The Red Cloud chief., 1919-10-16
CHAPTER i--Continued.
Pc.


She looked about the place some
what hopelessly. Her father read her
ut seems as though You would he
la charge here for while, Reenie,"
he said, $50 you .will save time by
getting acquainted nj once with your
Look the house over and
.ee what you have to work with"
"N ~, can commence here" she
nusN cred "Thls is Dawes room. !
suppose l should 10y Mr.. Elden's.
but--what was IL hy sa. about mis-
terlng'? It would be splendid II 1t
were cleaned up" she continued, with
klndling enthusiasm. "These bare
logs. bare floors, bare rafters-we've
got back to essentials, anyway. And
that's his bed" She surveyed a
framework Of spruce poles, on which
lay an old straw mattress and some
very gray blankets. 81 suppose he
In very tired when he goes to bed"
she said. drolly, os though that coula
be the only explanation Of sleep amid
such surroundings,
In the south end Of the larger room
stood fireplace. crudely made Of
slabs of native rock. The fires Of
many winters had crumbled the rock.
80 that II had fallen In In places and
was no longer employed for Its Origi-
nal purpose. A very rusty and greasy
stove now occupied the space imme-
diatcly in front OF the fireplace. the
stovepipe leading into the ample but
tOttering chimney. Near the stoye
was bench supporting tin wash
basin. wooden pail and certain frag-
ments Of sOap-evldently all the equip
ment necessary for the simple ablu-
lions Of the Eldea household. The
remnant Of grain-bag. with many evil
dences of use and abuse. performed
the functions Of a towel, and broken
piece of lOOking-glass gave the faintest
intimation that n strain Of fundamen-
the western wall was a table, with nu-
merous dishes, and to the wall itself
had been nailed wooden bOxes-salmon
and tomato cases-nOw containing an
assortment of culinary supplies. A
partially used sack of flour and an
other OF rolled oats leaned against the
wall, and trapdoor In the floor gave
promise of further resources beneath.
There was window I'm the east and
another In the west, both open and
unscreened; myriads Of flies gave the
only touch of life to the dismal scene.
Irene looked 1t all over, then leaned
against the window sill ana laughed
Her father had brought her west for
holidays, with the promise Of changed
surroundings and new experiences, but
he had promised her no such deligh,
as this. With the Eden kitchen still
photographed In her mind she called ur
the picture Of her own city hOme-tht
order; the precision; the fixedness
the s-here-an nd Observation-Disclosures
ness; the fairness and emptiness ant
Formally of II all; and she turned
again to the Eden kitchen and laughe,
"a soft, ripping, irrepressible laugh
as irrepressible as the laughter of tn
mountain stream amid the evergreens
Then she looked again from the ope
window, this time with eyes that sa,
the vista of valley and woodland an
fOOthill that stretched down into tn
opening prairie. Suddenly she realize
that she was looking down upon pit
ture-One OF natures obscure maste
pieces-painted In brown and gree
and saffron against an opal canvas.
was beautiful. not with the solemnii
of the great mountains, nor the so
emnity Of the great plains, but wi,
that nearer, more intimate RELATIONSHIP
which Is the peculiar property OF Il
foOthill country. The girl drew
great breath of the pure air and W,
about to dream a new daydream WHIT
the voice Of her father brought her
earth.
"Can't you find anything that will I
for q bandagei" he asked.
"Oh, you dear Daddykinsl" she
piled, her voice tremulOus with Sc
reproach. ~ had forgotten. The
was spell, or something; 1t just caI
down upon me In the window. i
bandage? Dear, no! The only cloth
see Is the kitchen towel, and cal
recommend 1t. But what a goose
am! Our grips are In the car. or U
der It, or somewhere. I'll be back
a jiffy." And she was or at a sha
trOt down the trail along which $
had so recently come in Dave Elder
wagon.
The grips were duly found, and Ire
congratulated herself that she and
father were In the habit Of travel
with equipment for overnight. Arriv
at the house, she deity wrapped
bandage about her fathers injury a
set to work ut the preparation OF 81
per--a task not strange to her, as