St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-07-22
WANNy
fOriginal.l

with high cheek DoneS straight, coarse
hair and Indian features can be beau
tiful is puzzling. The heroine of this
story was not only a full blooded
suuaw, but her dress was so unbecom-
ing that had she had any beauty It
would hHe been killed by the cos
tune. Her shoes were a mans cast off
india rubbers; her skirt was the short
flannel underskirt of white woman;
her blouse was mans skirt.
This costume was appropriate to
miners camp in which Juanita, or
Wanny, as she was Familiarity called
a name given her by the miners be-
cause they couldn't pronounce her real
name-spent most of her time. She
took no pride in dress because she had
no one to dress for. While miners ae
proverbially respectful to women Of re-
finement, they treated this aborigine
pretty much as they treated each 9TH
er. Indeed she was made the scape-
goat for everything. If anything was
lost Wanny had stolen it; if anything
went wrong Wanny was to blame. 1t
was "Wanny, get me this" or 'Wanny,
get away from here" She was the fag
of the camp and at the same time was
always in the way.
One Of the men, and one alone, real
lied the state of affairs and one day
suggested to another who sent Wanny
a mile for some tobacco without giving
her a cent that she should be paid for
her work. Wanny stood by and heard
the suggestion, the reply, the hot
words that followed, and saw Jim
Burns, her defender, punch the head OF
Tom Archer, his antagonist. The bat
tie may have been drawn. Such bat
ties usually are, though the heroes OF
stories who defend luckless maidens
always come out victorious. There was
one result of the fracas, however,
which was permanent. 1t was under
stood that thereafter when a man or
dered Wanny to do anything for him
he must pay her for doing it.
Wanny from this time received fees
varying from nickel to quarter. At
her first appearance in the miners
camp after Jim Burns intervention
she wore a real calico dress and her
hair was braided and tied with yell
low ribbon that had held together a
bundle of cigars. No one suspected the
cause of the tidiness but Jim Burns,
and he would not have suspected it had
he not noticed peculiar expression in
the girls eyes the very next time she
looked at him. Jim considered it an ex
preston of gratitude. 1t was more
than this. The wild creatures heart
had been touched with love.
Jim Burns paid no more attention to
Wanny than before. That he had freed
her from oppression was no reason why
he should be called upon to change
his bearing toward her. He had no use
for little squaNs whom his associates
treated very much as they would treat
their horse, or their dog. Wanny made
no effort to secure his notice, going
about apparently as Indifferent to his
attentions as before. Jim was rather
pleased at this. He took no credit to
himself for the girls defense and was
the last man to stand what he called
palaver on the part of one for whom
he would do favor. When, therefore,
he saw that Wanny refrained from
any marked expression of gratitude
which would have been likely to draw
down upon him the gibes of his associ-
ates he gave her credit for lot of sense.
Then Jim, who was inclined to take
it upon himself to regulate any infrac-
ton of camp etiquette, discipline, law
and the like, thought proper one day to
turn out of camp good for nothing
drunken Indian, one Of the tribe to
which Wanny belonged, who had their
tepees a mile down the stream. The
man had been hanging about, and sum
| dry articles had been missed. Jim
| therefore invited him to leave and en-
forced his invitation with a kick.
Jim had a claim lying between the
miners and the Indians camp and
| was accustomed to ride there nearly
every day. One morning Wanny came
| to him and said:
mo 60 down river today"
"Why not, Wanny?"
"Git shot"
"Who's going to do the job?"
Wanny gave him the name of the
Indian whom Jim had given the grand
bounce" Jim thanked her for the in
formation, but Wanny saw by his man
ner that he would pay no attention to
| it. She disappeared and was not seen
around the camp again that day.
About sunset Jim, previous to riding
to his claim, remembering Wanny's
warning, went to the wall where his
rifle hung to get it, but it was not
there. Thinking some one had borrow
ed it and not caring to give up his trip
because he hadn't it, he mounted and
rode down the river. Suddenly in the
road before him he heard a shot, fol
lowed by another from a thicket. Rid
ing on, he was horror stricken at see
ing Wanny lying on her face in the
road across a rife. Dashing to her, be
threw himself from his horse ant
raised her tenderly. Life was futter
ing, but her soul looked out through
her eyes as clearly as it had ever look
ed. In Jim revenge struggled with the
| pantlar feelings and he FASTENED tx