The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-11-12


this erratic and intermittent visitor
from the first, they quite made up
their minds about him when he dis
appeared once more after Shickshack's
funeral. It became generally known
how he had followed that poor Indian
to rob girl The winter of the deep
snow gave shut-in householders plenty
of time to talk. The fact that Pedro
Lorimer had been harbored at Clary's
| Grove added no sweetness to his rep
utation. Some were afraid he would
come back and organize the wild spir-
it's there for any kind of local annex
alton which might strike his fancy.
But the northern winter, from which
a tropical nature shrank, went by with
out disturbance. If Black Hawk had
stirred in the northwest, he settled
down to await a better season. People
no longer rode in sleds over buried
-and-ridered fences. Vast white
frosted loaves of prairies, and forests
standing knee-deep in snow, returned
to their natural aspect. Streams ran
brimful, and Rock Creek covered half
the valley during the spring thaw.
Peggy had plenty of chances to loan
her money at a high rate of interest
to impecunious people, with little pros
pect of getting it back. Lincoln said
he was not a good adviser, for he had
failed at storekeeping, and made debts
which must cost him years of hard
work. But it appeared to him that her
gold was safer in the snakeskin coiled
around his waist than it would be
turned into anything else, until she
could buy and hold land.
Antywine and Peggy had gone back
to Sally's cabin. But as the season ad-
vanced and it was time to take up the
work Of surveying again, Antywine
| consulted Lincoln.
81 have made up my mind" he de-
clared, mot to live with that woman
some more at all. She have my fathers
goods, and her first mans goods, and
Shickshaclz's cabin. She is well off.
| There is that Onslow house at the
west end of the road. I can buy it
myself for some trade. We will keep
| house,"
| Peggy and your"
EYES," replied Antywine, with inno-
cent enthusiasm 81 will take care Of
her. Me, can make moccasins;
can kill plenty deer and cure venison.
! When I am away with you to carry
| the chain, she can bar the door and
keep Sally out, and I sleep easy.
not sleep easy, Sieur Abe, to go away
and leave her alone with that Sally,
who may cast an evil eye or stick Of
wood at her the minute my back is
turn'!''
| @You better put off the housekeeping
until we come home,'' suggested
Lincoln, smiling, land let Peggy
board at the tavern while we are away.
She has plenty of money"
| Antywine's blue eyes flashed JOY at
the unfolding of this brilliant plan.
He had never thought of Peggy's
money as currency which might be
put to use. It was simply a valuable
| possession, boarded for her.
Peggy was directly received into the
Rutledge family, where she had an
|
teaching and companionship for a
stipulated sum in shillings and fps
amounting to less than two dollars a
week. To her it was a season Of joy
and rapid development. Viane Rut-
ledge, herself budding into girlhood,
watched the Spaniard with surprise and
reluctant approval. Peggy's angles
disappeared. She shot up taller Her
lissome limbs were round, and her
hating step without a crutch had an
appealing charm. Her little face
| gathered sweetness which provoked
kisses; it had the clean polish Of a
flower petal. She was so good and SO
happy, so busy learning how to man.
age the affairs of daily living, and so
| body said, "She is growing pretty:
Whoever imagined that little weakened
Spaniard would turn out like this?'
| Antywine and Lincoln were away I'M
til early in June. They came driving all
Cx-wagon from the west into New Salem
one evening at sunset, and drew up at
the vacant cabin which Antywine in
| Ceuucu " 1udhS LIS OWu. IL
waiting for him in primitive security.
The ox-wagon carried a squat, low
chest OF drawers, evidently bought
at secondhand, but bright and rosy
through it's old mahogany surface, and
Antywine's first housekeeping invest
ment. Lincoln helped him unload it,
and they set it on the sward before
the cabin door.
IT lift him into the house myself"
said Antywine. So Lincoln drove the
borrowed cattle on, knowing he was
welcome to put them into anybody's
pasture until he and his chain bearer
| returned them.
| Antywine opened the door of the
playhouse he was intending to make
for Peggy. Though the sensitive part
of him, which Peggy said was like a
woman, quivered with delight, he had
a free, bold spirit, ready to dare any,
thing. On long tramps and rides and
through days of mechanical labor with