The newspaper., 1908-01-31

tlement and no cause for worry ap
peared-but Levi felt otherwise.
You'd best hug the futher Shore
he observed to Ray quietly when the
boy pushed off. AN don't git out o.
sight O. u.s." 81 amt sartin bout the
outcome O. this NATTER he said tc
Martin later. Il know that half-breed
Bolduc, and he's bad 'un. From the
gals story he paid big money fer her.
He don't know the meanin' O. law, and
if he follers down the tote road. as
callate he WILL n ketches sight O. her,
the first we'll know ont II be the
crack O. a rifle. The wonder to me IL
he didn't ketch her fore she got to ur
He could track her Eastern she could
run. l don't want to 'larm you folks.
but l shan't feel easy till we're out O.
the woods
1t wasn't reassuring.
But no thought of this came to Ra.'
at least, and these two young people
yielding to the magic of the morning
the rippled river that bore them on
ward. the birds singing along the fir
clad banks, and all the exhilaration OF
the wilderness. soon reached the care
free converse of youthful friends.
Il never had nothin' but work N
cussin'," Chip responded. when RAJ
asked II she never had any time sh
could call her own. Tim thinked
couldn't get tired. guess. He'd roust
me up fust of all n larrup me If he
caught me shirkin'. Once / had a lit
tie posey bed back O. the pigpen. ]
fixed 1t after dark an mornin's when |
ketched the chance. He ketched me
thar one mornin' a-weedin' II n
knocked me sprawlin' an then stomped
all over the posies. That night | went
out into the woods N begged the spites
to git him killed somehow. Mother
time | forgot to put up the bars. an
the cows got into the taters. That
night he tied me to stump clus to the
bars. an left me thar all night. | used
to be more skeered o. my dad n | was
o Tim, tho. He'd look at me like he
hated me. an say. Shut up II | said
a word. an | most believed he'd kill
me. just fer nothin'. Once he said
he'd take me out into the woods at
night n bait a bear trap with me II
he heerd didn't mind Tim. told Old
Tomah that. an he sid II he did. he'd
shoot him: but Old Tomah wasn't
round only winters. | hated dad so I'D
"a shot him myself. guess. II cud
"a got hold O. a gun when he wa'n't
watchin'."
TITS awful to have to feel that way
toward your own father" interrupted
Ray. for he was your father"
Il s'pose twas" admitted Chip. can.
didly. but I never felt much different.
I've seen him slap mother when she
was on her knees a-bawiin'. and the
way he would cuss her was awful
But you had some friendship from
this old Indian" queried Ray. who be-
gan to realize what pitiful life the
girl had led: he was good to you.
wasn't hep
He was. sartin.' returned Chip.
eagerly: he used to tell me the spites
'ud fix dad fore long. so he'd never
show up agin. n when l got big nun
he'd sneak me on some night n take
me To the settlement. whar / could arm
a livin' Old Tomah was the only one
who cared a cuss fer me. l used TO
bawl when he went away every spring.
an beg him to take me long n help
him camp n cook. I'D "a done most
anything fer Old Tomah. didn't
mind wearin' clothes made out o ole
duds n bein' cussed fer not workin
hard nun. What did mind was not
havin' nobody who cared whether
lived or died. or said a good word TO
me. Sometimes | got so lonesome.
used to go out in the woods nights
when twas moonlight n beg the
spites to help me. used to think
mother might be one on 'em n she'd
keer fer me. ! think she was. an
twas her as kept me goin' till | found
you folks camp. | got awful skeered
them nights was runnin' away. an
when twas so dark ! couldn't see no
more. an heerd wildcats yowlin. I'D
git on my knees m beg mother to keep
'em away. | think she did. an allus
shall"
CTO BE CONTINUED)