TURNED COWBOY TO WIN A BRIDE.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 19, 11 December 1906, Page 8

TURNED COWBOY TO WIN A BRIDE.

FATHER DID NOT WANT A DUDE FOR SON-IN-LAW. A marriage recently celebrated in America in the "cattle country, ” was the culmination of an uncommonly interesting romance of the plains. The heroine of the romance was a well-educated young Western girl, the only daughter of a gruff old cattleman, and the hero was a handsome, impulsive, young college bred from Ithe East.

They became acquainted with each other in New Orleans, where both had gone to witness the Mardi Gras festivities. They fell in love at once, and when they met later on, in Washington, they became engaged. Fielding wanted an immediate marriage, suggesting that Miss Crissman should write and tell her parents of the marriage after it had taken place Tlis proposal met with a flat refusal "No ; you must ask my father's consent to our marriage, or it cannot take place," she said. "My father would never forgive me if we were married in the way you suggest." "Oh, very well," said Fielding making a lame attempt to disguise his disappointment. “I’ll writ© and ask his consent at once," and he did so in a polite, frank, manly letter, closing with a request for the ranchman’s consent to the ceremony. The reply he received was a hot one. ["Not only do I refuse consent to my (daughter's marrying you," Mr. Crissjman wrote, "but I warn you that if I learn of you offering her any more attention, or if you ever again insult me with so preposterous a proposal I shall resQrt to measures that will have unpleasant consequences for you." •BOTH MUCH DEPRESSED, The lover and his sweetheart were much depressed when they read the letter, and they parted after pledges to be constant to each other and promising anew to wait and work for a happy issue out of their difficulties.

"Do not be discouraged," she said. "My father is not heartless. I know him, and I know how to manage him and you must trust me to bring him round to our point of view. He thinks he will never consent to our marriage’ but that is because he does not know you." A few weeks after Miss Crissman’s return to her Western home her lover received a letter from her saying : "If you still love me, and wish to take me to be your own, come out West, and turn cowboy. I don’t mean that you are always to be a cowboy, but you must be one for a time if you want me. And you must be a good one—the best in this whole cattle country. I know you are big, and strong, and I remember what you told me about how splendid you were in athletics at college, and I am just as sure as I can be that you can become the best cowboy on the ranch, if you just set your heart on it. Edward Bartbn, whose ranch adjoins ours, will give you a tion, Go there, keep your identity a secret, and let me know by note when you come."

Fielding met Miss Crissman by appointment a few days after he alighted from the stage at the Barton ranch. He had assumed the name of Robert Canfield. "When I came home my father talked to me about what he called my foolish, little love affair," she said. "I told him it was not foolish ; that you loved me, and were in every way worthy of me, and that I loved you. At that he grew angry, and told me he would never consent to my marriage to a ‘college dude.' Then I said, ‘Father, Mr. Fielding is a college man, but he is not a dude. Whom do you wish me to marry ? Do you wish me to marry a cowboy ?' ‘That would depend on the cowboy,' he answered. ‘I suppose one who could beat Bob Taylor at busting bronchos and roping and hogtying, and cutting out steers would be acceptable to you, would he not?’ I asked. ‘Yes, I guess one who could do that would do,’ he replied. PLOT DEVELOPING. " ‘You are sure you would consent to my marrying such a man if he should come along and ask me to marry him ?" I asked, laughing. " ‘Oh, yes ; I would consent,’ he replied. " ‘Very well ; I shall hold you to your promise,' I said, laug’-ing again "I needn’t explain njore, need I ? lOur only hope lies in our carrying lout these plans of mine. My father will never consent to our marriage unless we win his consent in this way.*' "All right, sweetheart, we'll win it in that way," said Fielding. At college Fielding had been prominent in all sorts of athletic sports, and he set himself to his new task with surprising spirit and vigour. During the time Fielding was on the round-up he contrived to meet Miss Crissman frequently. And he also made shift to become acquainted with her father. Mr. Crissman did not suspect that the handsome young cowboy was his daughter's lover, nor did anyone else. Fielding did all he •could to propitiate the ranchman’s opinion of him, and he succeeded admirably. Mr. Crissman came to regard him as an uncommonly fine fellow, and made no secret of his liking and admiration for him. "Father, you are always singing ithe praises of that young cowboy, Canfield," said Miss Crissman. "Is he really such a superior young fellow ? Would you consent to my marIrying him if he should turn out to ! be the champion buster of bronchos, and roper of steers we talked of not long ago ?" "It’s my opinion you might do [worse," answered the father. "At all [’events I think he would be preferable to that young college upstart. Canfield is educated, but he’s not an educated ass." ; Fielding’s skill in conquering outlaws, roping, hog-tying, and cutting tout steers and rounding up the herd twon became a subject of gossip on the range. Two yean after he came but West he champion Bob Tojrlor, to « iwrt ni

the challenge was accepted A number of ranchmen and their families and a large number of cowboys witnessed the contest. WINS CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST The most vietoos and ungovernable outlaw in the whole region was first brought out. It took some time to get a saddle on him. When this was done, a rope was passed through his mouth and made fast by a slipnoose. Taylor sprang into the saddle just as the outlaw sprang into the air. The contest between the man and the beast was short. Nobody had ever succeeded in staying long on the back of the vicious little steed and Taylor was soon unseated.

The outlaw was given a rest and then Fielding vaulted into the saddle The contest went forward in a cloud of dust and amid breathless excitement. Miss Crissman watched it with flushed cheeks and glowing eyes never doubting the outcome. Although it was a mighty strugglf, Fielding remained in the saddle and in a short time he had the outlaw effectually conquered. Then cam* the roping and hog-tying steers. In these feats of skill Fielding won easily, and the men and women gathered round the hero of the day to shake his hand and congratulate him.

When the contest was over Miss Crissman shook hands cordially, with her lover, and whispered to him : "You have won me too, dear.'

There was a little supper at the Crissman home that night at which Fielding was the honoured guest. Mr. Crissman had been delighted at the young man’s victory, and had been one of the first to congratulate him on it. When wine was served. Miss Crissman, her pretty face wreathed in smiles and diffused with blushes ami her eyes dancing with delight and mischief arose, raised her glass, and looking straight at her father, said :

"Father, here is to the health and happiness of our gtiest of h-onor, and my future husband, Mr. Robett Fielding !'i

Two weeks later Mr and Mrs. Crissman issued invitations to the marriage of their daughter, Maud, to Robert Fielding. The wedding was a quiet, but a very delightful one. The father of the bride gave her away with a proud, happy smile upon his bronzed face.