The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-12-28
BY
Robert AmeS Bennet

school they told me only bad girls let
men kiss them"
'Bah !" he scOffed. "What do those
old fossils know about it?" His voice
deepened to an alluring richness.
Come. l will not hurt you, Oinna.
Give me a kiss"
Let me-let me out!' she painted.
''Not unless you pay toll"
She looked around for some way of
escape. There was none. She stared
wildly out through the window and
then looked at him over her shoulder.
The sudden stiffness of her pose
checked and GIsquieted him. Was it
possible that she had seen her brother
returning?
He Sprang outside and around to the
corner Of the cabin. A short distance
away he saw Marie Dupont riding
across from the road at smart can
ter. He waved his Eat to her and faced
about just as Oinna was gliding from
the door.
stop" he called in a tone that
forced the girl to obey. Don't be silly,
Oinna. You have r4y word for it 1
meant no harm. If 4Ou ran now, Miss
Dupont will think We have been doing
something wrong"
"Oh, / don't want her to. She was
good to me. Don't It her think bad
of me-" -implOred the girl.
"Then go in and get her a cup of
tea. Quick-here she comes"
The girl disappeared as Marie's pony
swung around the corner of the cabin.
Vandervyn stopped to fiddle with his
stirrup leather. He Strengthened, and
looked over his pony's back. Marie
had pulled up few feet away, and
was staring past him toward the door
of the cabin, her cheeks ablaze and
her eyes flashing with anger.
''Hello" he exclaimed, glancing over
his shoulder with well-feigned surprise.
whats the matter?'
'You ask that?" she cried. 81 met
Charlie half way to the agency. He
said you were riding out of the val
ley"
Yes. Stopped here to get a drink
from his sister. They have only creek
water I've had to wait while she
boiled some for tea. But it was a
lucky delay-youre here. You'll ride
with me-"
Il wish to speak to that girl" re-
piled Marie.
Going to hire her for a kitchen
maid?" he asked, and he called over
his shoulder in a rough tone: Hurry
up in there. You're keeping Miss Du-
pont waiting"
You should not speak that way to
Oinna. She-iS not dog, )" reprOved
Marie. See; you have frightened
her It's all right, Oinna. Mr.. Van
didn't mean to be cross"
The girl had stopped In the door
way, her eyes timidly downcast. With
out looking up, she came around to Ma
rie and offered her the cup of luke
warm tea that she had brought In
obedience to Vandervyn's command,
Marie took sip and paused to peer
down into the dark brew.
'Merci" she cried. 1T is half |
sugar."
you were good to me-" naively ex-
planned Oinna.
Marie laughed and handed back the
offering.
"YOu child! Drink it yourself. I |
'an guess how few/sweets you've had
1t school. Come on, Reggie"
Vandervyn mounted, and their po-
lies started off on a lOpe. The young
nan kept his eyes to the front. But
Marie soon glanced about.
Look" she said.
He turned and saw Oinna with the
zig granite-ware cup to her uptilted
ips, draining the moist sugar from the
bottom. The action was laughably
but the girls attitude was the
perfection of grace. Marie caught the
OOk that fitted across Vandervyn's
ace, and her eyes flashed.
$50 I was right" she exclaimed.
You were flirting with her."
"I-firting with her" he wonder
ngiy queried, and he turned sideways
n his saddle, to stare wide-eyed at his
from the tip of her dainty
iding boot up to the feather felt hat
N her cOal-black hair.
Under that prolonged scrutiny the
carlet Of the girls anger changed to
ose, and her eyes sank as coyly as
ad Olnna's. He smiled. The girl was
ood to look upon.
Mid-morning was past when they
1alked their ponies up the slope of
ne terrace. The bare level back of the
was dotted with groups of
told, half-naked Indians. /
'Look" exclaimed the girl.
"What is it?" he asked. :
'Don't you see? There is not a S
oman or child among them. Let us
o and find out what Pere thinks of it."