Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-12-30

stopping to loitcr like others, but with
a clear and resolutc step. When he
passed out Of sight Joel gave little
nod and murmurcd again. "Yes, it's
sandr' and at the end ofthe page he was
writing, when he laid the blottcr on the
wet ink and dropped his huge fistupon
it, he said again; ''It's sand"
CHAPTER VI
Openstone during these years had
materially expanded. IL Tapped down
very prcttily on either side Of the soft
" beveled hill, and spread north and
south along its level spine. Many of
the homes were quite pretentious,
mixed with neat cottages, and laced
from end to end with flowers, soft
naples and evergreens. Blotches there
were Of bad buildings. and faults that
decay alone knows how TO soften and
make somewhat pleasant TO the eye;
but Oponstono in the main was clean
and broad of street, and to tho alert
American eve not unsightly. Looked
at from the distance it seemed not un-
like some huge white flower, frecklcd
with brown and streaked with green,
that newly blossomed on the prairie s
edge. To the eye long fed upon the
messy softened outlines of the Old, the
town perhaps were a product TO light
ly leave beside the way, but at the end
OF all that might be said about it in
derision or defense, the fact would yet
remain that Openstone was fair to
those who built it, and an amazing
evidence of energy and zest IL. per-
haps, and thousands more that situpon
the lap of this great West, could not
be matched in all the world's
life for pleasant homes, when measured
by its length of years. Like a magic
product Il had burst the soil in one
swift night and flowered, and even at
its Towering seemed more beautiful to
many tlan its older sisters, sitting
among the far-off hills the sun had
crossed 10 kiss It. But, after all, the
souls real windows are in the heart,
and those who wrought in Openstone
and loved its breezy newness might
through affection overrate 1t, and in
the end repent them that they were not
silent For doubtless IL was much as
other villages "a mar. in some sort of
little spites aud puerile ends, Of many
not unholy hopes and humane deeds.
Indeed, five thousand lives could hard
" follow on the heels of separate pur-
poses within one murmuring hive and
never clash together in its paths. Much
wholesome, well-conditioned blood
there was in Openstone. and in the
main the machinery Of its body worked
with smoothness and dispatch; yet
there were veins of evil blood and spots
diseased that brought convulsions in
the end. Quite hidden were these poi
soned places at the first, and in truth
were never over-patent to the careless
eye; but left unpruned they grew and
sapped and shook the region bitterly.
The heart Of Openstone consisted OF
q spacious square, aiId at the heart OF
that a courthouse webbed about with
naples and leafy park. To north
and south and east and west, the streets
ran out with rows of shade trees to the
/ fields, save at the western quarter where
they broke against the river, but leaped
over at two points by bridges and
wound away among the trees aud farm.
steads, won with speechless labor from
| the wood.
Beside the river stretched the muir.
murirg mills. ilanked by the dam. that
backed its still and polished waters
half league 10 northward among the
| plums and willows, and everywhere
was thrift and seeming plenty. Joe
| Whitney owned the largest mill upOr
the stream; huge white building full
| Of little dusty windows and low un
ceasing whirr. Here he came at diver
times 10 direct the labors Of the men
| who moved abO.,t among the endless
belts and pipes and tittering hopper
in the powdery semi-light, look
/ ing strange and misty. Blu
in the main he kept at his big stor,
upon the square; and here the mex
morning after John Earrings inter
view, while Joel was rather slowly run.
ming his fingers up a row Of figures il
his ledger, AbsalOm Heater burst II
upon him something like a shock
They've fired!" he well-nigh yelled
Joel jumped, and, turning with an an
CRY WRINKLE in his forehead, demanded
''Fired what, you rattleheadP'
Fired on Sumter. Sumtus, o
somethin'i I'm goin'r' and out h,
went.
! OhIA W hAAiA'N AhA Oh us STU
and said, very cmphatically: 9Th,
deucel" Then he laughed Next h,
put ON his nat, and was putting on hi
coat to 60 out when Absalom ro-enteret
with such velocity that he struck thl
capacious person OF Joel amidships
who shut his arms instinctively abOu
him, and together they sat down heavi
ly upon the floor. I'm goin' TO ge
married.! " cried Absalom, raking hi
nose along JOcl's vest buttons as the
scrambled up.
Thunder and lightnin'! are yol
crazyP' said Joel, glaring at him.
They've fired! m goin' in the morn
in'!Got TO get married Tonight" pantc'
Absalom, catching up some thing
| about the room that belonged 10 hin
and flying out much rs il ha were sho
/ from a mortar
Joel looked about him for a moment
both ruilled and confused; then hi
good nature had its way and he sa
down and laughed. lie was accus
toned TO AbsalOm's impetuous manner
of doing things. but since that perspir
ing youth had begun TO enter th'
/ quieter kingdom Of manhood, this yio
lence Of his had in measure spen
itself but in periods Of great momen
and excitement Absalom's yigor wa
clearly unabated, and Joel Whitney
thinking Of it, broke into fresh lit o.
laughter. He had not well done shak-
ing whenJulius Popp came Dustling in
Julius Popp, lawyer, was the fathei
Of Ether Popp; he was also possessed
Of a daughter younger than she
christened leslit, a son, too, Of vel
fewer summers was Of his lOins, anC
him he had proudly christened Salvo.
Whether or not this latter name fel
naturally TO the child, since Juliui
Popp saluted him as his real first-born