Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher

In the dusty town of Briggs City, where the railroad depot is the heart of idle gossip and grand ambitions, Alec Lloyd earns his nickname the hard way. The local cowpuncher isn't just handy with a rope and a cattle brand; he's got a gift for pairing starry-eyed lovers and driving the town's romantic economy. When his friend Billy Towbridge sets his sights on the lovely Rose Andrews, Alec throws himself into the role of cupid with characteristic enthusiasm, only to find a rival in the wealthy and smooth-talking Doctor Simpson. What follows is a sun-drenched comedy of errors, with Alec narrating his own misadventures in the broad, delightful dialect of the American West. Eleanor Gates wrote these chapters as magazine stories, and they retain that satisfying episodic punch, each installment delivering humor, heart, and the vivid texture of small-town Western life at the turn of the century. It's a book that understands how love in a place like Briggs City is as much a public sport as a private matter.