Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-12

said, "Ah'll never go t Brapnon fer anythin', an they'll be no trottin' back an forth Thet ornery trash over thar is tn same, most of it, thet fought tn south jus few years ago. An kain't forget thet An not one of 'em II ever set foot in this house." I After more hobbling he burst forth again. "Ah tell y, Dallas, Ah won't hev' you gals meetin' them no count soldiers
 She smiled at him. "We don't want to meet any soldiers" she answered. But there are women at the fort women like mother. It seems a shame we can't know them.'
 "Y' mother raised y t be s fine 6 lady as any of 'em over thar"
 Maybe that's true. If it is, then they'd like us, wouldn't they, and we could have friends? I'm not thinking about myself-just about Marylyn."
 You gals got each other. Meetin' tn women at Brannon means meetin' tn men. An An won't hev it!' His voice rose almost to a shout.
 "I'll never speak to you about 1t again." she said. And her quiet ac- ceptance modified him.
 "M gal, y kain't think how An feel about them Yanks," he went on trem- ulously. An An want y f promise me thet whether An m live CT dead v II allus keep on you own side of tn river"
 She glanced up at him quickly. "Do you mean that, daddy? she asked using the name he had borne in her babyhood.
 "Ah do! An dol"
 'Then I promise" Her tone was sorrowful.
 "Mar'lynT'
 The younger girl faced about slowly.
 "D' you promise?"
 "Promise?" she repeated. "Yes-I- I promise"
 Dallas knew that the trip to the land office was impossible unless Louns- bury should chance along-which was | SOlAC NSCAo pOoSSu since his last visit Undoubtedly were he to come he would help them. But would her father allow her to ask the storekeeper's aid? Probably not.
 "I'u tell Charley about 1t tonight" She said finally. eve just got to ma D way"
 What c'n he do?" retorted her fa- ther. "Far s him s gitting a team s concerned, we might $ well look fer some one t come right outen tn sky"
 Her determination to ask advice of the pariah was a natural one. The morning that succeeded the night of the mules terror she had awakened to find reassuring explanation for their fear. In the growing light, as the trumpet sounded reveille from the fort, she sprang up and looked out expect antly. On the top of a drift in front of the door was bundle of sticks! A hard crust had formed during the night, and moccasin tracks leading up to the wood and then pointing away again were cast in it with frozen clear ness.
 '"That poor Indian!" she had ex- claimed in grateful relief. | Not once after his summoning before Colonel Cummings had Squaw Charley forgotten daily to leave firewood at the shack. The evening of his second trip across the Missouri, Dallas had lain in wait for him, secreted under l the dismantled schooner, which she had drawn into place beside the door. l And as bringing his offering he cross ed the snow softly and approached, the terrified mules again announced his coming, and she hailed him. Come on, come near" she had call ed. q want to see you"
 Eager to prove his good intent he had hastened forward, and she, just as eager to show her thankfulness, had led him into the house. There, with | the distrustful eye of the section boss upon him and with Marylyn watching in trepidation from a distance, he had eaten and drunk at Dallas bidding.
 At the very moment when Dallas de cided to confide in him Squaw Char ley was not unmindful of her. Where the river bluffs back of Brannon shov- ed their dark shoulders through the snow, the wind having swept their tops clean of the last downfall, he was working away like muskrat. To and fro he went, searching diligently for buffalo chips. A sack followed him on a rope tied to a leather belt, so that he could beat his hands against his breast as he covered every square rod of dead. curly grass on the uplands. The bag crammed to the top, he took of his blanket and, despite the cold. began to fill it also. For he knew, and fully as well as they who watched the thermometer hanging just outside the entrance at headquarters, that the night would require much fuel.
 As he hunted along the bare ridge something more than the frigid gusts that whipped the skirt about his lean shanks urged him to finish his gath ering and go riverward. In the little snug cabin out on the prairie cheery welcome awaited him. Before the glowing coals in the stone fireplace he FTN--