Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-11-12
Oh APTER XI.
GWEN = CHALLENGE.


49, Bronco Bill and III Kendall
would say so, without. Of course ahat-
ing one iot of their admiration for her
For fourteen Yeas she had lived
Chiefly with wild filings The cattle
on the range. wild as deer the coyotes,
the jack rabbits and the timber wolves
werc her mates and her instructors
From these she learned her wild ways
The rolling prairie Of the foothill coun
try was hcr homo. She loved 1t and
all things that moved upon it with
passionate love the only kind she was
capable of And all summer long she
spent her days riding up and down
the range alone or with her father or
with Joe or. host Of AL. with the Duke.
her hero and her friend. So she grew
up strong. wholesome and self reliant.
fearing nothing alive and az untamed
as yearlinE range colt.
She was not beautiful. The winds
ard sun had left her no complexion to
etaak of. hut the glory of her red hair.
gold red with purple sheen. nothing
could tarnsh. Her eyes. too. deep
hlio with rims of gray. that flashed
with the CLINT of steel or shone with
melting light rs of the stars, accord
:ng to her mood those Irish. wapln,
deer eyes Of eers were worth a mans
looking al.
Of course. Ill spoiled her. Ponka and
Or son Joe groveled in nbicctcst adors-
ton. Wtiis her father and all who
came within touch of her simply did
her will Even the Duke. who loved
f'r better than anything else, yielded
iHtN. admiring homage to his Little
Irin"css, and certainly. when she stood
straight up, with her proud little gold
crowned head thrown back, flashing
torth wrath or issuing imporious com
nands. Sue looked princess. all of
her
It was n great day and a good day
Cor her when she 0shed the sky Pilot
crt of the Swan and brought him home,
and the night of Owens first
'rrayerS" " hon She heard Tor the first
time the story Of the Man Of Nazareth
was tho hest of all her nights up TO
that time All through the winter
under the Pilots guidance she, with
hCr father. the Old Timer, listening
near, went over and over that story so
old now In many. but ever becoming
new. III whole new world Of mysteri-
oue powers and presences lay open To
hor imagination and became the home
OF great realities She wAs rich in
-tMlrination and. when the Pilot read
HunyHn's immortal poem. her mothers
old Iilcrin's Progress" She moved
and lived beside the hero of that tale,
backing him rp in his tights and con-
Suund with anxiety over his many i'm
pending peril> TN she had him safely
a'roSs Tho river and delivered into the
charge of the shining ones
The Pilot himself, too. was new
and wholesome experience. He was
tie first thing she had yet encountered
that refused submission and the first
human being that had failed to fall
down and worship. There was some
thing in him that would not always
yield. and. indeed, her pride and her
!mperious tcmpers he met with surprise
and sometimes with pity that vergea
toward contempt. With this she was
not well pleased and not infrcquently
she broke forth upon him one of
these Outbursts is stamped upon my
mind. not only because of its unusual
violence but chiefly because of the
events which followed. The original
cause of her rage WAS some trifing
nisdeed OF the unfortunate Joe; but
when ! came upon the scene it was
the Pilot who was occupying her at
tcption The expression Of surprise
and pity on his face appeared to stir
her up.
How dare you look at me like
thar" she cried.
How very eXtrao@ nary that you
can't keep hold of yourself better," he
answered
Il can" she stamped "And ! shall
do az like"
IT is a great pity" he said with
provoking calm, land, besides, it is
weak and silly His words were IN
fortunate.
Weak she gasped when her
breath came back to her. weak"
Yes" he said very weak and child
ish'
Then she could have cheerfuly put
HIM to d slow and cruel death, When
she had recovered "A little she cried
vehomently:
I'm not weak I'm strong. I'm
stronger than you are. I'm strong as
asa man
| do not suppose she meant the in
situation. At any rate the Pilot ig-
nored it and went on
You're not strong enough to keep
your temper down" And then. as she
had no reply ready, he went on: And
really, Gwen, II is not right You must
TO- I,;.