The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-23
- Ole
P|Ow Woman
By ELEANOR GATES.
Author of The Biography Of
Prairie Girl
Copyright, 1906. bU Mcclure, Philips &
COmDduu
CCOntinued)
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hitting the mUes In the bach When
the teaI2 had scrambled up the farther
side Dallas put them to a tros by a
flick Of the blacksnake Then she
bent forward over the dashboard. her
eyes fixed eagerly on that distant
brown blotch at the eastern ridge top.
But Marylyn as they drew away look
ed regretfully backward-to where a
clump of tall cottonwoods, shaking
their heart shaped leaves in the wind,
dappled a flower studded stretch below
the coulee mouth.
Rod by rod the mules climbed the
gently slipping prairie. The morning
was perfect and belied in its beautv
even suggestion of lurking harm.
The air, crystal clear and exhilaratinr
brought far things magicallv near 70
the eye. On every hand shimmered the
sprlnglng grass, now q pale emerald
with the wind brushing It. again in
the still places a darker green and vet
again under the ravine's fringing viii
lows, where the deer nibbled. cool
black. Out of 1t the meadow larks
showed their good luck waistcoats and
ripped their tunes. Out Of 1t countless
"lld roses smiled up pinkly to the sun
But all the loneliness of the new dav
only Knocked at the lonely girls in the
wagon. To them the gray sands Of
their desert home, the bistering
northers, the brassy skies, were IN
consciously synonymous Of safety and
peace More than once as they press
ed on the old, red painted section
mousse rose before them, very haven
Behind, the squat shack was grad
ually lessening IN size A jutting cor
ner had already shut from view its
crippled sentry.
There was little conversation. Mary
lyn for time could not dismiss the
subject that had confronted her at the
start. Finally, however, she put it
aside impatiendy and let herself drift
on u pleasant current And Dallas
her thoughts We're also harried. for MS
her home dropped mile by mile in the
distance and she was forced to meet
the question of what she would say
and do when she arrived at Clark's
her feelings underwent a marvellous
change. 1t had been easy enough in
the excitement following her discovery
IoEFb,s mplate meeting with Louns-
No. But that excitement having |
6 49, d not little the idea of seeing I
(Mar | of talking to him mounted in
pfopel-,onal Importance. She saw her
self drawing up before his store or
standing just within as she related her
story She saw his face, the blue eyes,
full of fun-and she had not met him
since that evening! Her heart began
to thump with the picturing. its pound |
ings playing up to her throat and down
ngain. Want of food was giving her
sensation of weakness and sinking
Eut this seemed also to be the result |
of mental and not physical suffering
She was torn by a desire to retreat.
Then darted through her mind the
remembrance of Marylyn's midnight
confidence. 1t was a blow on a wound. |
She glanced at her sister entreatingly. I
And what she fancied she read in the |
others eyes instantly altered the de I
sire to turn-made her send the mules /
forward at a better pace. Narylyn /
was sitting stiff1y upright, bracing her
self with her hands. Her head was
up, her look was eager and fixed I
There was a smile on her parted lips.
She's happy about seeing him, /
thought Dallas and was overwhelmed +
by sense of her own guilt.
A diversion soon came in a horrid /
gulse. The road touched the coulee
again, bringing close the giant cotton
woods, where the Sioux dead were
dashed, and the girls. glancing toward T
the trees, suddenly caught a glimpse
of long. wrapped bodies.
NIarylyn edged toward her sister
ooh, hope it'll be light when we get
here coming back" she whispered,
shuddering.
We won't be alone" answered Dial
las reassuringly.
The coulee was deep and dark at
that point and full of queer shadows.
From the boughs that Graded the
braves came uncanny futterings as
the wind shook Ioosened scraps of the
Bleepers' covering. Phe dead seemed
TO be moving restlessly upon their bier
boards and waving an imploring sun-
mons TO be freed Of tie thongs that
bound them. Overhead was fun couse
for fear. Floating on motionless vine
with bare necks eraning hungrily. cir
cled black watchers.
They say" whispered AIarylvn.
watching nervously behind they saw
the Indians are scared to come nca-
these trees: never do till one Of 'en
dies. l don't wonder. 1t gives me the
shivers just to see that bunch"
Dallas drew the whip across Betty
"A dead Indians not dangerous" s6e .
said, smiling And forgot to ask Mary.
lyn where she had heard the tale
Six miles were gone. But the way .
ahead was still long. the brown bloteh .
ut the ridge top was still only blotch .
And the team was fast firing. When
Murphy's Throat was reached Dallas
drove out to the left, watered the /
thirsty pair at slough and MO VIE,