The Red Cloud chief., 1885-06-19

MADE upon AIM ne Claimed the JACK
knife and refused TO remember that he
had not accepted the offered wager.
The vacation between the fall and
winter term OF school was 50 short that
Jennie and Lucy did not attempt to
spend il at home. but remained in San
Francisco, and thus were absent fully
six months without seeing any member
Of their family. They wrote every week.
however. and often more frequently.
and were so well pleased with their
school, and the family in whose house
they We're was 50 kind. tina; those at
home had no especial anxiety abou:
them. They were kept supplied with
money. and occasional boxes OF home
baked pies and cakes. or a lar Of fres:l
sweet butter was cent them BY steamer.
and every few days Erastus or Mrs. Par
sons wrote TO them, thus keeping them
fully advised As to all that was going
on upon the ranch or among the young
people in the neighborbood-
Their father did moi write-he had
never been much accustomed to write
letters until he left the States and went
to the mines; and here his opportunities
for sending letters had been so few as
TO prevent frequent exercise of what
little talent he possessed IN that direc-
ten, so that now he felt no inclination
to apply his stifIened fingers to the use
the letters received weekly. and with
sending messages of love in those IF
Erastus and his wife; but As the time
approached for the return Of the girls
for the long vacation he was Q for
their coming, and was at the landing
waiting for them more than an hour be-
fore the steamer was due; and when she
came. hurried on board the instant the
gang-plank was lowered.
How'd do. Jennie; how'd do. Lucy:
glad you're back again. Give your old
father a hug" and he gathered them in
his arms and put his bearded face down
to theirs for a kiss. and then turned
away and drew the back of his hand
across his eyes and led them on shore
and helped them into the spring wagon.
'.Mother'N be monstrous glad { o see
you he said, a. they drove homeward;
and SOIL Erastus and johnny. An
the young folks in the neighborhood are
arranCln for a picnic an a dance in the
woods for one day next week. a pur-
pose SO YOU can all see each other agin.
"'Spect the young fellows are mighty
anxious TO have you back in the neigh
borhood. bein' there amt hardly girls
enough TO go around anyway. 1 was
just a-tellin' mother only yesterday that
if you girls hadn't got your heals set
on goin' to school another year. I'd a
heap ruther you STAYED TO home and
helped her to make the house CHEEKY
like, but if you want to go back | amt
a-goin' to 'bject. ! reckon 'Rastus will
he gittin' MARI cl fore long. An may
be he'll br nc his wife home; I'm sure
there's room enough in the cottage fer
all Of us, even if We were all to home,
and l s'pose We can't always keep you
girls. Even IF you was to leave school
for good. some Of the young fellows
would be coaxin' You away from u.s."
"Oh. no. pa; ] am sure neither Lucy
nor l have any thoughts of getting mar
ried. have We, Lucy?' laughed her sis
ter.
"YOu don't mean to say 'Ras is in
love with any of the girls though. do
you?' she continued. Il wonder who
1t can be. Funny. isn't it? but l never
thought that he could ever get married,
had you. Lucy?"
Lucy said she had never thought of
it. though of course Erastus would mar
~ some time. she supposed; nearly
everybody did.
Then she tried to talk of something
else, but Jennie insisted on knowing
who il YVES that Erastus was counting.
''Oh don't know as anybody in par
ticular.' her father replied. ''only he's
ridin' around with the ncighbors' girls
some, and it's natural he should marry
afore many years. He is a man now.
and he knows we are savin' money to
buy him a ranch with ait r u spell."
1T will be mighty lonesome" he
added. IF he should marry and leave
mother and me: specially if you girls
should GO, too"
The girls both protested that they
never meant to marry; had nc thought
of such q thing.
Lucy, because We arc never going TO
leave you; but just rs Dol Is we get
through school will come home and
stay always with you and mother"
Jennie noticed that her sisters voice
had q little suspicion of tears in il when
she said this. and that she turned her
head and looked the other way when
she spoke. but forgot it Immediately in
wondering If it were true that 'Ras real
" had any one picked out to marry,
and If 50. whom? She thought over
all the girls in the neighborhood. and
finally decided that il Wa Mary Jones.
Mary. she knew. had always liked
Ersstus. She liked Mary herself. and
the two had been together . great deal.
and il Erxstus Was going 70 marry any
body she hoped il would Be Mary.
There Johnny coming to NEE, u.s."
said John. Sen. IS they came over the
hill and struck the little stretch Of level
ground in front Of the cottage.
You bes he's got . good eye for see
in -thingA 'Spect he's been waichin'
for US for an hour. He thinks . heap
Of his dad. don't you. johnny be
said. ~ he pulled up the ponies. and
reaching down. lifted the vounSster
into the wagon where they could get
~ him." - the girls said; and straigns-
way they began 70 hug and kiss him,
keeping it up until he 1uirmed away
from them. and getting in between his
fathers knees insisted On being Al
lowed to drive
Mrs Parsons wa At the gate waiting
to welcome her girls back with = smile
and . kiss The old dog frisked shout
and harked q II he were stil . puppy.
fairly knocking Johnny down and up
setting one X the travelling baskets
which had been set out preparatory to
driving the wagon to the barn. Johnny