The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-09

/ gSt us nOli-ilhG tle leuSt sNoi4If4-
And you see ] am right-tne move
ment was from east TO west, continued
the elder man.
The girl could not comprehend what
they said, and even thought them
little silly. But she advanced toward
them, at which they stopped short star
ing at her. With feminine instinct she
addressed the more important one
"Ye Amt passed no wagon nor team go
in on, hav ye?'
man.
En- grant waggen-two yaller bosses
Old NANNY dad-drivin'.' She added
The latter klnship as q protecting iutln-
ence against strangers, in spite OF her PIE
vious independence.
The men glanced at each other.
How long agoY
The gfrl suddenly remembered that she
had slept two hours.
Sens noon" she said hesitatngly.
Since the earthquake?'
"Wots that?"
The man came impatieuuy toward her
How did you come here?'
Got outer the waggen 10 walk. l reck-
on dad missed the trail and hez got of
somewhere where 1 can't ind him.
What trail was he on-where was ne
going?'
sank Hozay. (san JOSEF 7 reckon. He
was eoin' up the grade-sde O. tn" hill
He mus hey turned off where there a
big rock hangin' over.
Did you see him turn OFF,
NO"
The second man, who was in hearing DIS
lance had turned away, and was ostenta-
tiouslv examining the sky and the tree
tops; the man who had spoken 70 her
Joined him, and they said something in a
low voice Then they turned again. and
came slowly toward her. She, from some
obscure sense Of imita ton, stared al +he
treetops and the sky as the second man
had done But the first man now lad
his hand kindly on her shoulder and said
Sit down"
Then they told her there had been an
earthquake so strong that it had thrown
down a part of the hillside, including the
wagon trail. That a wagon team and
driver such as she had described had been
carried down with it, crushed to frag-
ments and buried under hundred feet
of rock in the gulch below. A party had
gone down 10 examine, but it would be
weeks perhaps before they found 1t, and
she must be prepared for the worst She
looked at them vaguely and with fearless
eyes.
Then We reckon dads dead?"
I'VE fear it
Then volts goin' to become O. me-"
she said simply.
They glanced again al each other. Have
YOU no friends in California;" said the
elder fnan.
Mary one"
"Wnat was your father going to do?'
Dunno. l reckon he didn't, either
you stay here for the present" said
the elder man meditatively. Can you
mike"
The girl nodded. And I suppose you
know something about looking after
stock?" he continued.
The girl remembered that her father
thought she didn't, but this was no time
for criticism, and she again nodded
Come with me, said the older man,
rising Il suppose" he added glanciug
at her ragged frock. Everything you
have is in the wagon" She nodded. add
ing with the same cold naivette. 1T amt
muchu'
They walked on, the girl following; at
times straying furtively on either side
as if meditating an escape in the woods
which, indeed, had once or twice been
vaguely in her thoughts-but chiefly to
avoid questioning, and not to hear what
the men said to each other. For
they were evidently speaking of her, and
she could not help hearing the younger
repeat her words. "Wots goin' 10 be-
come o. me? with considerable amuse-
ment and the addition She'll take care
of herself, you bet! 1 call that remark
o. hers the richest thing out"
"And l call the state of things that
provoked il monstrous!' said the elder
man, grimly You don't know the lives
of these people
Presently they came to an open clear
ing in the forest, yet SO incomplete that
many of the felled trees partly loupei
of their boughs still lay where they had
fallen. There was a cabin or dwelling OF
unplaned implanted boards very simple
in structure, yet made in a workmanlike
fashion quite unlike the usual log cabin
she had seen This made her think that
the elder man was "towny,' and not
a frontiersman like the other
AS they approached the cabin the elder
man stopped, and, turning to her, said:
do you know Indians?"
The girl started and then recovered her
self with a quick laugh. "Glang!-there
amt any Injins here!'
Not the kind you mean. These are
very peaceful. There's a squaw here whom
Won will" He stopped and hesitated
as he looked critically at the girl and then
corrected himself. who will help you?''
He pushed open the cabin door and show
ed an interior equally simple but we'll
Joined and ftted--a marvel of neatness and
finish to the frontier girls eyes. There
were shelves and cupboards and other con-
veniences yet with no ostentation of re-
fnement to frighten her rustic sensibill-
ties.
Then he pushed open another door lead
| ing into a shed, and called "Waya." A
| stout, understood Indian woman-ftted
with coarse cotton gown, but cleaner
| and more presentable than the girls one
! frock. appeared in the doorway. This is
! Waya, who attends to the cooking and
cleaning" he said, "and-by the way
what is your manner"
Libby Jones"
! He took a small memorandum book and
a stub of pencil from his pocket. "Eliz-
abeth Jones'" he said, writing it down
! The girl interposed a long red hand.
No" she interrupted, sharply, mot
Elizabeth, but Libby; short for Lib'rty,"
'Libepy?'
| YES"
Liberty Jones. then. Well. Waya, this
is Miss Jones, who will look after the cows
! and calves-and the dairy" Then, glanc-
ing at her torn dress, he added You'll
find some clean things in there, until
can send up something from San Jose
| Waya will show you"
Without further speech he turned away
with the other man. When they were