The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-09-04
Anderson
Cree
By
M%ARGARETP.M MONTAGUE

away into silence. and. save for these
sounds. the room was very quiet until.
with Il sudden blue sheet of flame and
crack of thunder on top of it. Ii storm
broke heavily over the hollow. At the
crash Mary jumped in her chair and
Mrs. Cooper dropped her knife clatter-
ingly down upon the emptied tin plate.
"Thunder alters did make me jest es
nervous es Il cat" she said. rising has
tily and going over to shut the door.
Old Martha had started broad awake
and was staring about her with wild
eyes. She drew herself feebly toward
the edge of the bed and made an effort
to set her feet upon the floor.
Hits rainin'.' she muttered. Hits
rainin'. an .Ammy'l git wet. l gotter
go fetch her in. Yes. honey. yes h
cried, .mammy's COMM and again
she attempted to get out of bed. But
Mary pressed her gently back.
Lay still. lay still. Ant Marthy." h
| said soothingly. ".Ammy's all right.
You Jest lay still"
For a moment the old woman looked
at the girl in mysterious question. then
she took up her words and turned them
over and over slowly-'Ammy's all
right. Ammy's all right-she's all
| right and in spite of the monotOny Of
| delirium her voice held in it a wistful
Interrogation. Afterward she fell into
a long. wandering babble Of broken
phrases and idle. foolish words, all
| strung together and interviewer with
the repetition of the dead girls name.
Outside the roar of the wind and rain
| and crash of thunder made wild pande-
monium in the narrow hollow. At
every fresh clap Mary's heart leaped
within her in frightened bounds.
though usually she was healthily I'M
afraid of thunderStOrms. while Mrs.
Cooper covered frankly in her chair.
burying her head in her arms at each
streak of lightning.
II alters did hate err lightnin' storm"
she quavered. AN shet erway up here
in this terrible lonesome roller with
that old crazy woman is ernough ter
drive er person jest plum distracted"
In truth. Gagged by the steep sides of
the hollow the force of the wind and
crash of thunder We're doubled and
seemed bounding back and forth in a
wild endeavOr to escape. and in their
tumultuous fury the tlimSy cabin rock.
ed again.
Distracted with terror. Mrs. Cooper
began to pray out loud, in long, whin
ing calculations of complaint and ter
ror: Mary also had to take fierce hold
upon herself to keep from screaming
And through it all old Martha went OF
with broken phrases and babbled re
membranes of .Amabel.
Gradually. however. the fury of the
storm swept on to further ravages be
yond. leaving behind only Il gentle
steady summer rain.
Mrs. Cooper stretched herself in wea
ry relief. Il declare I'm jest clear
An l b'lieve I'll jest take er littl'
I. rest ther first part err ther night. an
t then III take Their watchin' an you xii
r git err good sleep. l wisht ter the
goodness Their was any chanel of IN.
7 snatchin' or forty winks. but I'm tina
wrought up hit don't seem like l coul'
sleep ergin fer err week-but I'll jes
, try ter rest err little spell anyhow
g She stretched her large frame eN
ransively and thoroughly, and ther
l not waiting for any reply from Mar!
n she put her head down upon her arm
on the hard table and fell asleep almOs
Il instantly-a great lump of inanimat
:; blue gingham.
Mary shifted her position stitt1y i
h her chair and settled to her long watcl
The clock licked with monotonou
. heavy beats. the fat woman's brcat
came in long, deep snOreS, and Marth
g babbled on.
At first Mary was pulsingly awake
and she felt as though at each breat
of the sleeper her racked nerves WOul
give away and she would scream o,
Il that David Cree was killing Kip Rye
son. in hysterical protest TO the indi
h ference of the world.
: But after a time as the night drai
Ii gcd YEARLY on and Martha's wande
a ings died again into a Stupor Mai
J. uuieteh by the tranquil freshness
J. the atmosphere after the storm and
@ the delicious sharp smell of the thirst
earth, began to feel Il certain lethare
l. and Indifference creeping upon he
which was not sleep. Sitting thus
Y the little deSolate room. her though
( began to turn away from David and
J. dwell upon AmaDel I.amfirc-the r
mort of whose extreme beauty had 4
ways had Il fascination for her.
Mary sighed as she thought abo
II her. .Awahel Lamtirc had loved Aide
son Cree. and it had broken her. heal
Mary Reddin loved David Cree-al
was her heart to be broken also: Al
n with the thought Mary half echoed o
h Martha's bitter cry. 'Oh, them Crecs
and looked down ut the old woman