The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-07-24

W. VIVIAN SSaA CIV ~
"Why amt he dead?"
changed. and presently he went on
slowly upon his way again.
All that afternoon Judith Cree had
sat upon the low step of the Crees'
porch and looked across the valley and
up the road with searching eyes await
ing David's return.
She sat frozen to perfect stiffness,
except that every now and again her
thin hands lying in her lap clinched
upon each other with a hard tremor.
Her face had lost its expression OF
dead %horrOr-the expression that SEEM
ed as though with her mental vision
h beheld always the calamity of ten
years ago-and now was stamped with
a burning look Of live hate.
Every now and then Susan Cree. her
daughter-a pretty, delicate girl, a few
years older than Mary Reddin, with
wide blue eyes and rather colorless
brown hair-came nervously out on to
the porch and looked at her mother in
a frightened, irresolute way. Occa-
sionally she asked her some trivial
question, timorously anxious to break
the spell OF her strained, unnatural at
tltude. Judith answered her in mono
syllables which did not lessen one whit
the intensity of her expression. or else
was silent altogether: and after look
ing at her for Il little while with a
scared. wistful face. the girl would go
back into the house again, attending
restlessly to the household tasks, only
to come drifting back presently to the
doorway to cast more anxious glances
at her mothers stern figure.
Judith Cree, unlike most Of the Draft
| people, had not been ut preaching that
morning, but Susan, coming home with
the two younger Cree boys, Ed and
Bud, had told her of the temperance
of Kip and of David's having to be
dragged off Of him.
At Susan's words that Ryerson was
still alive Il frightful look flashed over
all her mothers face, distorting it
sharply, and, rising hastily from the
dinner table at which she had been
. ~ SdC luL ACI ilIu " utE llIOuI
as though she could not catch her
breath and stood a moment staring
into the girls gentle, startled face.
Then she took her hands down and
dropped them to Susan's shoulders.
Go on, go on. she cried tiercely,
glaring at her and shaking her slightly
to and fro. $50 on, yer little fool.
When they got Dave offer him what
happened:'
why, them Susan faltcrel, kip,
he lit out up Their road, an Mary got
Dave sorter quieted down an made
him come ON home with her"
Kip Ryerson went up the road an
Da<e come down hit with Nary" Jul
dith cried, with savage establishment.
The girl nodded in frightened silence.
An whatd you all do:' Judith de-
manded, whirling upon Bud and Ed
C~ree-boys Of sixteen and eighteen.
I'VE didn't know who he was first
off, an nfterward Mr.. Reudin an Jack
an Il or two other fellers got be-
twiXt lis an him an KEEP Us outer
hit" the oldest boy answered sullenly
for both.
AN then | suppose YOU all come
home with Sue" Judith cried with bit
ing scorn.
The boys looked at each other, but
said nothing. They had never seen
their mother, always SO quiet and so
cold. in such Il white fury of passion,
and it surprised them into silence.
Judith turned from them contempt-
uously and, striding to the door, looked
eagerly up the road. Seeing nothing
she came back to the table, but in n
moment she sprang up restlessly and,
going out on to the porch, flung her
self down upon the top step and began
her long vigil for David.
Again and again throughout the aft
ernoon Susan came out to her. irving
to induce her to eat something or to
come into the house out of the full
} glare of the heat, But her cntreaties
had absolutely no weight with hor
mother. and the girls face grew moro
and more anxious. Hers was :, sweet
but not a very strong nature, and her
mothers behavior alarmed her cxces.
sively. and each time she went TO the
door to look at her she came back with
a tightening of her throot.
Through the long hot afternoon judith
Cree held the same rigid position. The
whole valley In, in the clutch of the
melting afternoon light, touched to I'm.
familiarity by the storm. and at length