The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-10-29
SPANISH PEGGY
A STORY OF YOUNG ILLINOIS
Copyright, 1899, by Herbert 8. Stone & Co.


planter?"
The Sac uttered a contemptuous
grunt.
mo! No planter. No Cuba. He is
New Orleans man; gambler
II reckoned So" said Lincoln.
"Me live in my tribes country, where
the chief Black Hawk has his village.
Pedro Lorimer come there and trouble
me. If my tribe take my part, all
the people who want their land will
say, These Sacs are dangerous. Drive
them out. So Black Hawk say to me.
You love white men: go to Belleville.'
Me go to Belleville. Think me marry
a white woman; she help. An Indian
cannot get very good white woman.
But me see the Widow La Chance, and
Antywine, her husbands son. Me
getting old; and Antywine is young.
He can take care Of the child when
me die. So year ago me marry the
Widow La Chance. The first thing she
hurt the child. And Antywine'-
Shickshack uttered the words deliber-
ately, turning his head toward the
figure at the doOr-'he is nothing but
a squaw!'
Antywine opened the door and went
out, closing it behind him, and sitting
down on the step.
PEDRO Lorimer follow to Belleville,
and trouble me there. Me come to
New Salem. The moon has not
changed four times since me come to
New Salem; and he is here to trouble
me again."
What does he want?" inquired Lin
coin.
HE want the child's money"
HAS Peggy money? How much
has she?"
The Indian held his hands less than
yard apart; the length of full
grown rattlesnake.
"A snakeskin full of gold.''
What have you done with it?'
ME hide it from my white woman
and Pedro Lorimer. Sometimes me
think she divide it with him, if he
could help her get it. All day, all
year, she want that money herself. But
she take what is Antywines, and was
his fathers, and give him nothing:'
'You have fed and clothed Peggy by
your own labor"
"She is my adopted child. Me send
her to white mans school, too. Me
give the schoolmaster four dollars"
"You are a mighty good fellow"
said Lincoln. But Pedro Lorimer is
gone; SO what troubles you now?'
"He come back. He would steal the
child to make me give up her money
as ransom. He would take her as far
as New Orleans"
"Does he know what she has?"
mo. But he would rob her of the
last piece and leave her to starve. He
got much that belonged to her people,"
''Have you put Peggy's money where
he cannot find it?''
EEIt's in a safe place."
HAS he ever made any attempt to
carry her OFF,"
me no let him make attempt Me
watch"
''As a relative, he might prove that
he had a right to guardianship if he
were a fit person.
What a white man want he can
take from an Indian!"
mo, Shickshack, you stand your
ground and fight him. If he troubles
you again in this community count on
me for all the help I can give Every
decent man in New Salem would take
your part"
ShicEshacl's face relaxed from
sternness to satisfaction.
"Such men as you and the young
chief Yates and the chief Lorimer make
an Indian want to live with white
men,
The tavern directly across the street
soft spring night air. At intervals
chorus of bullfrogs came family across
the dark from where the Sangamon,
swelling with freshets, rose frothing
yeastily toward it's brim. AS Peggy
hoped on her crutch around the
tavern she could see white fog float
ing over Rock creek in the valley, like
fairy linen spread to bleach by star
light. One of Rutledge's deer-hounds
loped up from the stable down the
slope to bay at her, and recognizing
the intruder, drew back at once with
a greyhound's sensitive apology.
Near the east side of the house
stood log hand-mill, one end being
firmly planted in the ground, the other
followed by burning and scraping
The pestle, hanging from long pole
weighted like a well-sweep, was knot
of hard wood spiked with nails, and
had crossbar handle In this prim-
tive mortar parched corn could be
readily pounded to meal. A deerskin
| was stretched and fastened snugly
over the top to keep grains in when
the mill was in use, a1d litter out
when it stood idle. Peggy caught hold
of the sweep and lifted herself to a
seat on the hand-mill. She could see,
through a deep embrasure of logs, the
Rutledge family at home. The tavern
windows were movable sashes, with
the tough oiled paper like transparent
| c1> 10i1 l1r 80