Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-01-01
81 spoke. You heard not Truly

- ktIloQ UlL1. rtG.RS gs@s ~ l t&s.' Eg-5
"You. alone?'' >5 ..ssl +
"Why not alone?" !. 5 ls9G
Went you alone out to seek hirn?"
Yes, at dawn" s.. 7.
Twas foolish bravery. And you
q q a struwle?" S..t.. ~. :.
"Bears arenot slaughtered like sheep
unyieldingly. Igave him my musket
trst, and he came at me and | gave
him my knife at the heart. But, mis-
tress, you've been busy Wove you
this hOmespun this morning."
"Yes. Truly ! did" ~ IT,. 4.
otis q fine piece. There are no
swifter nor truer fingers in all this col
ony than yours. What are you do
ing now" 10 .-.>.. ~ ',s.. ...--
She had hustled about and now
brought him bread and cheese and
great brown nut cakes, and she said:
Hs.You have eaten nothing. That I
know. Eat this, and will bring you
milk" = l., .,.....t [~..s... : "a
''You are q thoughtful maid, but
bring no milk; water for such as l."
AS he began to eat she saw that the
sleeve on his right arm was badly rent.
She saw more, and with a little excla-
nation grasped his arm.
You're hurt, Renold. The bear has
bitten you See, the wound bleed"
"Oh, it's only a scratch by his claws.
Let be. Let be, ! say" * i. r.. =:
"But will not. let be. Sit here"
''Wnl not! None say tome" p
Nevertheless say it. Sit there
and. let me stanch the flow"
I He looked curiously upon her, she
glancing back, half pleading, half COM
manding; and to his great amazement
he found that he obeyed her. She
soon had the sleeve rolled up, and
then she found two long deep scratches
from the elbow to the wrist. She
bathed them gently, and as she did so
he wondered how those small gentle
hands of hers could have so much of
warmness in their touch. He smiled
as he SO thought, and she knew it,
! You smile. Yet I know you suffer.
Do l bungle SO that you find mirth in
my motions?"
s'No Betty. Twas for something
else I smiled, if I did smile. I did
think Here this little maid hath me
in her power; yet with my thumb and
finger, thus I might crush YOU, SO
| slight and tender are yOu.' - . :, >,
Sin your power?" said the maid, in
quiringly, as she bound a linen band
age on the wound. .:.T-s:$ :,
"Aye. You compelled me to obey
you
"Why not? Brave men like you are
worth the effort ofcompelling."
"Hey, there Betty. understand your
philosophy not? but somehow / ain
| content. 'Tis>not adispleasing bondage
for the moment, and then somehow /
did feel healing in the touch of your
fingers, SO soft are they
The girl laughed gently.
BETTY, do you compel young Mat
thew to do your ,bidding?"
"Him I neither compel nor. permit"
"Yet have heard he is inclined to
you"
lis he?'' -.
Eyes. So have perceived. He is
well'favored lad, Betty, and a fine
wooer, l trow." =. -
4''What know you of wooing? They
do say you have sworn it, neither to
woe nor wed, for you will acknowledge
neither master nor mistress"
"They say right, Betty. That is
my firm resolve, and I am never shak-
en- in my resolution. But Matthew
hath resolved to win YOU"
Hath he? That is your firm opin-
ion?"
"Would you not favor him a trifle?"
els it your concern? Tell me. Is
he strong and brave, and very firm?''
"What shall l tell your"
'"That l may know whether to favor
him ornot. None but the strong and
| brave and firm, I think, would favor
in my eyes"
,"That is well, Betty. Be steadfast
to that" 80
so shall. OF that be we'll assur.
ed" She said this with lowered tones
and gently Bonded head, her cheeks
suffusing, but the strong man thought
she. was just then greatly absorbed
with her occupation over his wound
II must haste now" said he at
length. II must go to the settlement
for help to bring the brute, for he is
very heavy. Come. Let me finish my
Dread ana cheese.
"You should not walk so far. You
should give the wound some chance to
heal"
"But am going"
mo. will not suffer it,
"You will not? You?" He laughed
almost CONTEMPORARY.
She said no more, but when his eyes
we're not upon her she silently with.
drew. A brief time later he heard q
horse approaching, and from the
window he saw Betty Lee, seated firm.
ly on a Sleeps pelt that served for a
| saddle, and, with her red lips pertly
parted and a ,saucy smile in her blue
eyes, she said 81 "a ,4:.-. -. -. 49,.
| REST you there, Renold, till / re.
turn. I am going to'0the settlement
for YOU" and with q word to the
mare she flew away. IN s.:sa3:l. )
THAT maid hath spirit" unused the
discounted Captain, slight though
she be, and she rides her mare as no
woman ever rode. But what! What
am l? Here I am again overpowered
by her. / slew q ferocious beast this
morning, and yet this little child re-
strains me. It's strange, but tits
rather pleasing to be commanded by
her. I do not seem to rebel. But no
more OF that today, no more"
When the fair Betty came slowly
riding back n half hour later, she look
ed deinurely upon him with her blue
eyes as he put out his hand for q step.
ping stone, and thus OH one hand bore
her like q trife from the saddle to the
ground. t.. S@. i 5ssi
| The men will come at once" she
said. He made no reply, but led her
mare to the shed, and then strobe
away, with mighty steps; and when
she saw him later he was with i,nperi-
Gus tones commanding the men to car