Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-10-07

There was a strange incongruity in
the two. and an unconscious challenge
as well
All next day. which was Saturday.
and. indeed. during the following
week. l stood guard over my notice. en-
joying the excitement II produced and
the comments il called forth. IL was
the advance wave OF the great ocean
'f civilization which many Of them
had been glad TO leave behind-some
could have wished forever.
To Robert Muir. one OF the farmers
newly arrived. the notice was har-
binger or good. II stood for progress.
markets and higher price for land.
albeit he wondered hoo he wad be
kept up" But his hard wrought.
quick spoken little wife at his elbow
'hooted' his scruples and. thinking OF
her growing lads. welcomed with un-
mixed satisfaction the coming OF 1.-The
mcenistcr." Her satisfaction was
shared by all the mothers and most OF
the fathers i'm the settlement. but by
the others. and especially by that roll
licking, FOSTERING crew. the Company
OF the Noble Seven. the missionary's
coming was viewed with varying de-
grees OF luminosity. It meant limita-
ton OF freedom i'm their wildly reck-
less living. The permit nights would
now, TO say the least. be subject TO
criticism: the Sunday wolf hunts and
nurse races. with their attendant de-
lights, would now be pursued under the
eye OF the church. and this would not
add. 10 the enjoyment OF them. One
great charm OF the country. which
Bruce, himself the son OF an Edinburgh
minister and now secretary OF the No
BILE Seven. described as letting fell
low do rs be BANKED pleased" would
be gone None resented more bitterly
than he the missionarys intrusion.
which he declared 20 be an attempt
Ito reimpOse upon their freedom the
trammels OF an Anticipated and bigotcd
conventionality." But the rest OF the
Company. while not taking so decided
stand, were agreed that the estab-
lishment OF church Institution was
an Objectionable and impertinent rs
we'll rs unnecessary proceeding.
or course HI Kendall and his friend
Bronco Bili had no opinion one way
or the other The church could hardly
affect them even remotely. \ dozen
years stay in Montana had proved
with sufficient clearness 10 them that
a church was luxury OF civilization
the west might well do without
Outside the Company OF the Noble
Seven there was only one whose opin-
ION had value I'm Swan Greek. and that
was the Old Timer The Company had
sought 20 bring him i'm by making him
an honorary member. but he refused
TO he drawn from his home far UP
among the hills. where he lived with
his little girl Gwen and her old half
breed nurse. Ponka. The approach OF
the church he seemed 10 resent as n
personal injury. IL represented TO him
that civilization from which he had
fed fifteen years ago with his wife
and baby girl and when, five years
later. he laid his wife I'm the lonely
grave that could be seen on the shaded
knoll just fronting his cabin door the
last link TO his past was broken. From.
all that suggested the great world be-
yond the run of the prairie he shrank
as one shrinks from a sudden touch
upon an ola wound.
II guess I'll have TO move back" he
said 10 me gloomily.
"Why?" | said I'm surprise, thinking
OF his grazing range. which was ample
for his herd.
This blank Sky Pilot" He never
swOre except when unusually moved.
''Sky Pilotf" | inquired
He nodded and silently pointed TO the
notice.
ooh. well. he won't hurt you, will
hep"
Cant stand it," he answered savage
ly; must get away"
what about Gweng" | ventured.
for she was the light OF his eyes. pity
to stop her studies" was giving her
weekly lessons at the old mans ranch.
Dunno. Amt figgered ont yet about
that baby" She was still his baby.
"Guess she's all she wants for the
foothills, anyway. What's the use?'
he added bitterly, talking TO himself
after the manner of men who live
much alone.
waited for a moment, then said,
"Well. ! wouldn't hurry about doing
anything" knowing we'll that the one
thing an old timer hates To do is TO
make any change in his mode OF life.
"Maybe he won't stay"
He caught at this eagerly. That's
so. There amt much TO keep him,
anyway" And he rode off TO his lone
~ ranch far up I'm the hills
looked after the swaying figure and
tried to picture his past. with its trag-
edy; then l found myself wondering
how he would end and what would
come TO his little girl. and made up
my mind that if the missionary were
the right sort his coming might not be
bad thing for the Old Timer and
perhaps for more than him
CHAPTER ".