Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-11-18

"cuL Oh bflck. Iney no
breaking up and enriching land
that amt never bore nothing
but buffalo grass without I have picks
and spades and plows and harrers. l
got to get my tools to begin"
She stiffened herself. "You needn't
be afraid III cry. l want you to hurt
me, if that the way"
1T amt like a pain in the stomach,
Lahoma. All I gets for you will be
some books"
Books? What are books?"
"Books:" Wilcox rubbed his bushy
head in desperation. Books? Why.
they is just thoughts that somebody
mas ketched and put in a cage where
they can't get away. If you want to
be civilized you got to lasso other peo-
pies thoughts-people as has went to
and fro and has learned life-and O
got to dehorn them ideas and tame
'em."
Lahoma examined him with new in
terest. Are you civilized?" Her coun-
%tenance fell.
mot to no wide extent, but l can
ford toler'ble deep stream that would
drown you, honey. 1 can write nv
own name and yours too, l reckon.
Lahoma Gledware-yes, I'm toler'ble
vel yersed on a capital G.; you just
make a gap with a flying tail to it."
my name not Lahoma Gledware."
she i%nterposed in some severity. MY
name ahoma Wilcox. Beautiful name
lovely, like foWer-Willock. Call me
Lahoma Willock-like song of little
stream; Gledware-hard, rough"
Brick Wilcox stared at her in amaze
ment. 'Where'd you get that from?"
"My name Lahoma Willoch-Red
Feather tell me-"
He smoked in silence, putting rapid
ly. "How came you to be named La
homa Willock?"
Lahoma suggested thoughtfully. "All
white people named Willock?"
"There's a few"-Willock shook his
head-"with less agreeable names. But,
after all, I'm glad you have my name.
Well, honey, this is enough talk about
being civilized. Now let's make the
first move on the way. You want to
see your mothers grave and lay some
of these wild flowers on it. That's a
part of being civilized, caring for
graves IS. It's just savages as forgets
the past and consequently never learns
nothing. Come along. Them mecca
sins will do famous until l can get you
shoes from the settlements. But l got
n po-,, 4Lo Eu,% +sr,> 7 -
Doan's store, and it'll carry you if 1
have to walk at your side. Well make
q festibul march Of that journey and
lay in clothes as a girl should wear
and books to last through the winter"
Wilcox rose and explained that they
must cross the mountain. AS they
traversed it he reminded her that she
dad not gathered any Of the flowers
that were scattered under shelterinS
powders.
"Why?' asked Lahoma, showing that
her neglect to do so was Intentional.
well, honey, don't you love and
honor that mother that bore SO much
pain and trouble for you, travelling
with you in her arms to the Oklahoma
country, trying to make Il home for
you up there in the wilderness and at
last dying from The harlships of the
plains? Amt she worth Il few flow
ers?"
She dead. She not see flowers. not
smell flowers, not know"
Wilcox said nothing, but the next
time they came to a clump of bios
SONS he made a nosegay. Lahoma
watched him with Il face as calm and
Unconditional as hat of Red Feather
himself.
"What you do With that?" She point
ed at the flowers in his rough hand.
I'm going to put EN- on your moth
er's grave"
"She not know, not see. not smell.
She dead; mother dead"
"Lahoma, do you know anything
about God?"
"Yes-Great Spirit, God make my
path white"
well, l want God to know that
somebody remembers your mother. It's
God that smells the flowers OF the
graves of the dead"
They walked on. Pretty soon Laho-
ma began looking about for flowers,
but they had reached the last barren
ledge, and no more came in sight.
Take these, Lahoma."
mo. Couldn't fool God" They be-
gan the last descent. Wilcox sudden
ly discovered that tears were slipping
down the girls face. Suddenly she
cried joyfully, ooh, look, look!' She
larted toward the spot at the foot Of
Il tall cedar where purple and white
blossoms showed in %profusion. She
gathered an armful, and they went
down to the plain.
"Her heads toward the west" he
said rs they stood beside the pile Of
stones. Lahoma placed the flowers at
the western margin Of the pyramid.
Wilcox laid his at the foot of the
grave.