Ranching for Sylvia

Ranching for Sylvia, by Harold
Bindloss

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Bindloss
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Title: Ranching for Sylvia
Author: Harold Bindloss
Release Date: January 15, 2005 [eBook #14698]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RANCHING
FOR SYLVIA***
E-text prepared by Al Haines

RANCHING FOR SYLVIA
(Published in England under the Title, The Trustee)

by
HAROLD BINDLOSS
Author of Vane of the Timberlands, Alton of Somasco, Thurston of
Orchard Valley, Masters of the Wheatlands, etc.
A. L. Burt Company Publishers New York
1913

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I
A STRONG APPEAL II HIS FRIENDS' OPINION III A MATTER
OF DUTY IV GEORGE MAKES FRIENDS V THE PRAIRIE VI
GEORGE GETS TO WORK VII A CATTLE DRIVE VIII
CONSTABLE FLETT'S SUSPICIONS IX GEORGE TURNS
REFORMER X THE LIQUOR-RUNNERS XI DIPLOMACY XII
GEORGE FACES DISASTER XIII SYLVIA SEEKS AMUSEMENT
XIV BLAND GETS ENTANGLED XV HERBERT MAKES A
CLAIM XVI A FORCED RETIREMENT XVII HERBERT IS
PATIENT XVIII BLAND MAKES A SACRIFICE XIX AN
OPPOSITION MOVE XX A BLIZZARD XXI GRANT COMES TO
THE RESCUE XXII THE SPREAD OF DISORDER XXIII A
HARMLESS CONSPIRACY XXIV GEORGE FEELS GRATEFUL
XXV A COUNTERSTROKE XXVI THE CLIMAX XXVII A SIGN
FROM FLETT XXVIII THE LEADING WITNESS XXIX FLORA'S
ENLIGHTENMENT XXX THE ESCAPE XXXI THE REACTION
XXXII A REVELATION XXXIII GEORGE MAKES UP HIS MIND
CHAPTER I

A STRONG APPEAL
It was evening of early summer. George Lansing sat by a window of
the library at Brantholme. The house belonged to his cousin; and
George, having lately reached it after traveling in haste from Norway,
awaited the coming of Mrs. Sylvia Marston in an eagerly expectant
mood. It was characteristic of him that his expression conveyed little
hint of his feelings, for George was a quiet, self-contained man; but he
had not been so troubled by confused emotions since Sylvia married
Marston three years earlier. Marston had taken her to Canada; but now
he was dead, and Sylvia, returning to England, had summoned George,
who had been appointed executor of her husband's will.
Outside, beyond the broad sweep of lawn, the quiet English countryside
lay bathed in the evening light: a river gleaming in the foreground,
woods clothed in freshest verdure, and rugged hills running back
through gradations of softening color into the distance. Inside, a ray of
sunlight stretched across the polished floor, and gleams of brightness
rested on the rows of books and somber paneling. Brantholme was old,
but modern art had added comfort and toned down its austerity; and
George, fresh from the northern snow peaks, was conscious of its
restful atmosphere.
In the meanwhile, he was listening for a footstep. Sylvia, he had been
told, would be with him in two or three minutes; he had already been
expecting her for a quarter of an hour. This, however, did not surprise
him: Sylvia was rarely punctual, and until she married Marston, he had
been accustomed to await her pleasure.
She came at length, clad in a thin black dress that fitted her perfectly;
and he rose and stood looking at her while his heart beat fast. Sylvia
was slight of figure, but curiously graceful, and her normal expression
was one of innocent candor. The somber garments emphasized the
colorless purity of her complexion; her hair was fair, and she had large,
pathetic blue eyes. Her beauty was somehow heightened by a hint of
fragility: in her widow's dress she looked very forlorn and helpless; and
the man yearned to comfort and protect her. It did not strike him that
she had stood for some moments enduring his compassionate scrutiny

with exemplary patience.
"It's so nice to see you, George," she said. "I knew you would come."
He thrilled at the assurance; but he was not an effusive person. He
brought a chair for her.
"I started as soon as I got your note," he answered simply. "I'm glad
you're back again."
He did not think it worth while to mention that he had with difficulty
crossed a snow-barred pass in order to save time, and had left a
companion, who resented his desertion, in the wilds; but Sylvia guessed
that he had spared no effort, and she answered him with a smile.
"Your welcome's worth having, because it's sincere."
Those who understood Sylvia best occasionally said that when she was
unusually gracious it was a sign that she wanted something; but George
would have denied this with indignation.
"If it wouldn't be too painful, you might tell me a little about your