Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-07-09
ELLEN'S MARRYING.


ing and after eating the remnants of the
matutinal repast would wash the dishes
and tidy up the kitchen. For Il quarter she
would sweep and dust p'1l wash out tho
towels. She did it all very neatly and well.
Sho was yot,g and cumcly, though rather
sullen looking. Her hair was smoothly
parted, and she always wore on the sur
face Of her apparel Il say surface advised
ly, for u squaw wears all her wardrobe at
once) q clean rod or yel.ow calico skirt and
short gown. \ wise person would not seek
to probe beneath the surface. a respectable
veneer is all that we seem entitled to ask
of any creature.
As she appeared to be we'll past the mar
riageablc age we asked her curiously one
morning, ELLEN, have you no man.
NO" replied Ellen emphatically, her
face becoming black and menncng in an
instant. "No, | no have man, Indian wo-
man fool have man. New take care OF
myself and have good time. Have man.
have papoose and carry pack ON my back
all day? No, not yet. -
"Oho. here is food for rcllcction!'
thought we 1T seems even the untutored
aborisinc can pat two and two together,
and mutny, if yainly, against her heaven
appointed lot. ="
But Ellcn's fate even then visible
on the horizon, which undoubtedly nc
counted for her emphasis. 1t was not so
long after her declaration of independence
that we sax her on the street amid n
group of her cumpecrs of both sexes gig
CLING and o1liug after the most approved
fashion " savage Irritation. A bright
streak Of vsrmiion down the middle OF
her hose and ono under each eye set off
her brunette style of beatty full as effect
iyely black patch or two answers the
same purpose for Il blond.
Aha" said One of Us to the Other.
Here is Ellen advertising herself as will
in at last. For that was what the YER
million streaks meant. Savages have such
"a shoekinGIs crude way Of indicating their
sentiments
We were not invited to the wedding, but
there WAS certainly a honeymoon, for Ellen
did not appear ut the back door for some
weeks, and on one occasion, when we We're
cut driving, we met tiF- newly welded
pair s;unt ring together, hand in hand.
totally Obvious Of the Indian custom
which rUlegateS the woman to u station
few PAGES in the rear of her lord. They
were quite urabashed by our smiling OBJ
servatian, and equally so, which surprised
us, st the irruption of "A band Of their com.
patriots. But, most surprising of all to
us, these latter, instead OF guying them,
ignored them. apparently by tacit consent
lrnyiuz, the 1ayrrs 10 the undistllrhed en-
ioyrncnt of tIl,ir ncetinc, clvsium
"Ho4y ilyll!cl' said one of Is.
"Yes. " said the Other, land | wonder
If, as a matter Of fact, it doesn't last just
as long as with us. The great difference
is. when they have done, they dom pre-
tend
"Pshaw," said ono of Is, and took 1t
ont on the horses. who resented the cut Of
the whip and gave an opportunity for
turning the conversation into other chan
nels
Ellen came back presently to the kitchen
| door. The rauvg,e and the mack were rs
vet in the future, but the former sullcn
EXPRESSION Of her face had intensified and
hardened To ALI atlr ip1lirics "a tn how
she liked her new responsibilities she op-
posed a sto!id silence. and we concluded
that loves vounc dream was already DER
Months passed by. till ono evening the
LEGAL payer contained an account Of a fatal
ARRAY he previous evening. Among a
loungine, laughing. card plnying group of
Indians on the plaza one squaw had sud
denly attacked another with murdcrous
fury. slashin- her face across from temple
tn chin md chin to teInrlo. The intent
had perhaps been only disbursement. but
tho Temporal. artery had been severed and
the wounded s,;us,w had died in a few
moments The other had been hustled
away by her PEOPLE. and the police had NOT
secured her. 1t was not probnble they ever
would, for the Indians settle their own
affairs among themselves without much
interference from their white neiohhors
There was no mystery or excitement about
the matter. and Wa scarce gave ii "A second
tbouuht. We wer, ahout In retire for th,
night when Ono of Is said To the Other;
clark Is that some one Knocking nj tho
cor groanincg" SUGGESTED the Other