The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-27
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| PlOW Woman |
By ELEANOR GATES.
Author of The Biography a Prairie Girl"
COPYRIGHT 1906 BY MCCLURE PHILLIPS Z COMPANY {
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By ELEANOR GATES.
COPYRIGHT. 1906. BY MCCLURE PHILLIPS L COMPANY

Author of THE Biography OF Prairie Girl

pants of the line of shanties slumhered
serenely on, and not until noon did
high plumes of smoke, straight as the
flag pole on the parade ground, an
Aounce TO the secretly delighted troop
ers at Brannon their tsrdy rising.
Dallas. too, saw the busy chimneys
but while watching them intently from
an open window. her attention was at
tracted all at once in the opposite di-
rection. She heard coming out of the
coulee a chorus of shrill talking. like
the pow-wow Of flock of prairie
chickens. Then a horse snorted and
there was a low rumble of wheels.
Thinking that it was her father, she
leaned into sight. As she did so
team came scrambling over the scarlet
brink, dragging a wagonful of men and
women.
AS the horses gained the level prairie
their driver laid aside a huge black
snake whip with which he had been
soundly whacking them and looked
about The next moment Dallas saw
him rein In his team and spring to his
feet He was looking toward the
shack. and he raised his whip hand
menacingly.
Look at that! Look at THAR he
cried wildly, his voice carrying through
the clear air
All looked where he pointed, and
some one in the back of the wagon
cursed.
What d you call that for luck?"
yelled the man, shaking his mittened
fist. IF Nick knew thatw
Dallas could not hear the mingled
answers of his companion.
"Well, 1 call it ID
A woman reached up and pulled him
into his seat There was another shrill
chorus, the man whacked the horses
till they reared, and ,tbe-wagon went
rumbling on.
Dallas watched it until it disappear
ed into the cut at the landing. Then
she sank upon a bench. For a long
time she sat, dumb and immovable,
her eyes on the floor. When finally she
got up she felt about her, as if over
come by blindness.
Marylyn had not seen or heard the
threatening wagon driver. Seated COM
fortably on the robe by the fire, she
strung beads and hummed contentedly.
Dallas started toward her, stopped.
then moved slowly back to the win
dow, where she took up her watch
Late that night she sprang from fit
full, troubled sleep to hear Simon low
Ing and moving about restlessly. A
few moments afterward there came
mules long bray from below the shack,
followed by the voice of the section
boss urging on the team. She found
her long cloak and FASTENED out.
She could not wait for the wagon to
stop before calling anxiously to her ia
Their. did you fle?" she asked, walk
ing beside Betty.
Lancaster did not answer. but scold-
ed feebly, as if worn with his long
trip. wy d y fret a man fore he
en- git down an into TIL houSe? he
demanded. "Ah'm plumb fruz t. death
an hungry"
She helped him over the wheel and
through the door Then she went back
and in feverish haste stabbed the
mules. On entering the shack, now
dimly lighted by a fire, she did not
need to repeat her question. She read
the answer in her fathers face
mo USE" Lancaster told her, raising
wet, tired eyes to hers. TIL claim was
gone fore ever we got here-fled on
4 las July" He lay down, muttering in
a delirium of grief and physical weari-
ness.
The fire. made only of dry grass. be-
/ gan TO die the room to darken. Dallas
/ face Swallowed with it. She was think
1 ing of the level quarter that was to
have blossomed under her eager hands.
! that was to have brought comfort to
Marylyn and her crippled father. And
now the land was gone from them, had
never been theirs. They were only
squatters.
Amy hour a nameless man-perhaps
! he who had gene by that day-might
descend upon them and
The bail of a bubb'.ng pot slipped
down the bar that held it, and the yes
sci clattered upon the hearth. She
started as If a gun had exploded at her
elbow.