The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-03-03

coolly back against large pecan tree that
| spread its green branches over the girl and
sent darllling shadows out over the water
before her.
''The trees is better company fur me AN
some folks isl replied the girl, with flash
in her eyes.
''Thank you," he returned, and his laugh
rang out more pleasantly as he removed his
broad brimmed hat and gracefully ran one
shapsly white hand through his golden
curls. ''Your franlfness is quite refreshing,
Lenita. Had heard more franllness and
less fiattery from your sex years ago, might
not now be what am, an outlaw from JUS
tice, hiding here in the Indian Territory
and the man rested his head against the
palm of his hand, while his thoughts We're of
his past, its lost opportunities, its course of
reckless dissipation.
Lenita remained silent Her eyes wan
dered across the Roaring Fork to the oppo-
site bank, where the alder's snowy fial1y
blossoms nodded to and fro in the warm
south wind, and a red bird whisked among
the branches. The girl possessed little learn
ing, but she was of "A thoughtful turn of
mind. As she looked at the wild flowers so
white, emblems of purity and the red bird
so industrious, the secret of content and hap
piness, Lenita wondered why man, endowed
| by our Father above with so great intelli-
! gence, so rarely possessed the simple purity
of the alder blooms, and attained to the hap
pipess of the bird
A heavy sigh from the man recalled her
She had almost forgotten that she was not
| alone.
where is your father to-day Lenita2' he
asked, after several moments of silence.
He was at the cabin when l come away"
a, tb.,,r
upon him. "But I want ter tell We. Bert
Coles, don't want you-uns ter git my pap
inter no more devilment. You know well
huff what mean. If you-uns will do what's
| gin the law, We hev no business ter git 9th
ers ter help yer in yer evil doin's. Pap 'ud
do right well an stick ter his religion if it
wasn't fur you-uns. But he's that easy to
gin in ter some body else's mind, that when
you-uns comes Ground our cabin with yer
| smooth tongue, he allus gins i'm Lenita
| had risen to her feet and stood with flushed
face and flashing eyes confronting the hand
some outlaw, who only smiled in his habit
tual fashion as she went on speaking. When
she had finished he made Ter courtesy, and,
putting his hat on his head, he said:
Il am much obliged to you, Miss Lenita,
| for the Grafton just delivered and although
l should like to hear more, am pressed for
time and must leave you. However, | will
think over what you demand, but not to-day"
and he hurried off in the direction of the
| cabin, up the creek
For short time Lenita remained standing
where Bert Coles had left her. After a
while, she pulled out the fishing line, and re-
moving the half devoured bait she wrapped
the line round and round the long cane stalk
which served as fishing-pole. AS she was
| fb11c bo Of
striking the rocky path caught her ear. A
moment LATER feet-footed pony came into
view on the opposite side of the Roaring
| Fork. The girls dusl1y cheeks turned Grim
son as she recognized both pony and rider
| The rider greeted the GIRL and then he drew
rein by the streams side and allowed his
! pony to drink of the cool, limpid waters
He was young man of twenty-one or two
! perhaps, and sat his pony like a prince. The
| dark eyes, straight black hair and small ietty
mustache that lent considerable beauty to
| his dusly face, all bespoke the Indian blood
| in his veins. He was dressed after the man
ner of the best educated and most civilized
of the citizens of the Indian Territory, and
not in the half fantastic style of costume
supported by certain class there. The
belt, bristling with weapons which enCircled
his waist, was not the insignia of border ruff
fianism, as is so often the case with Young
fellows so equipped. Scott Redleaf, as the
young Chiciasaw was called, was deputy
sheriff in the district including the Roaring
Fork region, where Lenita and her father
lived in their isolated cabin.
Lenita knew Scott Redleaf well, and she
had loved him for his manliness ever since
the day. several months ago, when he had
protected ner from the insults Of debased
character and drunken brute. Scott Red
leaf too, had been strangely drawn towards
the lonely, unlearned girl in whose veins
flowed some of the blood of his own nation,
and he was very happy to have met her
this morning.
After crossing the creek the young man
sprang lightly from the saddle and leaving the
ponyto feed on the grass that grew along the
woodland path, he approached Lenita and
told her his business there in that part of
the Roaring Fork.
Some ponies belonging to a ranchman in
Texas had been run over the Red river into
the ChickasaW Nation, and We're believed to
be concealed somewhere on the Roaring
Fork. He told her that Bert Coles was the
leader in the matter, and it was generally
believed that her father was implicated and
suspected of screening the chief of the out
laws and his gang.
L VI JOul Siht, IGlllJt, all Wiling TO let
your father off on his promise to encourage
such law-brealling no more" Scott Readleaf
said, ''but Bert Coles and his followers must
suffer whatpenalties the law has in store for
such criminals as he.n
He did not ask Lenita if she knew any
thing about the matter or could tell him of
the whereabouts of the outlaw Coles He
had merely sought her out to warn her to
put her father on his guard against the posse
of men now securing the country along the
Roaring Fork to find the headquarters of the
outlaws in hiding somewhere among its
bold bluffs and deep gullies.
Bidding the girl good day, Scott Readleaf
vaulted into his saddle and rode off towards
the north, taking the opposite bank from the
one on which the lone cabin of Joe Frenchy
was situated.
Lenita gazed after the young fellow until
the trees hid horse and rider from view
Then, tishing-rod in one hand and fish in the
other, she walked up the noisy stream to her
, cabin home, dark, uninviting abode amid
thicket Of wild plum and trailing vines.
Joe Frenchy was leaning against his cabin,
| pipe in mouth and hands thrust lazily into
the pockets of his coarse jeans pants. He
was man of forty, tall and somewhat given
| to the bOny order of humanity His face