Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 216: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

204 All for Polly. Cuthbert’s face was a study; it seemed filled with amazement, joy and dismay, if such a rare combina- tion could exist. “Oh! what a strange thing it all is. Why did Polly guard her secret so long from me? Onelittle hint must have awakened suspicions, and I told her of my search without ever mentioning names. What a fool I have been. All the while she has been so near me, the little cousin for whom I have searched half over the world, to find whom was the last prom- ise I made my dying mother.” “Cousin—Polly!’ ejaculated the ranchman’s wife, now beaming with sudden joy, for she, too, knew Cuthbert’s story in outline, without any of the de- tails or names. “Yes, I believe she is really Hildegarde Gordon, the girl I have wanted so long to find,’ declared Cuthbert, resolutely. “That is her real name, sure enough, though she says she has always been called Polly, and likes it best. This is a wonderful thing. God grant you bring her back safe and sound, so that we may have double cause for rejoicing.” Cuthbert could not linger, even to discuss so re- markable a thing. If all went well there would be time enough for this later on, when Polly had been snatched from the hands of scheming Jasper Hosmer, who evi- dently had a pretty good inkling of the truth, and meant to realize upon the girl’s prospects. He sprang away to rope a new mount, not desir- _ous of being left in the lurch when the rescuing band galloped away from Sunset Ranch, bound al- most due northeast. There was considerable bustle and confusion around that region for a brief time, as cowboys changed their saddles and made other hasty prep- arations for a hot chase. Connicloookks.€©