Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-11-01

tHt iSliNaN SltttiolI. VI 81 S't,i'iiiNiit |
of eight by ten shacks Captain Mar
wins massive structure reared its clas-
sic outline in striking contrast.
1t is made OF huge blocks OF stone
red and white. built from about ten
feet below the ground and rising 10 q
lofty height. The o~verhanging portico.
supported by immense pillars. the old
fashioned gables and long, marrow
windows remind one of the palaces of
medieval days.
There it stands with The picturesque
background made by Snake mountain.
rising abruptly in the backyard and
winding its sinuous way to Sugarloaf.
There it stands and will endure for
ages, like Il monument to the builder,
but | must not anticipate my story.
1t vas dusk at the Campania, as
Doc Mason called his tavern which ne
had just opened half way up the steep
side of SuSarloaf. 1t was Il new build
ing With rude accommodations. But
nature had Ion" everything for the
place. n few steps away WAS Spirit
Spring. potent TO cure all human ills.
and the Fountain of Eternal Youth.
Old settlers could remember the time
when the Indians made frequent pill
grilmaees to these waters. in which The
Great Spirit manifested his powers in
a thousand miraculous ways.
Standing on the balcony one could
ok far out across the valley, with the
Tue columns of smoke lazily rising
rom the hamlet of Hartford. which
nestled among the trees below, down
the rocky sides to the level prairie and
away off to the circle of hills or the
horizon.
In the early twilight which shed it's
soft glow as the u fell behind the
| western ridge. a new arrival attracted
the attention Of a group of
chatting on the balcony. A small.
1.-THE. dun cOlored pony cantered into
the clearing. and a young girl grace
fully leaped from her seat on his bare
back. Slipping the bride from the
animals head she paused Il moment
to answer the caress of the Intelligent
creature as it fingered a~ffectionately
near its mistress.
The horsewoman was clad i'm a dress
of dark material. while over her
shoulders h wore IL red shawl which
set off in q half barbarOuS manner the
flowing black hair, Jet shining black
eyes and rather delicate face bronZed
by the winds. A little cap jauntily set
on he we'll shaped head and the trim.
supple figure of rather slender proper
tions completed the generalities of "a
very pleasing picture.
Its Mona Marvin replied one of
the guests to her companion. Every
body in these parts knows Mona. am
l reckon she has her share of fellers,
though she is right strange and nobody
understands her 'ceptin' Dick Blake.
They all say he knows her pretty we'll
Shes a beauty. anyway. There are
lots Of girls in Memphis Who would
give worlds to rave those beautiful
eyes and rich complexion" and Stella
Mcfarland. an up-to-date seminary
girl. looked admirfngly after the young
woman as she entered the house.
Did you ever see am Arkansas break
down? No? Well. you may have wit
messed the grand ballet in the midst
of the most splendid scenic effect OF
the theater, the wondrous twirling OF
the premiere d~anseuse. or the gyrations
of Persian beauties in the famous
dance du ventre. out a unique trea,
awaits you in the typical dance OF the
southern state. in the pale light of the
southern moon glimmering through the
pine trees and the dingy lanterns
swung beneath their overhangins
boughs.
This one Of my story is a regula,
Friday night occasion. the much talket
of event of the week. A large, rugf
boarded platform with d circumferenc
OF benches of the same material is the
scene of festivity. A smell of newnes!
comes from the boards and mingle!
with the heavy odors of the magnolia
and the sprays Of blossoms on many
creeping vine. On one side. in tn,
SHADOW of the trees, is the wheezy ole
organ. played by the unrivaled And,
Blake.
BY his side. with one black ear ben
low to catch i'm the midst of the nois,
din the answering notes of his fiddle
tuning up with Il serious air of re
sponsibility. sits another ebony, VIII,
plays amazingly until a little afte
midnight. when The accumulated eff
fects of frequent ~imbibitions tell O,
him with disastrous results. perhap
right in the midst of a reel. Mick
with his mouth organ is the othe
membe Of the orchestra.
A sudden calm settles over the nois
scene as the angular gent with
red bandana about his neck mount
a box and casts a look of inquiry a
Andy. Let her go" says that in
dividual with a majestic wave of hi
hand. and the fun begins. Such kee
Interpretation OF the balance all.
swing on de cawnah," do &c do" 70
never met with elsewhere.
Mona is not dancing. She sits list
lessly in the shadow. b%etraying not tn
slightest interest in the gay scene be
fore her. Nobody disturbed her as sh
sits alone. They are all having to
good a time. Dick is enjoying himsel
. With a face all smiles. he wears a tr!
urpphant look as he constitutes himse
a guardian for Stella Mcfarland. Til
little girl is simply fascinating in
hundred different ways that quite be
wilder the tall, handsome fellow. Mis-
Stella is thinking how she will sit u
= with the girls, with cotton stuffed
} the keyholes and door cracks at IL
beading school and tell what a la,
she had in the mountains with the ia
handsome mountaineer, the hero Of
hundred bear fights. Dick w:
charmed.
: Once he went to hunt up Mona Fl
a dance. He found the girl before 81
= could slip from her seat.
What yer dom here. Mona?"