The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-20

panion. =,
mo use looking for Blue Jack, said
the officer in charge OF the party, ad-
dressing Landlord. There has been
party OF Sioux about this quarter for a
few days past, and no doubt Blue Jack
has fallen in with them. The party is
hardly large enough to attack your
train, and | understand they have gone
up toward Dakotah. Blue Jack has
an Indian wife somewhere up there"
Upon the second day after leaving
Fort Mcpherson, the emigrsnts made
their midday halt in a grove OF cotton
woods, upon the bank ofthe south fork
of the Platte, at its junction with a wide
tree-friDged river which descended from
the northward, and here they concluded
to settle.
The site OF the village was selected
exactly at the junction Of two rivers,
upon low bluff overlooking the two
streams.
Then a public square was carefully
laid out with mathematical exactness.
Then each mans lot was assigned
him.
Mark Ii eber's was next to Whitman g,
on the eastern side Of the square. facing
west, and his future garden ran back to
the edge Of the low bluff
Mark Heber did mans work, and
from the first day OF this hard toll
Whitman ceased to class the youth
among the boys.
In the course of a week eight strong
log houses, each story in height, and
pierced with loop-holes, and each pro,
vided with a single capscious chimueys
were finished, and fronted the little
naked square
Mark Heber's house was simply ar
ranged, built upon the plan generally
adopted by the settlers. There were
] but two rooms, one being entered
through the other. The inner room
! was to be Gays. The outer room was
to he parlor, dining,room, kitchen, Ii
brary and Marks bed room.
"The house is your province, Gay,
said the youth, upon the morning after
the house was finished. 81 shall leave
you to furnish it and transform il into
4 home while | work upon the stock
ade. Ifyou need my help when the
stockade and block house are fin shed,
l will turn myself into house-carpen-
ter"
Il shan't need you, sill" said Gay
saucily. You attend TO the farm, and
leave the house to me.
The shelter provided, the eight
houses were left entire v to the man
agement OF the women, the men work.
ing upon the stockade, which WAS
CONSTRUCTED upon strict military princi-
pies, and was a moiel OF worth and
excellence.
1t required two weeks and the labor
of sixteen men to complete this work
Whitman and his family had been
living in their house for week. AH
the families had moved into their homes
save the Hebers, but Gay with pretty
tyranny had not allowed Mark to cross
the threshold OF his house since he had
finished it.
Now, when Mark unyoked his oxen,
turning them loose in his own yard. and
drew his wagon under the great cotton
wood 10 his back garden, Gay called to
him with a bright smile, saying that he
might enter the house with her.
He came pleased and smiling, but
paused upon the threshold in mute
amaZement
Was this the room with four rongh
log walls which he had given into her
hands?
Was this sunny little home a log
house on the plains?
1t seemed incredible.
| For little clever.w tied Cav, with her
delicate, sk;lI'ul fingers had fashioned
a lovely home out Of her barren ma
terials, such an one IA would delight
the eye to rest upon, aud her sJle helps
had been two kindly boys Of fifteen
years who had worked under her direc-
tons
"Its The prettiest room | ever saw,
cried Mark, with enthusiasm. There
isn't house in town like it. Won't
the people open their cyesp It's just
lovely cried Mark delightedly. "You
are regular home fairy, Gay. You
were meant for the frontier, and you
are the fairest flower on all the plains !
NV precious little sister"
He drew her TO him and kissed her
tenderly. But GAY, most unaccount-
ably, broke from bin blushing like a
rose.
w'll call Whitman in to gee the
house" exclaimed Mark, not noticing
Gays confusion. 1--WE shall set up for
the aristocrats Of the town"
He dashed out in boyish exuberance
and called in the entire population OF
the village.
They all came in, and there was a
general request that Gay should christen
the settlement.
Gays eyes frightened, even while
she shrank from the honor thus put
upon her.
II can't" she said. Mr.. Whitman
is the Oldest Of US all and ia our Mayor.
Let him name the village
Then Ill call it Heber, in honor Of
our little Gay" cried Mr.. Whitman.
What do you all say, my friends 2
"Heber it is" cried dozen voices, in
acclaim.
At that moment a boy who had been
playing upon the platform inside the
siockade came in gasping the words
Indians = The above we publish
as specimen chapter; but the con.
tinuation Of this story will be found in
the New York Ledger. Ask for the
number dated March 80, which can be
had at any news Office or book store.
II you are not within reach OF a news
office, you can have the Ledger mailed
- L.. -, .anl,-. al