The record-union., 1898-03-16

hind her assertion, which she after
wards explained.
II kept q store myself she contin-
ued. My people wished me to. [
stocked it with all the things they
want, and they bought of me freely
the first quarter; but the keeper of the
agency store became angry because /
took 81 his trade, and appealed to the
agent. When it came payday, my
people We're told that no money was
coming to them that they We're al
ready in debt to the agency store to
the full amount of their allowance. This
left no money with which TO pay me,
and my people were obliged to trade
on credit at the agency store, from
whose debt they will never be extri-
Gated" l afterward saw her store,
which was the better of the two in
the settlement, and was indignant at
the petty persecution.
"Have you always dressed like this -
asked of her, glancing at her perfect
| ly- fit ting gown of black cloth.
/ She laughed. "Oh. no."
! "In blanket?" l queried, smiling.
No; my tribe is a northern one We
wore skins" and she disappeared for 9
5
beautiful buckslzin garments. orna-
mented with prehistoric designs in fine
/ bead work. Il wore these she said,
letting her eye rest on them lovingly
! You would not part with them. /
suppose?' l queried, the greed of the
collector prompting me.
No she said. simply, but conclu-
siveIy.
"They are hard to get?" l said, sug-
I gestively why is it?'
Because she said with a resigna-
! ton tinged with bitterness, tho Indian
! Agent refuses to allow beads TO be sold
on the reservations. Bead-work is the
only industry the women of my people
/ know but the agent says he can never
ciyilize them While they make this
savage bead-work, SO now they sit IL
idleness. / wore these things. she con /
tfnued. caressing the head-elnbroidered
garments. when l vas q little girl,
and went south with my tribe on the
| annual hunts. But that was before
! the country was apportiened III sever
atty. and before the Wire fences blocked
+! the way.i
! The next day we took drive abroad
/ in Mrs. Lincoln's private carriage,
driven by young American cow
/ boy. now her farm cyerseer, but who
/ in years gone by managed her large
cattle interests. The settlement called
i the Agency consisted of a dozen small
houses, two stores, the Eagle Hotel. and
/ the Indian school, which stood afar on
/ the hill Sprinkled ali about were
/ tepees. from which curls of smoke rose
sullenly We stopped in front of one
of these, and Mrs. Lincoln held a con-
versation with souching Indian ana
! his wife who peeped from the tent
flap. Not word of English was spoken
nor a smile exchanged All the Euro
| pean grace of manner with which my
/ hostess addressed ne was thing az
sumed with the English language. and
laid aside when she communicated with
her tribe.
Those are my cousins she remark
! ed to me when we drove away, as
though unconscious of the contrast be-
tween their savage state and her own
extraordinary advancement.
Whose is that fine house?" I asked.
pointing to a commodious residence OF
brick
THAT is the Indian Agents. she re-
/ piled, and l saw by the gathering dark
ness of her face that / was threading
on dangerous ground. That the agent
/ is hated by the lazy. stubborn Indians,
who resent Improvement. counts for
nothing. but it is significant that his
ways are condemned with equal bitter
ness by people Of the tribe who have