Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1915-02-06
HER FAMILY RELIC
Story of Coonskin Cap With
Three Striped Tails Behind.
BY MARTHA M'CULLocH-WlL.
LlAMS.
Copyright, 1914, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)

Copyright, 1914, by the Mcclure Newspa.
per Syndicatel
81 am not your Baby Bunting, but
do wish, dad, you'd catch me a lii.
tie rabbit skin" Prue coaxed. "Sev.
eral rabbit skins, indeed. Mrs. Jessy
tans them beautiful-and says she'll
show me how"
What are they good for?" dad
questioned, wonderingly. Nobody
wears skin caps any more. l doubt
If you could even give away your
grandpap's coonskin, though it's per.
fectly good. I've kept it packed in
tobacco because he wore it through
the log cabin campaign back in 1910. .
oh! Please give it to me! Then
| won't bother you about the rabbit
skins" Prue cried, excitedly.
Her father looked at her over the
tops of his glasses, smiling shrewdly
i hardly think you'll try to wear it
when you see it," he said. Even
though it has three mighty fine tails
at the back and is lined with cop
peras homespun."
Get it! I'm wild for it," Prue all
but commanded.
Squire Hazen got up sighing-he
had settled himself for a half hours
ease with the weekly paper, while
the men and teams rested. Nov,
where did | put it? In the cowhide
trunk? Or the big chest? Or some
of them plunder-barrels out in the
lumber house? Blamed if | recollect.
But it certainly is somewhere. |
don't believe, though, you'll find it
worth the trouble of hunting up"
Il know l shan't-not for me my
SELF Prue admitted. "But say,
daddy-do you know about antiques
And heirlooms? Some folks are wild
for them. Oh, do make hasty haste!
can hardly stand it-waiting to
see."
"Oh, l remember now-its in the
new hatbox-the last one I got-with
the bell-crowned hat, you know-the
year your mother died." the squire
said briskly
He mounted the stairs alertly, and
after a bit of rummaging came down
with shapeless clump of something
in loaf-sugar purple paper that gave
out scent of tobacco, red pepper
and camphor SO pungent it made him
sneeze violently.
Indeed | won't sun it," she pro-
tested; won't even air it, after one
good look. The smell is certificate
of haracter-proving we've had the
cap since the year one"
mo. Only 1840 l thought l told
you" the squire explained carefully.
Prue did not answer-she was too
busy mining for the cap, as she mined
noting each fold of the enveloping
papers, SO she could put them back
just as she found them. Presently
she drew out something splendidly
clumsy, a home-sewn fur cap, with,
sure enough, three ringed tails pen
dant behind. The lining was as bril-
liant as ever, marked family in the
center with the bear-grease which
had subdued the too abundant locks
of the original wearer. There was no
visor-only a roll of rich fur for brow
shade. 1t had not lost a hair, albeit
the skin beneath was fiinty. Prue
danced about, the cap high on her
right hand, crying between steps:
Don't say I'm an extortioner,
daddy-but it is going to cost the
Dunton family just 500 to take back
home with them this relic of a revo-
lutionary ancestor You know they're
here especially to hunt relics. Can't
you remember, please, that this went
to some of those tiresome Indian
wars?"
1T might" the squire admitted.
But | don't know any farther back
than the og-cabin-and- hard-cider time
STILL you surely are joking about the
price. Why two dollars would be lit
tie short of highway robbery"
Your commercial education Is very
deficient, sir" Prue said, pursuing her
lips. Where God goes and gives
like wool. | at least feel it
my duty to do little shearing."
you ask the d ntons for it; they
ought to know what things are worth
to them,' the squire said going to
the lot where the men were getting
the mules.
Prue ran to the phone the minute
the door shut on him, did some very
diplomatic but energetic talking, then
rushed upstairs, flung on her fall suit,
looked at her image with sparkling
eyes, seeing in imagination how she
would look when the cap had been
into stole and muff then
ran down, picked up the hatbox in