The Holly chieftain., 1909-04-30
,N's The Barrier

nved with him He tried to go into
oo0e kind of business after he quit the
army. but he wasn't cut out for 1t and
never made good rs long as knew Of
him. The last time 1 seen him was
down on the border, and he had sure
grown cultus. He had quit the squaw.
Who was livin' with greaser in Tue
seus-
And do you think I'm like that wo-
uaAr said Necia in . queer. strained
v61ce. She had listened intently to the
cospoeal's story, but he had purposely
avoided her eyes and could not tell
how che was taking 1t.
mol You're different, but the army
= just the same. l told you this to
show you how 1t Is out in the States.
Il don't apply to you. Of course
-Of course!' agreed Necia again.
sBut what would happen to I.ieuten-
mt Burrell if-if-well. IL he should do
something like that? There are many
half breed girls, dare say. like this
othsr girl, or-like me-
0he did not hush now as before. In
stsad her cheeks were pale.
1T would go heap worse with him
than Il did with Captain Jefferson"
oah the corporal, '.for he's got more
ahead Of him. and he comes from bet
~ stock. Why. his family is way up"
Il never thought OF myself as an IN
dian, " said Necia duly. 4In this coun-
~ it, persons heart that counts
That's how 1t ought to be" said the
eosporal heartily, "and I'm mighty sor.
y R I'VE hurt you, little girl I'm
rough old rooster. and never thought
bat what you understood all this. Up
! here folks look at it right. but outside
~ mighty different. Even yet you
l0a't half understand
-rm glad I'm what am" cried the
giki. There's nothing in my blood to
- ashamed Of. and I'm white in here"
~ struck her bosom fiereely III
uDan loves me he'll take me, no matter
what 4 means to him"
Ths corporal slid down from the
eoaater where he had been sitting.
srm goln' to hunt up the lieutenant
md get him to let me of. Mebbe ]
can stake claim and sell it,
The moment he was gone the girls
composure vanished, and she gave vent
70 her feelings
Its lie! It's lier she cried
aloud, and with her fists she beat the
boards In front Of her. "He loves me!
I know he doesv' Then she began to
t1emble and sobbed. '.I'm just like
other girls"
0he was still wrestling with herself
when Gale returned, and he started at
the look in her face as she approached
him.
~Why did you marry my mother?"
alhs asked. why? Why did you do
mr.
He saw that she was IN rage and
answered bluntiy, II didn't"
She shrank at this. .'rhen why
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 a breed?'
.Look herel What ails your said
the trader.
tive Just begun to realize what
am. I'm not respectable. I'm not like
other women and never can De. I'm q
sQuAw-a sQuawT
YOU'RE notg' he cried.
mo honest man can marry ME. I'm
. vagabond! The best can get is my
bed and board, Ike my mother
''By heaven! Who offered you that?''
Gales face was whittier than hers now.
but she disregarded him.
HE 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.
there's ffty good men in this camp
would marry you tomorrow"
"Bah! mean real men, not miners.
! want to be lady. don't want to
pull . hand sled and wear moccasins
III my life and raise children for men
with whiskers. I want to be loved--I
want to be loved! want to marry a
gentleman"
'sBurrellr' said Gale.
NO" she nared up-''not him nor
anybody in particular, but somebody
like him, some man with clean finger
nails.'
He found nothing humorous or gro
tesque In her measure of gentleman.
for he realized that she was stung to
Q pitch Of unreason and unnatural ex-
citement and that she was in terrible
earnest
The old man hesitated. "Tll own
was wrong" he said finally. staring