Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-01

didn't you? Shame! Shame! That
makes me worse than thought was
Oh, why did YOU ever turn squaw man!
Why DID you make me brcedT'
Look here! What ails you" said
the trader.
"I'vc Just begun to realize what l
am. I'm not respectable. I'm not like
other women and never can DC. I'm
squaw-a squnw.'
you're not.' he cried.
"No honest man can marry me. I'm
II vagabond. The best I can get is my
bed and board, like my mother"
by heaven. Who offered you that2'
Gales face was whittier than hers now,
but she disrcgardcd him.
"Ic can play with me, but nothing
more and when he IS gone another
one can have me, and then another and
another and another"
That's all internal rot" he said.
"Thcrcs fifty good men in this camp
would marry ycu tomorrow
"Bnh! / mean real men. not miners.
l want to he lady. | cont want to
pull a hand sled and wear moccasins
all my life and raise children for men
with Whistles. want to be loved-1
want to be loved. | want to marry
gentleman"
"Burrell.' said Gale
NO" she Jared up--"not him nor
anybody in particular. but somebody
like him, some man with clean finger
nails"
lie found nothing humorous or gro
tesquc IN her measure OF n gentleman,
for he realized that she was stung to
n pitch of unreason and unnatural ex-
element and that she was In terrible
earnest
The old man hcsi,ated. "I'li own
was wrong" he said dnally, staring
out into The sunshine with nm odd ex-
preston. 1T was tAoughtless and
wrong. dead wrong. but I've loved you
better than any daughter was ever
loved in this wide world. and I've
worked and starved and fro2e and
saved. and SO has Aluna, so that you
might have something 10 live on when
I'm gone and be different from us. 1t
won't be long now, ! guess. I've given
you the best schooling Of any girl on
the river, ana I'd have sent you out to
4 convent In The States, but | couldn't
let you go so far away. l loved you
/ too much for that. l couldn't do
It, girl. I've tried. but you're all I've
got. and I'm n selfish man, reckon"
no. 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 l 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
tllis:' he said gently. caressing her
with his great. hard hand rs softly as
mother. But she shook her head,
and he continued, "I'll take the first
| boat down to the mission and marry
-FOUR ma If you want me to-
That wouldn't do any good said
she. Wed better leave thugs as
they are" Then she drew away and
smiled at him brayely from the door.
I'm very bad to act this way.
Scuses."
He nodded, and she went out.
Necia was in q restless mood, and.
remembering that Alluna and the chill
dren had gone berryns on the slopes
behind the Indian village. she turned
her way thither All at once n 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 1t were. What II
he had CHI nCed now that he was
alone and had had time to think? l,
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 he had
bought building lot lie spoke to hel
as She was about to pass.
Good morning, miss. Are you rest
ed from your trip"
She answered that she was ant
would have continued on her way. bu
ne stopped Ncr.
Il don't want you to think that min
ing matter was my doing" he said
) "I've got nothing against you. YOU
Old man hasn't wasted any affection
on mo, and l can get along withou
him, all right, but l don't make trou
Bile for girls If | can help It,"
The girl believed that he meant wha
he said, His words rang true. and h,
spoke seriously. Moreover, Stark wa
known already in the ca.lp as n MAJ
who did not so out Of his way to make
friends or to render an accounting o.
his deeds. so it was natural that whei
he made her a show Of kindness Necis
should treat him with less GOODNESS
than might have been expected. TIL,
man had exercised an occult Influence
upon her from the time she first saw
him at Lees cabin, but 1t was to-
vague for definite feeling. and she hat
been too strongly swaycd by Poleol
and her father in their attitude towart
him to be conscious OF it.
I'm going to build Il big dance hal
and saloon here" said Stark. shown;
her the stakes that he had driven
"As soon us the rush to the creek 1
l over III hire gang Of men to get on
t a lot of house logs. III finish 1t in
, week ard be Omen for the stampede"
, "Do you think this will be a BIZ
! town." she asked