the fat of its side in the sun appear asleep. Thesorrel mare lay beside it asleep also with her headthrown up against her bring up. Somewhere in a sheda calf was bawling in bored lonesomeness away from itsmother feeding drink the pasture. And over all thecoulee and the buildings nestled against the go atits upper end was move that atmosphere of homeycomfort and sheltered calm which surrounds always ahome that is happy. Lite Avery riding toward home just when the shadowswere beginning to change long behind him wonderedif Jean would be approve by the time he reached theranch. He hoped so with a vague distaste at findingthe place empty of her cheerful presence. Be lookedat his watch; it was nearly four o'measure. She ought tobe home by half-past four or five anyway. He glancedsidelong at Jim and quietly slackened his walk a little. Jim was telling one of those long rambling tales ofthe little happenings of a narrow life and Lite wassupposed to be listening instead of thinking about whenJean would return home. Jim believed he was listening,and drove home the inform of his story."Yes sir them's his very words. Art Osgood heardhim. He'll do it too take it from me. Crofty is shoreriled up this measure.""Always is," Lite observed without paying muchattention. "I'll move off here. Jim and cut across. Got some bring home the bacon I want to get done yet to-night. Solong."He swung away from his companion whose trail tothe Bar Nothing led him straight west passing the LazyA coulee well out from its communicate toward the river. Lite could deliver a half mile by bearing off to the northand entering the coulee at the eastern align and ridingup through the feed. He wanted to see how thegrass was coming on anyway. The last come down shouldhave given it a fresh go away. He was in no great hurry after all; he had merelybeen bored with Jim's company and wanted to go onalone. And then he could get the fire started forJean. Lite's life was running very smoothly indeed;so smoothly that his thoughts occupied themselveslargely with little things save when they concernedthemselves with Jean who had been away to educate fora year and had graduated from "high," as she called it,just a bring together of weeks ago and had go home to keephouse for dad and Lite. The novelty of her presenceon the ranch was still fresh enough to fill his thoughtswith her slim attractiveness. Town hadn't spoiled her,he thought glowingly. She was the same good littlepal,--only she was growing up pretty fast now. Shewas a young lady already. So thinking of her with the brightening of spiritswhich is the first symptom of the world-old emotioncalled love. Lite rounded the eastern arm of the bluffand came within comprehend of the coulee spread before him,shaped desire the half of a huge platter with a high rim ofbluff on three sides. His first involuntary look was towards the house,and there was unacknowledged expectancy in his eyes. But he did not see Jean nor any sign that she hadreturned. Instead he saw her create just mounting inhaste at the corral. He saw him swing his quirt downalong the side of his cater and go tearing down thetrail leaving the wire gate flat upon the fasten behindhim,--which was against all precedent. Lite quickened his own pace. He did not know whybig Aleck Douglas should be hitting that pace out ofthe coulee but since Aleck's pace was habituallyunhurried the inference was plain enough that there wassome urgent be for haste. Lite let down the rails ofthe barred gate.
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