Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-13
A CHEROKEE CLAIMANT,
FANNIE E. NEWBERRY In MUNSEY'S

eyes and the far horizon stretched only a
rolling sea of prairie grass. Drowned to u
stubble. The prospect to the east was as
monotonors. and northward no less SO.
though the thought that Arkansas City lay
In that direction gave 1t a certain interest
in Lucy's eyes. Behind her. to the south,
Snake creek crawled its sluggish way
through her fathers grain fields, now
rarched TO stiffness under the brassy sky.
Lucy sighed, and turned back into the
cabin Crossing its floor of baked earth,
she lifted the lid from a rusty kettle SIM
mering on a rustier stove, and gave a look
at the uneasy potatoes within.
Dye anythin' OF pap?" asked a
querulous voice from the saueaky wooden
rocker near the back door
No, he isn't in sight yet, ma. Shall
put over the coffee?"
Nights we'll Hope he won't forgit tn
dried apricots, and tn medicine
Anu the mall added Lucy beneath her
breath, jerking table of home manufac-
ture few feet from the wall. "Mayn't we
nave table cloth tonight, MAJ"
w mats tn sense? Jest makes extry
wasnih halnt We wipe tn table off, If
faint clean?'
oh, l can" Lucy's pretty lips curIed
Scorntully, Strengthening her dimples into
hard, unlovely lines, as she Caught the
coarse dishes from their rude shelf and
showed them into place with a vehemence
Whlch brought sarcastic Save the pieces,
Luce!' from her mother.
She did not answer, but turned again IN
the north entrance, called by courtesy the
front door.
He's coming" she answered half sui
lily, ELY AFTER a moments outlook; then In a
brisker. brighter tone, How easily Bonnie
Belle makes it! You'd think she was on
her hrst mile, and I'll wager my new hat
pa pa 5 kept that pace the whole six. Bless
me pretty Creature!'
her mother gave cackling laugh pleased
at the girl more cheerful tone She re-
sented fretfulness in another. That was
her prerogative, born of years of "aiiing,"
such a thing.
shes fine mare, Luce There amt
many in Kansas slicker, less it's Charlie
Maynards rcan'-with a covert glance Il
low ms may be faster. but not much. Well
ef you IL dish tn murphies I'll git tn butter
an sass, hey"
"AH right. Hello, father, Back aeaip2
Rows Bonnie BELIEF"
'Chippers ever Luce. See her reach fer
ye, carter l VOW, she's got more sense'n
some humans! Supper ready? How's ma ?''
;, Better, and supper's dished. I'll unsad-
Ole Belle-you go in. Aren't you tired?'
on, some. It's derned hot an dusty
Here I'll tote in tibet bag o. truck; it's
hoeVy: got yer shoes. Luce. Pail fer 'em,
debt: They're nice Lucer'
Thank you. father; they're beauties,
And the ma.l?'
Wall. now, they want airy letters, Luce"
.ne farmer SAID, carefully abstaining from
even glance at the girls averted face
LeastWays, l didn't find none-them mails
Is SO dern keerless, We know. Mought hey a
dozen YIN round loose fer all we kin tell.
i Hut mere The paper. My Jerushy, but it's
hvely times down in Arkansas City, Boom
erS VII You KANT rest an you don't hear
hothin' but tn chinnin' bout tn Cherokee
strlp. an IN ride fer 1t, mex Sat'day. They's
irah Nrn
an thimble riggers-an' it's my 'pinion thew
am much chance fer tn honest chaps
les. ma, I'm comm"
He entered to the impatient invalid, and
BILE in the rear,
Stolidly she removed the Mexican saddle
ana holsters, substituting a rope halter for
the clumsy bride. Then while the hungry
hiaFe began upon the few kernels of corn
ielt IN her rude manger. the Hirl suddenly
broke INTO a dry sob, and leaned against the
pretty creature sleek side
Bonnie Belle turnad Ter beautiful eves of
sympathy upon her mistress, who pressed
closer, and broke out:
"Oh, why don't ! hear? Where is heq
IL can't be that little thing at the dance,
hate Jim sr'-passionatel only
went with him Northumberland I didn't
care to show preferred Charlie when they
came up at the same minute. 1t would ha We
peeh so marked! Why couldn't he under
STAND! Men are such idiotsr'
Hall laughing, half sobbing she gave her
pet q gentle rub down, adding food drink
and a last caress. Then She turned towa rd
me sne mouse, stopping an instant to note the
last darkening line of smoke fringine the
southwestern horiZon-that lire of dread
ana danger of which the prairie settler sell
dom wholly loses sight during the long
months of drought and heat
I'VE need rain awfully.' she sighed
as much as we need money. Oh, what n
me! Work, work, work, and for what II
IL isn grasshoppers it's fires. and If it
lSh those II is sand storms and cyclones
Ihere's no use trying TO get ahead in this
God forsaken country"
With desperate, disguised gesture she
entered the cabin from its rear, stopping
again to drive a couple of too famiIia r
chickens from the doorstep
10 TO your own roost, You silly things!
IL seems as If even the fowls couldn't be
like themselves in these parts. That
let her"
What you mutterin' over, Luce?" called
her fathers big voice from the table, where
ne was at work upon his fourth platefal of
bacon and potatoes. Come in an hear tn
news, KANT We? An we mought read them
papers TO ma, eff We will. I've been a teIIin
her but they's lots l forgit, an tn papers
Is full of it,
of what?" said Lucy obviously.
why, wasn't l tellin' We? OF tn
boom, an tn guv'ments givin' out tn
cherokee lan's, and all. l swan, eff l was a
younger man, an not so stiff In tn iints
Ia make a race fer IT myself. 1 know Bon
ME Bel could do 1t. She come from tn
city tnight in forty minutes an never
sweat hair. She could do it, an l know
itm '"
of course she could, ia ther but it's near
~ twenty miles to where the good lands
are isn't it?"
Yes, but she could do it, he repeated
pounding his knife handle emphaticaIIy
upon the bare table. Don't We want no
supper, Luce%'
No, father, I'm not hungry"
He studied her shapely young head now
bent over the paper till her face was hid
Den, ana his honest countenance burned to
a coppery hue by the ceaseless winds of
Kansas, took on a worried look
fe oughter be-" he murmured pulninp
down tremendous mouthful, and shook
nus mead slightly. as IL he had no remedy
Lucy, meanwhile. having easily found the
leaaed headlines she sought, soon began to
read or that vast irruption of the stranger
and tenderfoot," which was Transforming
the small prairie town above them into q
noisy, clustering. open all night, fakir rid
den city. nearing its sixty thousand inbsbi-
tants; the better portion intent upon claim
ing home at the opening of the govern
ment lands. while the remainder were a q in
tent upon plumber, lawiessness and deyiItrv
Lucy read hstlessly for a time, then with
growing excitement.
''Itii he wnpaarf,,. s,oA.