The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-02-20

this errauC and intermittent visitor
from the first, they quite made up
their minds about him when he dis
appeared once more after Shickshack's
funeral. 1t became generally known
how he had followed that poor Indian
to rob a 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-
its there for any kind of local annex
alton which might strike his fancy.
But the northern winter, from which
tropical nature shrank went by with
out disturbance. II Black Hawk had
stirred in the northwest, he settled
down to await better season. People
no longer rode in sleds over buried
stake-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 high rate of interest
to impecunious people, with little pros
pect of getting it back. Lincoln said
he was not 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 snakesllin coiled
h OF
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 adj
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
Shickshacll's cabin. She is we'll off.
There is that Onslow house at the
west end of the road. l can buy it
myself for some trade. We will keep
house."
Peggy and you?"
eyes," replied Antywine, with inno-
cent enthusiasm. Il will take care Of
her. Me, l can make moccasins;
can kill plenty deer and cure venison.
When l am away with you to carry
the chain, she can bar the door and
keep Sally out, and l 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. 1t was simply valuable
possession, boarded for her.
Peggy was directly received into the
Rutledge family, where she had an
abundance of good food and AIMS
teaching and companionship for a
stipulated sum in shillings and fps
amounting to less than two dollars
week. To her it was 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 We're round, and her
hating step without 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
glad to draw her breath, that every
body said, "She is growing pretty:
Whoever imagined that little weakened
Spaniard would turn out like this?"
Antywine and Lincoln we're away I'M
til earlyin June. They came driving an
oX-wagon from the west into New Salem
one evening at sunset. and drew up at
the vacant cabin which Antywine in
tended to make his own. 1t stood
waiting for him in primitive security.
The oX-wagon carried 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.
81 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
: free, bold spirit, ready to dare any
a thing. On long tramps and rides and
through days of mechanical labor with
a master mind he had been coming
. to his own as man.
!, u There's mighty difference" Lin
~ coin once said to him, between study
= ing with the outside of your eyeballs
and studying with your eyes open clear
y to the bottom of your BRAIN
: Antywine saw that new oiled paper
would have to be put into the weather.
beaten windows, over which Peggy
would hang short white curtains, per-