Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-05-09
JAKE RINGERS SQUAW.
nY GERTRUDE H. MIILARp.

1t-ksA ~ 'iltat4.thDs
Carmen stood In the door of the cook
house, her hand shading her eyes, and
gazcl intently over the prairie toward
the west, The level rays Of the sun
east rosy glow On her brown checks,
and gave reddish tingc to the coal
black hair falling straight over her
shoulders, after the manner Of married
women OF her tribe. Carmen was a
Spanish-lndian halfbreed, and a
beauty. She was known at Star camp
Us Jake Ringers squaw. When Jake
came back from NJ .xico, after the
trouble about his knitting Longhaired
Ike had blown over, he brought this
woman with him.
Jake was not man to be lightly
questioned, lie kept his affairs to him.
self, and his hand was ever ready to
hts pistol when he was pressed beyond
his liking; but 1t was whispered among
the boys that he had stolen his dusky
bride from her mothers lodge on the
night that was to have consummated
her nuptials with Big lirizzly, the
young Apache chief Jake was kind
TO her In fashion that decidedly rs.
tonished tho men best acquainted with
his fierce and gloomy character As
for Carmen, her soft brown eyes fol-
lowed her rough lord with the steady
faithfulness Of q dog; no white vito
gould have been 81 gentle or so helpful
IN this savage girl.
She had been alone for week now.
while the hcrders ware OH on the
range, rounding up the horses FOR their
yearly branding. Tonight she looked
for them home. There was sound of
bacon sizzling in the big frying-pan
The rown-jacketed potatoes peeped
from their hiding place in the hot
ashes, and Carmen left the door fop a
moment 10 peep Into the oven At
the biscuit coloFing delicately In,
side, Carmen cooked we'll, and
the boys found her presence q welcome
one, freeing them Of ipksome y,ow'~ =
over tho stove when the -
tired and hun~.-yy ''' ''''A'
One glanced through the window as
she rose from her biscuit inspection,
then hastily returned to her post In the
doorway,
Far of on the edge Of the prairie
tiny moving cloud made Its appearance,
creeping snail.likc toward her; grad
ually It rolled and swelled and came
rushing over the intervening plain,
taking shape into rounded puffs ever
falling and renewing,
ia caballada!" she murmured, In a
satisfied tone,
AT last there came thunder Of
quick hoof.beats, and thea the excited
herd dashed after their leader into the
hin oorral Tho h.ovv ,o.na h.u..a
ths cha,n rot,lad or., M s ...n, ,,,s"
hungry ra, s,,ran,, ,.am s . b.Ip'u' NV, m
and, hastily picketing their ponies,
made bee-line for the cook house.
They greeted Carmen with boisterous
LoroIss al ,..,.ss'.. t,-., - ~.
oan 10 dsvorr .ha ,ooS 90. Iasana .la -.
"Iley, this oowao IL ur;,aa ,s,' Tan
m.nw usono ,rh;.a ,.a,na, y, ,,,'n,
ver tor mo,,a h,s",,.s ,,a "v ..u., ' ,i' Nv
Won hot w. sna 10 NV, nan,, s. r.,, """.'
cooL;n,r, na.,tssa.e1 ,,.,. 49,, ~
os A.. .a'.s :. Az ~. ~. " ','.,',
,h,v ,o,,ar N NV ,h.;l h.i.',' .'.'...'
slovly ~
Carmen maid no attention ia ,heir
rouph condiments She WINS .tondipg
behind her husbands chair uctipr Ms
waitress when occasion required Mt
other times lingering In sombrcro or
timidlv touching his touseled curls
Each man was duly supplied with cdi.
bles. but the crisnest bacon md brown.
est biscuit found their wav TO .luke
Ringers plate until finally he looked
up and announced, oI'ye had enough,
Now eat. yonrselt"
Tho mon rose from the tsb,s md
scattered 10 thor evening occuna,,ons
On,v JaLe rama,nod ,moLi,r in tho
doorway while Carmen sot down IN
her meal NJ fraaments
As the last slouchino f,vure vanished
toward tho cubIns he turned ,o thc
woman with n slow smile md asked in
Msx,can, .uas II hcen lonely these
DAYS cora mior
~ ,s oI,yavs n,obt IN nv heart yhen
.hou ~, ,,ons n o. hrsh.na,s
NV e. ~ ,.s.
n'A''n W. o'' '"eN'"n 'o"R "'''',S
.a'a." 'os.'"'i y, Dull. .n'ns' 10 n''V'
~ .ne" iioo, VIC '%"Ho ""pp,", n
y. VI, inoi'o" mon' , =. " ., WY
~ou'' vuy ~ nin''o "nen Vic "''''
"efe uii'eh ~ W " 'o,u'