The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-11-14


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, | 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 a loss for words,
finally hurting out what was in her
mind:
MY father is a squaw man, Mr..
Stark, and I've been raised to think
that such things IRE customary"
"They are in all new countries" he
assured her.
But how are they regarded when
civilization comes alongY
Well, they aren't regarded, as a
rule. Squaw men are pretty shiftless,
and people don't pay much attention
to them. l 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 a
half breed just as good as a white"
Look here" said he. what are
you driving att"
Pm a blood" she declared reck-
lessly, land l want to know what PEG.
pie think of me. The men around here
have never made me feel conscious Of
it but
who are coming, eh? Well, don't wor-
ry about that, miss. 1t wouldn't make
any difference to me or to any of your
friends whether you were red, white.
black or yellow"
but it would make a difference with
some people," insisted the girl.
"Oh, I reckon 1t would with eastern
people. They look at things kind Of
funny. But we're not in the east"
That's what l wanted to know.
Nice people back there wouldn't toll
crate a girl like me for a moment,
would they"
He shrugged his shoulders. II guess
you'd have a hard time breaking In
among the 'bontonners.' But what's
the use Of thinking about it? This is
your country, and these are your peo-
ple."
A morbid desire was upon her to
track down this intangible racial dis
tinction, but she saw Runnion, whom
she could not bear, coming toward
them, so thanked Stark hurriedly and
went on her way.
"Been making friends with that
squaw, eh?' remarked Runnion cas-
uallz.
YES" replied Stark. "She's a nice
little girl, and l like her. 1 told her I
didn't have any part In that miners
meeting affair"
Huh! What's the matter with you?
1t was all your doing"
81 know 1t was, but l didn't aim it
at her. l wanted that ground next to
Lees, and I wanted to throw a jolt
into Old Man Gale. l couldn't let the
girl stand in my way, but now that
It's yer Pm willing to be friends with
her"
"Me too. BY heaven, she's as grace
fol as a fawn. She's white too. No
body would ever know she was =
breed"
"She's a good girl" said Stark mus
ingly in a gentle tone that Runnion
had never heaM before.
"Getting kind of mushy, amt you
l thought you had passed that stage,
old man."
mo; 1 don't like her in that way"
"I'll lay you a little eight to five that
Burrell has thrown her down." chuc-
killed. Runnion.
II never thought of that. You may
be right"
IF it's true I'll shuttle up a hand for
that soldier"
Meanwhile Necia had passed OF out
Of the town and through the Indian
village at the mouth Of the creek until
high up on the slopes she saw Alluna
and the little ones. She climbed up to
them and seated herself where she
could look far out over the westward
valley, with the great stream flowing
half a mile beneath her. She stayed
lueTc all tut uuOIHluS, anu, dithOu6h
the day was bright and the bushes
bending with their burden of blue, she
picked no berries, but fought resolute-
ly through a dozen varying moods that
mirrored themselves in her delicate
face. 1t was her first soul struggle,
but in time the buoyancy of youth and
the almighty optimism Of early love
prevailed. And SO she was in a hap
pier frame Of mind when the little
company made their descent at mid
day.
As they approached the town they
heard the familiar cry of Steam
bo-o-o-at!" and by the time they had
reached home the little camp was noisy
with the plant of wolf dogs. There
were few men to join in the welcome
today, every ablebodied inhabitant
having disappeared into the hills, but
the animals came trooping lazily to the
oank and sat down on their launches,
watching the approaching steamer, In
their soft eyes the sadness of a canine
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