The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-07-24
The Life of a Willful Boy
Who Set Upon Himself the
Responsibility Of Avenging
His Fathers Murder : i:

house.
At the first sight of him she shot up
to her feet. her hands clinching into
hard fists: then her impulse changing
she sank again to the steps. moistening
her dry lips every now and again, and
holding the sight of him with burning.
unwinking eyes.
David walked with head down. and
he was almost upon the steps before
he caught sight Of his mother.
Judith rose slowly, terribly to her
feet.
rs he dead:' she demanded in a
voice that was hardly more than a
whisper and which held the concen-
trated brooding Of ten silent years.
David's face whitened sharply.
mo. he amt dead,' he said.
Amt dead-ain't dead she cried.
Why amt he dead:"
They tool me offer him at Their
~schoolhouse an he got erway up Their
road, an l amt seen him SINCE" he
answered.
You amt seen him since?' she
cried. and the words leaped at him
s%tingingly like a lash. Where hev yer
been all this time:' she demanded.
Il been owe at ther Reddins' err good
bit err Their time" David answered, a
slow. ominOus color beginning to burn
in his face.
You been over at Their Reddins'?"
she said, Il pause Of scorn between
each deliberate word. You been owe
| ut the Reddins', an Their man what
killed yer pappy is erlive an goin' err
bout Their Draft" she paused. But
you been yer at Their Reddins'," she
repeated. Il hope Yer he'd er real
pleasant time,' she cried in slow, fu-
Iious mOckery.
David's eyes began to light with the
same dangerous fire as her own, yet
he answered low and steady:
Mary Ieddin says eff l so much es
try ter kill Kip l sha'n't ever marry
her." he said.
Mary Reddin. Mary Reddin!" the
woman almost screamed. whats
Mary Reddin:' Suddenly she broke
off and initiated a child's voice with
terrible sarcasm: Il won't fergit,
pappy! won't fergit. I've promised
Yer an l won't fergit.."
Again she paused, looking into his
shaken face; then she stepped closer,
| clasping his arm with intense vibrant
fingers.
whats yer name:' she cried, her
wild face thrown back and looking at
him from under half closed lids.
David Cree he answered in a
strained voice, too overweight and
played upon by her passion to realize
the strangeness Of the question.
David Cree" she screamed, and
sprang back. David Cree. It's er
lie; yer not David Cree. David Cree
made err promise. An he made Their
fellers run Kip Ryerson out er this
Draft. An he tole me Kip Ryerson
shouldn't ever go by this house ergin.
That's what David Cree done. But
you amt him. You amt Alderson's
boy an you ain't mine neither"
With furious eyes blazing ut him
she stood back Il pace or two painting.
Then suddenly she held up her with
cred and twisted hands before him.
look ut them hands, she cried,
and shook them in his face. Look
ut EN-. DO Yer reckon I'd err he'd
hands like that eff Kip Kyerson hedn't
err killed Anderson Cree: Look at me!
Look ut me all over" She s%traighten-
ed up before him, a wasted, drawn
figure, old and work wrung at forty.
do yer reckon Id err looked like this
eff I'd er he'd er man ter work fer me?"
she demanded. AN why amt | got
! cr man: Because Kip Ryerson killed
him-stole up behind him an shot him
in Their back"
She was sobbing nov beside herself
with hate, excitement and the break
ing down of long held self control.
Oh she cried bitterly; "oh, wished
l was or man.
David laid his hand firmly on her
shoulder.
Hush" he said stern!y. And be-
side her shaken. distorted passion he
seemed very strong and very quiet.
"Hush.' he said again; his firm hand
upon her and his touch pressing her
to silence.
He stood over her for n time, until
her wild sobbing spent itself and trail
ed brokenly into silent. heaving breaths.
Then he took his hand from her Shout
der, and, turning. went past Ellie, who
watched with Il small. excited face,
and past Susan, who was irving with
nervous fright. ard disappeared into
the house. and when he came out
again he held his pistol in his hand.
Still in silence he passed them all, and,
stepping off the porch. went AWAY
down the hill, and by and by the
dusk which, backed by the storm, was
almost darkness now, swallowed IN
his powerful figure from sight.
Susan sank down upon the top step