The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-07-17
The Sowing of Anderson Cree
By. MARGARET P. MONTAGUE
The Life of a Willful Boy
Who Set Upon Himself the
Responsibility Of Avenging
His Fathers Murder : !:

shield her from it with the protection
of his strength, seemed monstrous and
uncomfortable. Yet the way between
them was barred by the demon Of his
promise, and. devil ridden by it, lie
turned at length into the road toward
home.
But at the last he went barely a
hundred yards along the road before
he turned abruptly, and, climbing the
fence on the other side, went away
into the low bushes and underground
and the still remoteness of one of the
hollows of Peters ridge.
AS Mary lay and wept-a huddled
heap upon the moss cushioned ground
she became aware of a slight stir in
the bushes at her back and knew that
some one was behind her. Sitting her
sobs and springing quickly to her feet,
she turned and beheld Ellen Daw
standing in the pathway and looking
at her.
Ellen's eyes were misty with tears,
and her strong, dark face was full of
! compassion.
Mary looked at her a moment and
then turned her gaze away. Below in
the valley the curving road lay like a
wriggling white snake, and from end
to end Of it there was no sign Of Da-
vid Cree, and to longing eyes IN empty
road is desolate beyond conception.
Mary turned back to the other girl
with a poignant surprise.
"Oh, Ellen. Ellen!" she cried visit
fully. Dawes gone; he's gone!'
Il know" Ellen answered softly. Il
heered. l was settin' back there In
Their bresh."
Then with a shy, constrained move
ment she opened her arms. "Po' little
thing" she said tenderly.
At the gesture Mary wavered to-
ward her, dropping her head upon her
shoulder, and Ellen's arms closed
strongly about her.
Mary was tall, but Ellen was un-
usually tall, with a frame almost like
a boys, and made strong by her o
slant farm work. In her arms Mary
felt very slender and delicate, and her
grief shook her from head to foot.
liz puI up uCl AuAl IN
her hair awkwardly and pressed her
head against her own neck, murmur-
ing softly, "Po' little honey, po' little
thing"
She pitied her intensely, but it gave
her a feeling Of wondering, exquisite
delight as we'll that this lovely little
creature whom she had so adored in
secret should be clinging to her now
for sympathy and support. For a little
while longer Mary lay still and let
Ellen caress her, but at length she
Strengthened up and drew herself
away, pushing her hair back from her
forehead with a weary, bewildered
touch.
II got ter go home; l got ter go
now" she said in a stunned voice, yet
with a certain quiet strength begin
ming to come to her. She moved a
few PAGES away, and then on the mo-
ment came back to Ellen, finging her
arms about her neck and kissing her.
"Yer been mighty good ter me an
I love YER" she said simply, and. turn
ing again, ven slowly down the path
toward her home, a desolate and pa
thetic little figure.
When David swung himself over the
fence into the woods of Peters ridge
he felt as though a crushing and in
eXOrable fate en~compassed him on ev-
cry side, and the tug of his different
emotions, which dragged him now in
this direction and now in that, drove
him almost frantic.
He vent a little distance up the gen.
tie slope of the hollow with stumbling
steps, and at a secluded spot flung
himself full length upon the ground,
burying his Lead upon his arms; and
the still woods, all suffused with the
green, mysterious light Of afternoon,
heard him groan from his heart, as a
man only groans when there are no
other human beings by to offer the
pity or contempt of their eyes
For Il long time he lay thus; then he
gradually stretched out his benumbed
arms and dug his fingers into the
messy depths Of the ground, his face
pressed against its whispering cool
ness. And again for a long time lie
lay still, his love keeping watch over
him on II side, while hate sat upon
the other. The one came to him in
the remembrance of Mary Reddin's
tender, appealing face, and the other
looked ut HIM with Kip Ryerson's
hateful eyes. Love cried to him in
Mary's voice, "Oh, amt hit right that
love should come first" and ooh. Dave,
put yer love before yer hate And
with the cry it seemed to him he
could feel once more the culver of her
clinging arms about his neck and her
breath upon his cheek, and hate taunt-
ed him in his own passionate words
of ten years ago: 1--WE promised yer,
pappy. I've promised, an l won't fer
git".' And as the old promise leaped
through Lis brain he matched it with
the keenly remembered feeling of Kip