Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-02-13
CHATTER VI.

WI tNSHt
CHATTER VI.
She said it with strange little smile.
for now she recognized that the word
wigwam was not to be used in her new
life. But Mrs. Townley whispered, "Ask
Marion to come too. "
Lali hesitated and then said little
maliciously, Marion, will you come to
my wigwamf"
Marion ran to her. caught her about
the waist and replied gayly: "Yes, we
will have powwow. Is that rights
powwow right"
The Indian girl shook her head with
o pretty vagueness and vanished with
them. General Armour walked up and
down the room briskly, then turned
on his wife and said: wife, it was a
brutal thing. Frank doesn't deserve to
be-the father Of her child
But Lali had moods singular moods.
She INDUCED in one three days after the
arrival Of Marion and Mrs. Townley.
She had learned to ride with the side.
saddle and wore her riding dress admi-
rably. Nowhere did she show to better
advantage. She had taken to riding now
with General Armour on the country
roads. On this day Captain Vidal was
expected, he having written to ask that
he might come. What trouble Lali had
with one Of the servants that morning
was never thoroughly explained, but
certain it Is she came to have q crude
notion Of why Frank Armour married
her. The servant was dismissed duly,
but that was after the contretemps.
It was late afternoon. Everybody
had been busy, because one or two other
guests were expected besides Captain
Vidal. Lali had kept to herself, send
ing word through Richard that she
would not "be English, as she vaguely
put 1t, that day. She had sent Macken-
zie on some mission. She sat on the
floor Of her room as she ased to sit ON
the ground in her fathers lodge Her
head was bowed in her hands, and her
arms rested on her knees. Her body
swayed to and fro. Presently all motion
ceased. She became perfectly still. She
looked before her, as if studying some
thing.
Her eyes Immediately flashed. She
rose quickly to her feet, went to her
wardrobe and took out her Indian cos
tune and blanket with which she
could never be induced to part. Al
most feverishly she took of the clothes
she wore and hastily threw them from
her; then she put on the buckskin clothes
in which she had journeyed to England,
drew down her hair as she used to wear
it, fastened round her waist long red
sash which had been given her by a gov
ernor Of the Hudson's Bay company
when he had visited her fathers coun-
try, threw her blanket round her shout.
ders and then eyed herself in the great
mirror In the room. What she saw evil
IDENTIFY did not please her perfectly, for
she stretched out her hands and looked
at them. She shook her head at herself
and put her hand to her cheeks and
pinched them-they were not so brown
as they once were-then thrust out her
foot. She drew it back quickly in dis
dain.
Immediately she caught the fashion
able slippers from her feet and threw
them among the discarded garments.
She looked at herself again. Still she
was not satisfied, but she threw up her
arms, as with sense Of pleasure and
freedom, and laughed at herself. She
pushed out her moccasined foot, tapped
the floor with 1t. nodded toward it and
said q word or two In her own Ian
guage. She heard some one In the next
room, possibly Mackenzie She stepped
TO the door leading into the hall, OPEN
ed it, went out, travelled its length. ran
down back hallway out into the park
toward the stables, her blanket, IS her
hair, flying behind her.
She entered the stables, made for .
horse that she had ridden much, put .
bride ON him, led him out before any
one had seen her, and catching him by
the name suddenly threw herself on him
at . bound. and giving him tap with
. short whip she had caught up in the
stable headed him for the main avenue
and the open road Then stableman
saw her an. ran after, but he might a.
we'll have tried to follow the wind He
forthwith proceeded to saddle another
horse. Boulter also saw her a. she
passed the house. and running in told
Mrs Armour and the general. They
both ran to the window and saw DASH
ing down the avenue q picture out Of
lFenimore Cooper saddleless horse,
with . rider whose fingers merely touch
Cd the bridls riding as ON journey Of
life and death.
my God, it's Lalil She's madi she's
madi She is striking that horsel It will
bolti It will kill heri" said the general
Then he rushed for horse to follow
her. Mrs. Armour's hands clasped
painfully. For an instant she had al
most the same thought as had Marion
ION the first morning Of Lai's coming,
but that passed and left her gazing help
'lessly after the horsewoman. The flying
blanket had frightened the blooded
horse, and he made desperate efforts b
fulfill the generals predictions
Lali soon found that she had miscal.
culated She was not riding an Indian
pony, bat q crazed, high strung horse.
As they few, she sitting superbly and
Juggling at the bride. the party coming
from the railway station entered the
great gate, accompanied by Richard and
Marion. In moment they sighted thil
wild pair bearing down upon them with
terrible swiftness
As Marion recognized Lan she turned
pale and cried out, rising in her seat
Instinctively Captain Vidal knew who
1t wae though he could not guess thu
cause Of the singular circumstance. Ha
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