The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-13
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HER LIFE FOR LOVE.

The Indian heroines of fiction are in
Variably beautiful. though how a girl
with high cheek bones. straight, course
hair and Indian features can be beau
iful is puzzling.
The heroine of this story was not only
a fun blooded squaw. but her dress was
so unbecoming that had she had any
beauty il would have been killed by the
costume.
Her shoes were a mans CASTOR India
rubbers; her skirt was the short tan-
mel undershirt Of a white woman: her
blouse was a mans shirt.
This costume was appropriate to a
miners camp in which Juanita or
Wanny. as she was Familiarity called
name given her by the miners because
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 are proven
bially respectful to women of refine
ment, they treated this aborigine pretty
much as they treated each other. IN
deed she was made the sCapegOat for
everything. If anything was lost Wan
ny 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 flag Of
the camp and at the same time was al
ways 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
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 Arch
er, his antagonist The battle may have
been drawn. Such battles usually are
though the heroes of stories who defend
luckless maidens always come out vic
torious. There was one result of the
fracaS however. which was permanent.
II understood that rbavaa 70
man ordered Wanny to do anything
for him he must pay her for doing it.
Wanny from this time received fees
varying from a nickel to a 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 q yellow ribbon
that had held together a bundle of
cigars. No one suspected the cause of
; /, he tidiness but Jim Burns and he
? wouldn't have suspected it had he not
noticed a peculiar expression in the
girls eyes the very next time she look
sion 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
q little squaw whom his associates
treated very muCn 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 associates ne
gave her credit for lot of sense
Then jim who was inclined to tax
1T upon himself to regulate any infrac-
ton of camp etiquette, discipline, law
and the like thought proper one day to
turn out of camp a 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 sun
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 20 ride there nearly every
day. One morning Wanny came to him
and said:
mo so down river today"
'Why not. Wanny?"
"Git shot"
''Who's going to do the job?"
Wanny gave him the name Of the