The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-07-24
,claa,uu0uuam OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Next Week
A Novel "Amaz;no Crace"
A Week! az
KATE TRlmBLE sHARBER
Observation-Disclosures
Z TRImeLE stARBER
iditlilitaitititil iCitit
CHAPTER |.
Peaceful Hart Ranch

lng ana lumhaEo DO not take hihu'
~ To one another,
The house stood cuddled against
a rocky bluff so high II dwarfed
the whole ranch when one ganed
down from the rim. A great spring
Eurgled out from under n huge
bowlder just behind the house.
whore Phoebe. his wife. spent LONG
hours in cool retirement on churn'
ing day,
Peaceful Hart must have had n
streak OF poetry somewhere hid
den away In his silent soul. lie
built pond against the bluff. and
let tho big spring I'LL IL full and
seek an outlet at the far end.
where II slid away under a little
stone bridge lie planted the pond
with rainbow trout. and on tho
margin rampant OF Lombardy
poplars.
Behind them grew n small jungle
OF trecs--catalpa and locust among
them-a Jungle which surrounded
tho house. and IN summer hid II
from sight entirely.
A tight picket fence shut In that
tribute 10 the sentimental side OF
Peaceful's nature. Outside the fence
dwcit sturdier, western realities
Once the gate swung shut upon tho
grove. one blinked In the garish
sunlight OF the plains. There be-
gan the real ranch world. and still
farther tho desert.
There IL saying that tho only
good Indian IL n dead Indian. In
the very teeth OF that. and In spite
OF the fact that he was neither very
good. nor an fndian-nor in any
sense "dead"--men called Grant
Imen Good Indian" 20 hts face.
Because his paternA ancestry
went back To no one knows whore
amonE the race OF blue eyes and
fair skin. the Indians repudisted ~.
iationship with him. Because old
woifbeliy himself would grudgingiy
admit under pressure that the
mother OF Grant had been tho half
caste daughter OF wolfbcily's sister.
white men remembered the faint
when they were angry. and called
him Intun.
Phoebe Hart had moshercd him
along with her own five sons. from
the timo when his father had
sickened and died In her house,
leaving Grant there with 1, years
behind him. In his hands 4 dirty
canvas bag OF gold coin 81 heavy he
could scarce I'M II. which stood for
the mining claim the old man had
just sold. and the command to inves,
every ono OF the gold coins In
schooiing.
Phoebe had taken him literally.
And Grant had learned books and
other things not mentioned IN the
curriculuma Of the schools she sent
him to-and when tho bag was re-
ported by Phoebe 20 be empty. he
had returned with inward relief 20
1.-THE desui,ory life OF the Hart ranch
and It's immediate vicinity.
He rode. hot and thirty and
tired. from Sage i'm ono DAY and
found Hartley empty OF interest
Even the beer he tried left upon
his outraged palate tho unhappy
memory OF insipid warmth and
great bitterness.
He stared sourly n, Pete HRmil.
ton. owner OF the little store. who
was alphabetically opening hat
boxes for the Inspection OF an
Indian In a red blanket and frowsy
braids.
There was a swish Of skirts and
n young woman entered. She was
hareheaded. and carried a door key
suspended from n bit OF wood.
Don't get into a Precipitation
making up the mall. Pete she adj.
vised calmly. quite ignoring both
Grant and the Indian. Fifteen IA
an hour late-as usual"
BY then she was leaning with
both elbows upon the counter be
side the postofflce-Pete was post
master as well aa storekceper-
bored beyond words-to Judge from
her tone.
Il wish you weren't so old, and
hadn't quite 80 many chins. Pete.
she complained. I'D invelgle yor
into a filtration. You see how des
perate am for something 10 do"
let me make you acquainted
with my friend. Good In-er-Mr
Imscn" Pete considered that h
was behaving with great tact. This
Is Miss George Howard, the new
operator" He twinkled his little
eyes at her maliciously.
Say. he amt got but one chin
and he's only 20 years old" Hs
felt that the inference was too plain
to be ignored.
Good Indian looked straight past
the girl. and scowled at Pete.
Pete. you're mentally incapable
Of recognizing the line OF demarca
ton between legitimate persiflags
and Objectionable familiarity. Ar
ignoramus Of your particular class
ought TO confine his repartee to I'M
qualified affirmation or the mega
tive monosyllable." Whereupon he
bowed to Miss George Howard, and
stalked out.
II guess that ought to hold yor
for a while. Pete" Miss George
approved under her breath. You're
mentally incapable OF recognizing
the line OF demarcation between
Legitimate persiflage and objection
able familiarity I'll bet two bit'
you don't know what that means
Pete; but 1t hits you off exactly
Who IL Mr.. Imsen7"
She got no reply TO that. out
side, things we're happening.
Briefly. Grant had inadvertently
stepped on a sleeping dogs paw
dog OF the mongrel breed which
infests Indian camps. and which
had attached itself to the blanket
cd buck inside. The dog awoke
: with yelp. and straightway fas
tened It's teeth in the leg of Grants
trousers. Grant kicked IL loose
and when It came at him again. h
swore vengeance and mounted his
horse in haste.