Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-04-23
CHAPTER XIV.

Samson stopped at his studio and
Drew open an old closet where, from
. Uttered pile of discarded background
oraperfes, canvases and stretchers, he
0shed out buried and dust.covered
spalr of ~eadGlebags. They had long
lain there forgotten. but they held the
rusty clothes in which he had left
Misery.
Samson had caught the fastest west.
hound express on the schedule. In
thirty-six hours he would be at Hixon.
There were many things which his
Brain must attack and digest in these
hours. He must arrange his plan Of
1effon to its minutest detail, because
10 would have as little time for reflec-
tsOn. once he had reached his own
oeontry. as wildcat flung into pack
~ hounds.
From. the railroad station to his
home he must make his way-most
probably fight his way-through thirty
tales of hostile territory, where all
the trails were watched. And yet, for
the time, all that seemed too remotely
unreal to hold his thoughts.
He took out Sally's letter, and read
q once more. He read it mechanically
and as a piece Of news that had
brought evil tidings. Then, suddenly,
aaother aspect Of 1t struck him-an as.
pect to which the shock of its recep.
ton had until this tardy moment
Minded him. The letter was perfectly
grammatical and penned in a hand of
c1oybook roundness and evenness.
The. address. the body of the missive
aAd the signature were all in one CHI
Biography. She would not have intrust-
e the writing of this letter to anyone
sase.
Sally had learned to write.
Moreover. at the end were the
words. with love-" It was all plain
n1w. Sally had never repudiated him.
SAe was declaring herself true to her
nkissitsn and her love
"Geod Cod" groaned the man, in alb.
1tstly bitter self-contempt. His hand
~snt involuntarily to his cropped: head,
std dropped with 4 gesture of self.
Houbtfng. He looked down at his tan
10oea and silk socks. He rolled back
Bic shirtsleeve and contemplated the
ferearm that had once been as brown
aad tough as leather. 1t was now the
am Of a city man, except for the burn.
h8 OF one outdoor week. He was
ssturning at the eleventh hour
stripped of the faith of his kinsmen,
1aHstripped of his faith in himself.
Il he were to realize the constructive
dreams of which he had last night 10
confidently prattled to Adrienne. he
must lead his people from under the
baighting shadow of the feud.
He must reappear before his kins.
men as much as possible the boy who
had left them-not the fop with new.
tangled Alterations. His eyes fell
SSon the saddlebags upon the floor of
tie Pullman and he smiled satirically.
He would like to step from the train
q Hixon and walk brazenly through
IL town in those old clothes. chal.
Dsogtng every hostile glance. If they
not him down on the streets. as they
oestainly would do. Il would end his
questioning and his anguish of dilem-
~ He would welcome that, but 1t |
wsuld. after all, be Sinking the issue.
He must get out Of Hixon and into
bde own country unrecognized. The
saS boy Of four years ago was the
u10ewhat filled-out man now. The one
sQncession that he had made to Paris |
~ was the wearing of a closely
Ssopped mustache. That he still wore
--aaA worn it chiefly because he liked
10 hear Adrienne's humorous denunciR-
ftea Of It. He knew that, in his pref
Apt guise and dreaa. he had an excel |
1snt chance o. walking through the