Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-07-06
Skergs, Bound Girl.

Now be quick about 1t, and don
stand there lookin' at me that way.
Them eyes o yourn is enough to give
one the creeps, they air that ugly. |
wish they'd q sent one girl with blue
eyes. never could abide black ones,
there's something so evil IN EN-.
Crash Well, jest look there il that
amt the second dish you've broke
this week. I'll cuff you for that, |
will. You'll go without your dinner
now, too. Wen see ii you can't learn
TO be more careful, Sech % thing as
you air Is enough to wear ones life
out"
The "thing" referred TO turned TO
her work. There was a sudden scowl
upon the face-a little dark. colorless
face, lit up withgreat, black, wlde-open
eyes, that were just now shining with
a vindictive expression that was any.
thing but pleasant. How do hate
her, she was saying TO herself, as she
clinched her small fists. "She is al
ways calm me ugly AsitIcould help
it Then she fell 70 wondering By any
means the color OF her eyes might be
changed. She had never heard OF such
a thing, but ii they only could, what
a great boon il would be TO her Her
mother had thought her eyes beauti.
full, but she was so different from any
body else Ii she could have them
changed TO blue, Just exactly the color
OF the sky, how pretty they would be-
So engrossed was she with the idea
that she forgot for time all about
her mistress and her surroundings
But that rtsplng voice again broke
the silence do dabble away there
in the water, an be all the forenoon
washin them dishes Pears as il you
tries TO see how aggrivatin' you kin be-
You never stopto think | reckon, that
you ought to do somethin to pay for
the home, an clothes, and vituals you
git; but that the way with sech cree.
tiers as you-they're always ongrate-
full. Idon't know what ever put 10
into my head to want boun girl
anyway. Ii you don't do better I'll
lest turn you over to the poor.house,
| will"
The "creeter" looked at her mistress.
Ii she only dared TO speak what a re-.
lief il would be- What ugly, hateful
words she would spit forth 4 home2
And what "a home A bare room in
the garnet. with hard, scant bed. She
did not mind that, il they would only
speak to her kindly sometimes. or give
her now and then a word oil encour-
agement or commentator. Clothes2
Look at them-cast on garments Of
her mistress, hastily cut down. IN fit.
ting, faded, and worn. She did not
care for the holes ia them, or Tor the
tit OF them II they had been put on
her by loving hands no queen in robes
OF velvet would have been happier.
Food The very coarsest. She was
never above any tid.bits With what
hungry eyes she sometimes watched
Mrs. Skeggs caress her boy, Sammy,
and feed him ats-hungering
not so much for the sweetmeats a. for
thecaresse5. Would anybody ever love
her again? she wondered Not since
the day her mother, with an effort,
turned her white face toward her, and
laying her thin hand upon her head
tenderly, had whispered. Tor her voice
was nearly gone: jamie, be a good
girl, and We will meet aauin by and
by, had there been Il loving word
spoken to her That was only two
years ago, but il seemed an age to the
little waif. She had looked in fearful
perplexity while they screwed down
the lid OF the rough coffin in which her
mother lay, but no one paid any at.
tention to her. She remembered one
nelghbor woman had said to another:
What an uncanny little thing il il:
she's all eyes After they had carried
her mother away she was sent to a
almshouse, and in a little
time home was provided for her "out
west in the Skeggs family. She was
known as Skeggs' bound girl The
neighbors sometimes remarked that il
was very kind OF Mrs SSegrs to take
that girl to raise; they wouldn't want
such responsibility.
well, what air you standin' there
about? Why don't you scour your
knives now2 You always have to
wait to be told. And do take them
ayes of me. II had such ugly eyes
d never look at ennybody. So the
lay wore away The days since she
anne to the Skeggs family were always
tedious, but this one seemed unusual.
y long, perhaps because she had to 90
without her dinner She had snatch.
ed crust unperceiyed, but toward
evening she felt faint with hunger. and
oppressed with an unaccountable
heayiness
She was drawing q pail OF water NJ
he well when Sammy came in from
he field with his father He was a
'reat, oyergrown, ireckled faced boy
)t II. His father went on to the barn.
)ut Sammy, seeing that Jaue had inst
lbout got her bucket to the TOP Sin.
red up behind her grabbing her arms
% suddenly that in fright she lot 90
he wlndIass, and away rolled the
leavy bucket to the bottom again
sammy, who thought it his legitimate
ight to tease the 'boun' girl" when.
Yer he chose to, burst into loud. I
aughter, but Jane had borne much |
turing the day, and this was the la4t |
traw. Snatchlng up stick that law |
with voice full OF pns.
ION she declared she'd "kil binrpp
here was no doubt murder In her
cart. but the sleBderness of the stick
nd oammy's overgrown bulk. we're
nsurmountable difficulties in the wav
Il