The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-07-03
The Sowing of Anderson Cree
By MARGARET P. MONTAGUE =
MONTAGUE
The Life of a Willful Boy
Who Set Upon Himself the
Responsibility Of Avenging
His Fathers Murder :: :

schoolhouse door a tremendous blow,
making thereby a considerable dent
in it.
George Hedrick, who had started OIL,
paused Mt this demonstration and turn
ed round.
Now let me tell yer somethin', young
feller,' he said %warningly. You'll
keep On till you'll git yerself inter trou-
bic eff yer don't mind out. An Jest
now yer're Their best imitation of er
fool tibet l most ever seed"
What Adrian might have returned
to this hardly complimentary remark
in his present state Of c~Xhilaration Is
questionable had he not been diverted
just then by the appearance Of Ellen
Daw. She was almost the last to
leave the schoOlhouse. and she slipped
quietly down the steps, hoping now to
make her escape unobserved, but the
drew himself up and took of his hat
with a flourish.
May l have Their pleasure Of yer
company homer" he said, bowling
grandly.
II amt goin' home; I'm goin' down
Their road ter Ant Mary Thompkins',"
she answered %Shrinkingly. her eyes
downcast, and very conscious Of the
ripple of laughter his elaborate bow
and request had Occasioned among the
group of young men, who, failing
themselves to secure girls to walk
home with, still loitered about the
schoolhouse. None of them. Ellen knew
and she was bitterly hurt that Adrian
should thus make her their laughing
stock. Adrian, too, heard the litter
and spun swiftly round upon the
group, his eyes on fire. and, clinching
his fists, danced ~joyously up to them.
Now, them" he cried. ANY Teller
here ready ter take up my offer? Eff
he wants er fight all he has ter do is
jest ter smoker onct more"
He paused in front of them hopeful
ly, but each n of the group turned
away with a suddenly Gained and pre-
occupied air and an expression of be-
ing deeply concerned with thoughts
Ah1IAAANSIS uAStNAS NASAl pANcCAA
surroundings, for, next to David Cree,
Adrian was the strongest man in the
Draft and was by far the readiest
fighter for miles around.
He paused for a short space before
them and then, as no one took up his
challenge, he turned disappointingly
back to Ellen.
81 don't keer which erway yer goin',"
he said politely, placing himself beside
her and taking up easily the somewhat
! broken thread of conversation: "up
Their road or down ther roads all ther
same ter me so long cs I'm in yer
company" And at the words he cock
ed one bright. defiant eye at the spec
tators to catch V a baby chuckle OF
derisiOn. None came, however, and
with an airy tread just touched with
truculency, he swung down the hill
and across the foot log by Ellen's side
and with her turned down the road
toward Mrs. Thompkins'.
Adrian walked with Il buoyant step,
and every nOw and again he broke into
Il gay tune, whistled with his usual
eXuberant ShrillneSS.
Ellen, on the other hand, walked
with dOwncast eyes, in which We're
almost tears, for it stung her shy SEN
sitiveness to the very quick to have
been made so conspicuous. And in her
minds eye as we'll she could see very
plainly the picture of her own shabby
self walking down the road by Adrian,
and she would have given worlds to
have run away to the solitude of her
mountain top. where she told herself
bitterly she belonged, and where she
might hide and try to forget the laugh
ing chances that the other couples Of
young people, dotting the road ut in
~tervalS, bestowed upon them rs they
passed. She did not speak as they
went along, but maintained Il cold ST.
lcnce. and in her shrinking. hurt mood
she almost hated the gay personality
ut her side, with whom she was SO
duly out of tune and who had so care
lessly chosen to bring the eyes of every
one upon her. Moreover. her agitation
and distress for Mary and David serv-
ed to strike her dumb as we'll. She
was appalled, by the disaster opening
so suddenly before them at the very
outset of their splendid happiness.
and for them and for her own wretch
edness she could have wept bitter
tears.
Silence, however, vas never long to
.Adrian's taste, and, breaking off in the
midst of Il most elaborate succession
Of whistled trills, be turned to her
with:
"Well. an what did yer think OF
Their scrap: Did hit skeer yer:'
NO." said Ellen duly; Il want
skeercd."
mo, l bet Yer want Adrian said
suddenly. with admiration. Il don't
b'licve Yer ther kind ter skeer easy.
l mind onct at school when we was
all little, my Old luke an ernother