The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1908-05-06
By ELEANOR GATES.

Author OF The BIOGRAPHY Of a Prairie Cirl.''


up for hard duty was another. The
troopers cared little for sermonizing,
but they honored service. Then, 1t
was Jameson for whom the evangelist
was caring. And Jameson held the
very heartstrings of the garrison.
AS for Lounsbury. Brannon enter
tanned him no less gladly. His was the
rare good humor that enlvens every
occasion. He practiced at target shoot
Ing with the enlisted men: he played |
billiards with the officers: he dined, |
made up sleigh rides. lent himself to
theatricals. furnished a fourth at cards |
and at the frequent dances led out
homely and pretty alike.
To David Bond it seemed as If the
storekeeper We're Indifferent to his own
dismissal from the shack But one
morning the evangelist accidentally
came upon the younger man. He was
watching the bend through a tele-
scope, and his face was anxious and
troubled.
Lancaster hasn't started for the
land Office again." he said. Then. aft
er a moments silence. I've just about
decided to go Bismarck way myself to-
day. When you can. will you let me
know how they are over thereT'
Charles will keep me posted" an
swered the evangelist. and ! shall
send you any news by the mail sleigh"
thank YOU" said Lounsbury SIM
ply. "Goodby." AnG tit the noon mess
he was missing.
! At the shack the days were number
ed slowly for all their scant hours OF
light. Sleep consumed most of the
time. The rest was taken by the meals,
the chores and the effort of keeping
warm. The line OF calico covered books
helped to vary the monotony. So did
the visits of Squaw Charley. But these
were becoming more brief now. Not
that Lancaster made them unpleasant
Charley was necessary to him-but
that the Indian was always in a fever
to be gone. Since the council his eyes
were less downcast, his face was less
stolid.
One day brought totally unexpect-
ed visitor, whom Lancaster recognized
with some misgivings as the United
States land agent at Bismarck. The
section boss was soon treasured, how
ever. The agent said that. having bust
ness near Brannon and remembering
that Lancaster wished to file an entry
ON the bend when the first claimants
six months were up, he had come by.
In the case of a man who was hurt he
said, the law allowed such course.
The section boss, thus saved the ardu-
Gus trip. signed the necessary papers
with jubilant mark.
Then came old Michael for a time or
two. 1t seemed at first as If he were
to be q favorite. He could adapt him.
self with all the art of his race. And
before Lancaster he was intensely
southern In his views. whipping the
north In many a broguey strife. Until
1T befel through a slip of the tongue
"a slip that sent him packing off, for
he boosted how In 80 his freckled
hands had helped in plotting the Fed
erals to Island No. 10!
1t was an outcome that gave Dallas
little concern. Marylyn was her wor-
ry. The younger girl was listless, pale
and moody. Now and then Dallas be-
lieved she saw a look of actual suffer
ing In her eyes. Once, awakening In
the night, she heard her sob.
Marylyn was unhappy, and the
thought made the elder girl desperate
This led her to plan: Lounsbury must
; be asked to forgive their father and
, come again-must be told Of Marylyn's
confession.
Soon afterward a second worry pre-
scented itself, one fully as serious. Tht
| provisions we're dwindling. the seed
! sacks shrinking fast. and, estrangec
from Lounsbury, they had nowhere tt
. ask credit but at the fort.
When Dallas spoke of 1t to her ia
Their, he chuckled. "Waal. we got 81
mon, amt wei" he said.
That same night Marylyn put dow
8 her fork and stared across the table a
r her sister. "Why, Dallas. you don
eatv' she complained.
I Dallas laughed. 81 don't work, hon
g ey," she answered.
j The question of fuel entered mex
o and became a grave one. So far tn
: weather had been fairly mild for tn
9 place and the season. Now 1t took
o more rigorous turn. The bitter coli
/ was intensified by stiff wind. Snow
n began to fall, and the wind. growing
drove the fakes level, so that they Gu
n the face like filings of steel. Charley
t. trips became uncertain, then imposs
e ble The work of getting out hay 10
o the stock was desperate tax. 1t wa
t SO difficult that Dallas dared not spar
I a straw for the fireplace. and Ben an