Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-22
ss.Rs szsuthliratt anslalltuu,t 7mun AYru u 1909
Ike him, some man with clean finger

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
pitch Of unreason and unnatural ex.
element and that she was in terrible
earnest.
The old man hesitated. 'Ill own !
was wrong" he said finally, staring
out into the sunshine with an odd ex.
preston. ut was thoughtless 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 froze and
saved, and so has Alluna, so that you
might have something to 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 and I'd have sent you out to
q convent in the States, but couldn't
let you go 30 far away. loved you
too much for that! I couldn't do
it. girl. I've tried. but you're all I've
got, and Pm selfish man, reckon"
mo, no! You're not!" his daughter
cried impulsively. you're everything
that's good and dear. but you've lived
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
this" he said gently, caressing her
with his great, hard hand as softly as
a mother. But she shook her head,
and he continued, "1'll take the first
boat down to the mission and marry
your ma II 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.
"Im very bad to act this way.
Scuses.'
He nodded, and she went out.
Necia was in restless mood, and,
remembering that Alluna and the chill.
dren had gone berrying on the slopes
behind the Indian village, she turned
her way thither. All 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 had 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 he had
bought 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
1--WE got nothing against you. Your
old man hasn't wasted any affection
on me. and I can get along without
him, all right but 1 don't make trou
BILE for girls if 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 mar
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
ne made her 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 it 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
LAS soon as the rush to the creek is;
over I'll hire gang of men to get out
a lot Of house logs. I'll finish it in a
week and be open for the stampede"
DO you think this will be a big
townW she asked.
Nobody can tell, but I'll take a
chance. If it proves to be false
alarm I'll move on"
you've been in great many camps,
suppose"
He said that he had; that for twenty
years he had been on the frontier and
knew 1t from west Texas to the circle.
GIVE 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"
"Let's have it," said he, smiling at
her seriousness.
She hesitated, :; 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 are customary"
'"They are in all new countries" he
assured her.
"But how are they regarded when
civilization comes along?'
"Well, they aren't regarded. as q