The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-06-26
The Lone
Watcher
I Story Of a Brave Girls
Struggle
By CLARISSA MACKIE


The plain was a level Wilderness Of
snow. broken here and there by wan.
dering trails that crossed each other at
various angles. At the foot Of the
mountains the dark blur Of pine trees
showed against the pale cloak Of win
ter, growing fainter until at the sum-
mits the gray clouds came down and
all outlines were lost.
At the base of the mountains were
scattered cabins of hOmesteaders. They
were many miles apart, and each
roughly built house was half hidden
under the heavy snowfall.
On a certain March morning Anne
Bellew opened the door Of her fathers
house and drew in deep breaths of the
clear. cold air. Her cheeks were tin.
Cling with the icy contact when she
reluctantly closed the door and threw
several chunks of wood into the stove
She moved about the kitchen. a slen.
der. graceful girl of twenty-five with
golden brown hair and eyes and a sweet
face that now dropped a little sadly
in response to her thoughts.
Her father am in to breakfast
fresh from his morning additions. q
big, strong. rudy looking man with
crisp gray hair.
"Some colder, Anne, my dear" he
cnil uhnnv.slu NC he cot 1OVun RI thu nr.
petizing meal Of corn bread and fried
bacon with fragrant coffee.
Yes. dad. suppose you will go
into the forest today"
mo: I shall try to get to Moonton
for more supplies. l shall walk, and l
can pack the things back by sled. l
rather wanted to 60 over and e what
has become OF young Wallace. Haven't
seen him for a fortnight l hope the
lad isn't Ill. He might be, and no one
would know it. That's the worst Of
the Wallace claim; it's the last one of
the bunch and on the edge of all crea-
ton"
Anne's face lost its lovely color. and
her hand trembled as she poured her
father a second cup Of coffee.
III Jim Wallace is all alone and sick.
why, there is no one to wait upon him.
and perhaps he hasn't anything in the
house to eat" she said practically.
That's the worst of it, Anne. Well.
I'll make an early start. Where are
my snowshoes? Yes, as l was saying.
I'll make an early start and try to get
home by shutdown. If don't, Anne.
you needn't worry. I shall stop at
Gillman's for the night"
When the dusk fell Anne placed a
lamp in the window. although she did
not expect her father to return that
night. The storm was increasing in
fury, and now the wind was screaming
around the house. seeking entrance
through some unprotected Granny.
Il wonder-l WONDER" was the re.
frain of Anne's thoughts all through
that lonely day-"I wonder II he is all
right"
Anne Bellew was not thinking of her
father. She knew that he was safely
housed at Gillman's, but there was an.
other. Jim Wallace, who had only a
year before taken up a claim on the
edge of the government tract. Wallace
had worked hard clearing his place and
had developed from a pale city bred
into u great III Drowned pioneer
She had seen Jim Wallace many
times before they met. and after that
Jim's wOoing had been very short and
sweet as we'll. for Anne loved him
There wouldn't have been any story
to write If Anne and Jim had not quar-.
relied one autumn day. and since then
three months had passed by without a
word spoken between them.
II wonder-I wonder If Jim is all
right" Anne went on thinking, and at
last her thoughts found relief In &C.
ton. 1t was I O'clock when she set
forth clad in u suit Of her fathers
clothing. much too large for her. but
comfortably warm nevertheless.
Leaving the lamp in the window. she
went out into the storm. bending her
head to the piercing blast
Turning northward. she faced the
bitter blast. and more than once she
was tempted to 60 back to the warn
comfort of the house. but q Fremont.
ton Of danger to Jim Wallace possess
ed her. and she fought sturdily ahead.
1t was five miles to the Wallace
claim. facing the wind every inch Of
the way A man would have suffered
keenly. but some inward exaltatiOD
kept the blood singing through Anne's
veins. and her feet stepped out brave
~. and her fur gloved hands were as
warm as her tender heart.
She was going to Jim Wallace's place
to see II be were alive and well. and
the last time they had me she had
told him she hated him. and he-well.
Jim had quoted something about "a
woman with a serpent's tongue"
which had been the final straw on the
camel's. back of her patience.
All at once there came an ominous
long drawn cry.
"Wolves!" she shuddered and half
hesitated in her tracks.
HE might be sick and helpless" she
thought, but, though her courage was