Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-05-23

uted. But this new era OF prosperity
was not due to Sims management. 1t
grew solely out of the fact that he had
three daughters. The unfortunate con-
stitution of the family was the direct
cause of its unwonted thrift. Any
white woman in such place is an en-
ticement not to be resisted by the aver
age plainsman, and "Sims' gals" were
celebrities over an extent of country as
large as the State of New York.
But as time passed and the small
herds increased, the females became OBJ
jects of a still profounder interest. They
were spoken of as heiresses. Neverthe-
less, at the pinch no amount of money
could have married either of the two
eldest daughters. They were tall, gaunt,
and coarse. They were as ignorant as
Eve, and had performed the duties of
masculinity SO long that either of them
was near q match for CHINA
mon bear. Not so with the
youngest. The most courtly and pol
ished DANES in the land have seldom
displayed as much in the way of per-
sonal endowments as this one rose
among the thistles. Fair-skinned and
blue-eyed, strong and graceful, petted
from infancy and nurtured in compare
tive ease, healthful in sentiment as in
body, she was special attraction, and
came seldom in contact with the rough
characters who frequented her fathers S
house. And she had the mind of the
family. Her opinions were the law of
the house, and she occupied her auto
cratic position without embarrassment
and ruled without check. Old Sims
was her man-servant, and her mother
was only privileged associate and ad-
wiser. As for her huge sisters, they
continually rebelled and always obeyed.
There is mysterious law of primogeni-
ture by which children sometimes en-
body the characteristics of distant an
cestors, and discarding the nearer family
traits and circumstances, reproduce the
vices, virtues, and countenances which
have been moldering for century.
There must have been some rare blood
in the Sims family, for this last ecion of
a race which had been subjected to all
the influences of the frontier-hardship
and toll in the Alleghenies ague and
laziness in the Missouri bottoms, and
poverty always-was totally unlike her
family and her surroundings. The sprawl
ing feet, gaunt limbs, great brown hands,
coarse compilations and carroty hair of
her sisters and her mother were things
they had apart. Nobodp knew or ever
asked how Chuck had learned to read,
or became possessed of certain well
thumbed books and stray newspapers.
No one ever inquired into the mystery
of how her garments came to fit her
round figure with neatness which was
miracle to the uninitiated, or why the
yellow coils lay SO gracefully upon her
shapely head. Finally, the pervading
force which directed all things in and
around the ranch came to be almost un-
questioned. A beauty with a will is a
power; beauty with brains and will
is the most complete of despots.
The Sims family had been five years
in this locality, and mainly through the
ability of the youngest child, now a ma
ture woman, aided by the circumstance
of fortunate location, had acquired cat
tie, money and responsibility. The
money and respectability were easily
cared for, because Chuck carried them
both upon her person; but the herd
which was gathered nightly into the
corral was the lure of final destruction.
The charmed circle of safety which was
drawn around the military post was an
indefinite and uncertain one, and the
incursions of Apaches are governed by
no conventionality. After long delay
and frequent smaller thefts, came the
final swoop which took all.
Old Sims and Chuck started to go to
the post. The presence of the latter
was necessary to keep the former from
getting drunk and falling into the hands
of military minions, to be incarcerated
in the guard-house. In the perfect
peacefulness and serenity of the early
morning it seemed impossible that dan
ger and death could lie in wait so near.
As the old man dug his heels into the
flank of his mule and Chuck looked
complacently back from her seat upon
| a pony only less willful than his rider
| the two little dreamed that it was the
last time they were to see "Sims's
Ranch" AS they threaded their way
along the intricacies of the trail, Chuck
of course in the lead, the old man la
bored diligently to bring out the capac
tiles of his mule wherever the path was
wide enough to permit his riding beside
his daughter. In truth he had some
thing to say to her concerning those
matters in which girls are always inter
ested and about which they are alway.
unwilling to talk. A confidential con
versation with his daughter was one O
Sims's ungratifed ambitions-a thing
which in late years he had often faileo
in accomplishing. She cared for him
was kind and loving, but seemed 10 have
no ideas in common with him; and d(
what he would he could not keep pace
with her. When two persons are thu
together, there is frequently an uncon
scious idea of the thoughts of one il
the mind of the other, and the girl KEEP
steadily ahead. But the object was on'
which weighed upon the old man
mind and despairing of nearer ap
proach, he presently called out from be
hind:
"Chuck ~
"Well, what is it2" came from tn
depths of the sun-bonnet in front.
g want ter know now, honest, wha
yer going to do with them two feller
which air one or tother of 'em allu
round our house lookin' fur you.
looks as though Sairey, bein' the oldest
shud hev some kind of chanc
and she did afore you growed up
but recon, now, there's no use thinkir
Nv that till you're gone. Now, as atwee
these fellers, I'd like to know"-an
plaintively-" pears to me like I've
right to know which Nv 'em your
going to take. l cuden't be long
choosin' eff twas me. WY, Tom Harri
is big an hansum, and rides jest fort
miles every week to git sight Nv ye.
kin tell from that feller's looks that he'
| swim the Arkansaw and fight anythin