The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-20

I "A
waving his arms.
Shes crept into the tall grass at the side
of the road to conceal herself.
The wagon drove up ana stopped. She
heard voice saying:
Swallowed up by magic if I'm alive.
Now where did she go?'
The man crept about in the grass and ran
across Misty Dawn. He took her by the
arm and pulled her to her feet.
Surveying her he said: well. you're
about the prettiest one 1 ever seen. Gosh.
but you'd do for fresco in big church.
Lord. my girl where are you going?"
She did not answer.
"WeI, come along" he said pulling her
by the arm. "You might as well ride as
| walk and I've got ROOM
He lifted her up into the seat beside him
and drove on.
''You amt told me your name" he said.
She had no name now. She did not ans
wer.
You amt been teaching school over
among them Indians have We, and got dis
gusted and skipped"
NO" she answered.
| "Well, a woman did that once. Just
| got up and left 'em. That Agent didn't
bring you down from the state and throw
| you over did he?"
| She did not answer.
| Pete Sweeney, the whisky peddler. sud
denly drew up his horses and held his hand
| over his eyes, shading them.
! "Horsemen,'' he said, "sure as life. Those
dern pesky deputies I'll bet He looked
back into his wagon. 1t was full of loose
| hay.
Then he said: LET 'em come. They
<
The government of the United States
does not permit the sale of whisky on In
Dian reservations. An Indian will part
with his soul for whisky. They get it.
| Whisky peddlers such as Pete Sweeney sell
| it to them. The deputy marshals are al
ways in pursuit of these whisky peddlers.
The reservation is a long distance from the
nearest federal jail and for every mile a
! deputy carries a suspect he gets fee. The
arrest of whisky peddlers is a lucrative
| business. The deputy marshals had tried
| for months 10 get Pete Sweeney, but had
never succeeded. He had just made an
other excursion among the Indians with
twelve jugs which he had sold at an ex-
orbitant figure The jugs he had conceal
ed in the hay. He had disposed of them all.
The deputies might come down on him as
he said. They would find nothing in the
wagon but loose hay.
So he drove on.
''This amt much of country" he said
TO Misty Dawn.
"Why?"
why. Well, is just amt. That's all. Too |
blamed savage for me. Give me the city !
life, and concerts and operas with the girls |
in tights and that sort of thing. That's the |
life for me. These Internal savages is not |
my element
you mean the Indians?''
That's what mean-the Indians
what do you think of the negroes?" |
she asked.
well. The negroes are about like the |
Indians 1t was a mistake to emancipate |
'em. That's what 1 always said. They's |
only fit for slaves anyhow"
He drove on and soon Misty Dawn felt |
the pressure of his arm about her.
She flushed and struggled free.
My" he said. But you're a pert one
Now l suppose if I'd ask you to kiss me
for this ride. you'd refuse me-
Yes she said frankly
That's ungrateful Of you. But it's all
right
So he drove on chattering all the while,
Misty Dawn answering. when she answered
at all. in monosyllables.
The sun was nigh in the heavens when
he said: ''We'll get out here and get some
grub for dinner. I'll unhitch the beasts
and build a fire. Can you cook?"
Yes" said Misty Dawn.
well, there's bit of saited pork in there
and some dry bread. You get it out"
He jumped from his wagon and unhitched
the team. Then ne went out to a little
patch of trees TO get some fallen wood
Misty Dawn ran for her lie down the
road from the fearful white man.
Hardly a minute after three deputy mar
shals drove up to the wagon and dfsap-
peared speedily again in the direction from
which they came, behind some hillocks q
little distance away.
Misty Dawn ran on in her fright. She
did not see the deputies. She ceased run
ming and trudged on, painting
Foot-sore and exhausted, she saw the sun
go down and the first night of her new life
draw down upon her. She was dying for
sleep but she dared not stop.
Finally away of in the distance she saw
a light. She crept towards It benumbed |
and reasoning no longer, but with dumb in
stinct seeking shelter. She ran into a | (
6arb-wire She must now be out OF the :
reservation. she shuddered. Off the res
ervation, Homeless,
But she trudged on, across the prairie,
now into loose, broken SOIL
She reached the house. It was sod. She
knocked and woman opened the door
a white woman. with hair done up neatly {
and in a freshly ironed dress
Misty Dawn sank on the threshold. The
woman picked her up and carried her to a
bed in the single room.
When she opened her eyes. the woman '
babe her eat. She did and then the woman
told her 10 sleep again.
II was already daylight when Misty
Dawn awoke. The white woman had her
breakfast ready. Misty Dawn ate heartily
Now child, what is your story? What
rave you been doing? What are you?
Where did you get al that silver in that .
indian shawl? And who taught you to u
iress in that funny way"
Without reservation Misty Dawn told her
story.
We'll I'll beswitched.'' said the woman .
xhen Misty Dawn completed her story.
That beats me clean Up the aue and back
again"
You viii be my friend?' asked Misty
Dawn concerned.
''Of course viii. But did you walk all :
he way from the Agency
NO man let me ride in his wagon part
Il the way. But he wanted 20 kiss me and y
ran away while he was getting dinner"
Was his wagon al full OF hay?' =
Pete Sweeney. the brute, Now he's a a