Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-02-26

director Tor nalI dozen puDlc cnur-
lty organizations, and did private
charity work of her own, being a proxy
mother of several large families; and
she had danced down." as she said,
groups from eight or nine classes Of
new graduates returned from The uni
versities, without marrying any of
them, but she still danced-and still
did not marry.
Her father, observing this circum-
stance happily, yet with some hypo-
critical concern, spoke of 1t to her one
day as they stood in her garden. Il
suppose I'd want to shoot him." he
said, with attempted lightness. "But l
mustn't be an old pig. I'd build you
beautiful house close by-just over
yonder."
mo, no! That would be like" she
began impulsively; then checked her.
self. George Amberson's comparison
of the Georgian house to the Anderson
mansion had come into her mind, and
she thought that another new house,
built close by for her, would be like
the house the Major built for Isabel.
Like whatT
Nothing" She looked serious, and
when he reverted to his idea Of "some
day" grudgingly surrenderlng her up
to d sutton, she invented a legend.
Did you ever hear the Indian name
for that little grove of beech trees on
the other side Of the houseT she
asked MIN.
"No-and you never did eitherl" he
laughed.
Don't be so sure / read a great
deal more than / used tO-getting
ready for my bOokish days when I'll
have to do something solid in the eve
nings and won't be asked to dance any
more, even by the very youngest boys
who think it's a sporting event to
dance with the Oldest of the older
girls The name of the grove was
Iona Nashah' and it means They
Couldn't -Help-It.'
doesn't sound like it."
"Indian names don't There was a
bad Indian chief lived in the grove be-
fore the white settlers came. He was
the worst Indian that ever lived, and
his name vast was 'Vendonah.'
That means Rides-Down-E !"
81 see," said Eugene thoughtfully.
He gave her quick look and then
fixed his eyes upon the end Of the
garden path. go on"
"Vendonah was an unspeakable
case" Lucy continued. "He was so
proud that he wore iron shoes, and he
walked over peoples faces with them.
lie was always killing people that
way, and so at last the tribe decided
that it wasn't good enough excuse
for him that he was young and mex
perienced-he'd have to go They took
him down to the river, and put him in
canoe, and pushed him out from
shore; and then they ran along the
bank and wouldn't let him land, until
at last the current carried the canoe
out into the middle, and then on down
to the ocean, and he never got back
They didn't want him back, Of course
and if he'd been able to manage it.
they'd have put him in another canoe
and showed him out into the river
again. But still, they didn't elect an
othe- chief in his place. Other tribes
thought that was curious, and Won
dered about it lot, but finally they
came to the conclusion that the beech
grove people were afraid new CHIEF
might turn out to be bad Indian, too
and wear iron shoes like Vendonah
But they were wrong, because the rea
reason was that the tribe had led sucf
an exciting life under Vendonah thai
they couldn't settle down to anything
tanner. He was awful, but he Away
kept things happening-terrible things
of course. They hated him, but theJ
weren't able to discover any othel
warrior that they wanted to make
chief in his place. They couldn't hell
feeling that way"
II see," said Eugene. $50 that's VIII!
they named the place They-Couldn't
Help-It!"
"It must have BEEN"
"And so you're going to stay here II
your garden" he said musingly. "Yo'
think it's better to keep on walking
these sunshiny gravel paths between
your flower beds, and growing to lOol
like pensive garden lady in a Vic
torian engraving"
Il suppose I'm like the tribe tina
lived here, papa. / had too much un
pleasant excitement. 1t was unpleas
ant-but it was excitement. / don
want any more; in fact, don't wan
anything but you"
"You don't" He looked at her keen
ly, and she laughed and shook he
head; but he seemed perplexed, rathe
doubtful. "What was the name of tn
grover" he asked. '"The Indian name
/ mean"
''Mola-Haha."
mo, It wasn't; that wasn't the nam
you said"
'1've forgotten"
81 see you have" he said, his look o
perplexity remaining. perhaps yOl
remember the chiefs name better"
cho .boolv har Iaod again ct don't 4