Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-04-12

6hce, WHO rtOou a. tHc siHki washing
the brea kfast dishes. "If your mothers
headache should grow worse, or you
should need me for anything, all you
have TO do is to 90 10 the bach door
and blow this. You're not afraid, are
you, little daughter?p
"No indeedp Florence declared stur-
Oily. ~ only the Indians don't
comep'
"IndiansW laughed her father.
"You funsy little girl! The Indians
hardly ever come over here. They
take their baskets over to Port Town.
send to sell. And, even II they should
come, be went on, "why, daughter,
they are nothing to be afraid of. They
are just grown up children. Goodbye
I'll be back at noon,' and away he
went.
When Florence had finished the
dishes, she tip-toed into the bedroom
and found her mother fast asleep. She
closed the door softly, and ran outside.
She paused on the doorstep and drew
a long breath. The front of the house
Discovery Bay; on the other three
sides were great fir-trees.
"It's like living in park" Flor
ence often said, as size made play
houses on the rocks, carpeted with
thick green moss
This morning she went to the edge
of the cliff and looked out over the
water. When her mother told her
that they were going to leave New
York aud cross the country to live in a
lumber camp away up in Washington,
Florence was afraid she would be
| lonely; but here she could stand IN the
front yard, and look off toward the
Straits of Juan de Fuca, and watch the
big steamers that looked like wee toy
boats out on the horizon line.
This morning she was so busy
wstchlDg the steamers that for some
time she did not see small boat that
was inside Discovery Bay near the
shore. Suddenly she saw it, Looks
as If it were coming this way" she
said to herself. ooh, hope it's not
full of Indians!'
She could see, az it drew nearer, that
the boat had two occupants. A few
moments more, and she could tell it
was canoe, and the people; in it
were Indians.
kpr mr. a,f che t,Nr1 vi
ed to move. "Father said they would
not hurt me, and L mustn't wake
mother" she kept saying to herself.
"But, oh, how l hope they will not
stop heren'
Fer little while it looked as if they
were going past the landing, and Flor
ence breathed more easily; but with a
sudden turn they headed for the land,
and, pushing the slight canoe fal up
on the beach, they jumped out. Flor
enee could see that one Of them was
squaw, with shawl tied over her
head. She did not look so very fierce,
Florence thought; but the man strid-
ing ahead of her up the path was very
terrible to look at.
Florence swallowed hard and sat
down on the step. Her knees trembled
SO that she could not have stood any
longer. Whatever happened, she said
to herself, she must not wake her
mother
The big Indian, as soon as he came
near enough, said, "How," and Flor,
ence answered, "Good morning. in
very shaky voice.
"Want to see quality lady, /" he
announced. "Squaw make basket
SELL"
"My mother is sicK," Florence
answered.
TO her surprise, they both sat down
on the ground.
"Tos-bad," the man said, and he
smiled ia such friendly way that
Florence smiled back.
/ The Indians began to display the
baskets they had to sell, and + lorenzo
was much astonished at the beautiful
designs.
Finally, the squaw took from under
her shawl little birch bark canoe,
about twelve inches long. In it were
tiny dolls made of rope,
ooh, how cunning Florence cried,
and the two Indians laughed aeartily
over her pleasure in the dainty craft.
Just then, Mr.. Black came around a
corner OF the house. He had seen the
Indians land, and was afraid Florence
would be frightened. He was quite
surprised to find them talking together
like old friends.
n He bought all of the baskets, and
wanted to buy the canoe, but the,
Indian shook his head