The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-03-11

let you go so Idr away. l iOScu you
too much for that! / couldn't do
it, girl. I've tried, but you're all I've
got, and I'm a selfish man, / reckon"
mo. no! You're not" his daughter
cried impulsively. You're everything
that's good and dear, but you've lived
a different life from other men. and
you see things differently. 1t was
mean Of me to talk as did" She put
her arms around his neck and Rugged
him. But I'm very unhappy. dad"
Don't you aim to tell what started
thisT' he said gently, caressing her
with his great. hard hand as softly as
| a mother. But she shook her head.
and he continued, "I'll take the first
boat down to the mission and marry
your ma if you want me to-
THAT wouldn't do any good" said
she. WED better leave things as
they are" Then she drew away and
smiled at him bravely from the door.
I'm very bad to act this wsy.
Scuses."
He nodded, and she went out.
4NCStd was Ia a AGoliCSc LIOO0J dhA,
remembering that Alluna and the chill
dren had gone berrying on the slopes
behind the Indian village. she turned
! her way thither. ALI at once fear of
| seeing Meade Burrell came upon her.
| She wanted to think this out, to find
where she stood. before he had word
with her. She had been led to observe
herself from strange angle and must
verify her vision. as it were. What if
he had changed now that he was
alone and hab had time to think? 1t
would kill her if she saw any differ
ence in him, and she knew she would
be able to read it in his eyes.
AS she went through the main street
of the camp she saw Stark occupied
near the water front, where be had
bought a building lot He spoke to her
| as she was about to pass.
Good morning, miss. Are you rest.
ed from your trip?"
She answered that she was and
would have continued on her way. but
he stopped her.
II don't want you to think that min
ing matter was my doing" he said
"I've got nothing against you. Your
old man hasn't wasted any affection
on me. and l can get along without
him, all right, but don't make trou-
BILE for girls if 1 can help it."
The girl believed that he meant what
he said. His words rang true, and he
spoke seriously. Moreover, Stark was
known already in the camp as man
who did not go out of his way to make
friends or to render an accounting Of
his deeds, so it was natural that when
he made her a show of kindness Necia
should treat him with less GOODNESS
than might have been expected. The
man had exercised an occult influence
upon her from the time she first saw
him at Lees cabin. but 1t was too
vague for definite feeling, and she had
been too strongly swayed by Poleon
and her father in their attitude toward
him to be conscious Of It,
"I'm going to build a big dance hall
and saloon here" said Stark, showing
| her the stakes that he had driven.
~"As soon as the rush to the creek IL
over I'll hire gang Of men to get out
a lot Of house logs. I'll finish 1t in a
week and be open for the stampede"
do you think this will be a big
town. she asked.
Nobody can tell, but I'll take
chance. If it proves to be a false
alarm I'll move on"
you've been in a great many camps,
I suppose"
He said that he had; that for twenty
years he had been on the frontier and
knew it from west Texas to the circle.
1--WE never known anything except
this" She swept the points Of the
compass with her arm. "And there is
SO much beyond that / want to know
about. Oh, l feel so ignorant! There is
something now that perhaps you could
tell me, you have travelled so much"
Lets have it," said he smiling at
her seriousness.
She hesitated, at loss for words,
finally hurting out what was in her
mind:
MY father is squaw man, Mr..
Stark, and I've been raised to think
that such things are customary"
'"They are in all new countries" he
assured her.
But how are they regarded when
civilization comes alOngT
well, they aren't regarded, as
rule. Squaw men are pretty shiftless,
and people don't pay much attention
to them. guess if they weren't they
wouldn't be squaw men,"
my father isn't shiftless," she chal-
lenged, at which he remained silent,
refusing to go on record. Isn't q
half breed just as good as a white?
Look here" said he. what are
you driving at?'
"Pm blood" she declared reck-
lessly. "and l want to know what peo-
pie think of me- The men around here
have never made me feel conscious Of
1t, but
You're afraid of these new people
l. III \