The evening world., 1912-02-27
ME--SMITH"
By Caroline Lockhart

lstfs like that at me again I Atms to
break his head. 'Horrtbisst' u . su-
perlatlve adjective describin' Tubes
TO Smiths chayr,n ana rubSs's de-
light. Dora explained that horrible
conjunction with pretty" snA mat he
superlatlve wss ''horribls0s."
smith buried his heed In his hands
despondently.
III was where I could. r. %,
drunk!'
'Tt's nothing to feel so badly about.
said Dora comfortlngiy. Lets O.
back to propositions. Can you define .
proposition"
Smith screwed up his face n
gropsd for words. but before he founi
them Tubbs broke In:
"A proposition II what a Teller has
to sell that nobody wants." he sx-
planned giibly. "They's copper pre-.
positions. siiver-lead propositions. sni
onct | had "A oil proposition up In the
Swift Current country"
Smith reached inside his coat amt
pulled out the carved. ivory-handiei
six-shooter which he wore In a hoiste,
under his arm. lie laid II on the tablr
beside his grammar. and looked a.
Tubbs.
wv Nv E"t't ~ "
q sun.play before the s~chooimArm. but
II you Jump into this here gams again.
I aims TO try u chunk OF lead on you
III hook learnin' I'D ever make nv
az peevish as II does YOU" declared
Tubbs. rising hastily. Il hopes ! never
knows nothin'."
Tubbs slammed the door behind him
az he went tn seek more amiable COM
pany In the bunk house.
49, AZ -.
and Dora were now practically alone.
for Ling had gone to bed a Susie
was oblivlous to everything except
fractions. smith continued to struggle
with propositions. sdJectives n ad-
verbs. but he found II dif1cult to cor
centrate his thoughts on them with
Dora so close beside i'm. He kae "
that his slightest glance. every sxpres.
sion which crossed his face. was Oh
served by the Indian woman. and al
though he did his utmost not to be-
ray his feelings. he saw the sullen.
Jealous resentment rising within her.
She read arixht the light In his syss;
besides. her intultions were greater
] than his powe RI OF concealment. When
| she could no longer endure the sight
| OF Smith and the Schoolmarm sitttng
side by side she laid down her vsrk
and slipped out into the star-lit night.
closing the door softly behind hsr.
smiths judgment told HIM nat Ae
should end the lesson aad 90 Akter her.
but the spell OF love wss upon MIN.
overwhelming him. holding HIM teri In
delicious thraldom. He AaA net The
strength Of will just then 20 6roo6 II.
Dora had been reading '1usW0thA"
aloud saci sveninG to euAe. Tuoos
and smith. m when Anahy ctossd
the grammar she esksd II he would
Ike 10 rear more ~ che indian story.
IS he called II. to which he aodds'
assent.
Dora had reached this story Of The
Famine" She knew the refrain b.
heart. and the wall OF Gle Nskemis
was In her voice AZ she repeated frsm
memoir
"wahonowtn! wahonowini
Would that I had perishsd Cor yevi
Would that | were dead a. you arsi
w@ahonowin! w~ahonowin!
Then they buried Mtnnshaha:
In the snow n grave they made her.
In the forest deep and dAsksoms.
Underneath the moaning hsmloeks;
Clothed her In her richest garments.
Wrapped her In her robes OF ermins
Covered her with snow. like srmins;
so they buried M~innehaha."
The pathos OF the lines never faiisd
to touch Dora anew. Her voice broke.
md, pausins to recover herself. shc
glanced at smith. There were tears
in his eyes. The brutal chin q Quiv-
erlng like that OF . tender-hsartsd
child.
The man thai wrote that was a
| chief" he said hiskily. 1T hurts ms
| herein my neck He rubbed the
contracted muscles OF his throat. "I,
feel like that. sirl. n you should die"
He repeated softly. n choked;
"All my heart Is buried with you.
All my thoughts 60 onward with you"
The impression which the poem made
upon Smith was deep. IL was = con-
stant surprise TO him also, The Thoughts
Il expressed. the sensations II described.
he had believed were entirely original
with himself. lie had not conceived u
possible that any oae else could feel
toward a woman as he felt toward Dorn.
Therefore. when the poet put many o.
his heart-throos into words they startled
him az though. somehow. his own heart
we're photographed and held up TO view,
Susie had finished her lesson and,
cramped from sittlng. was walking
about the living room to rest herself.
whlle this conversation was taking
place. Her glance fell upon a gaudy
vase on a shelf. and some thought came
TO her which made her laugh misehlsv-
ously. She emptied ule contents OF the
vase into the palm OF hes hand and.
closing the other over II, tiptoed into
the dining room ana stood behind Smith.
Dora and he. engrossed In convsrsa-
! zion. paid no attention to her. She put
her cupped palms close % Smiths -:
and. shaking them vigorously. shouted:
Snakes"
The result val such - Susie Nal
' not anticipated.