The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-12-04

| aIralu. wonder II you nave an extra
rife out there?"
Sure" he said, grinning. 81 sOrter
like that kind O. talk, little girl. Can
you shoOtf
"SOme; I'll show you when we get
out there. Anyway, please don't turn
back on my account. ! heard in Ponca
that the Sioux were ghost-dancing, but
didn't think about their coming down
the Cottonwood. Dad said they were
getting ugly, but don't know where
he heard IT,"
This unexpected mention of Calkins
stirred Shelby to ask a further Ques-
ton. She was going on Rith him, that
was evident, and the mystery between
| them must be cleared away.
"What was your name? he asked
sOberly.
She glanced up into his face, sur
prised at the abrupt question.
my name! Why. don't you know"
II never heard of It; seems sOrter
odd, maybe, but 1 never did"
ut is Olga"
"Olga-Olga ywhat?"
"Why. Shelby, 1 suppose"
mo. didn't mean that. OF course,
It's Shelby now, but what was it be-
fore today? 'Twasn't Calkins."
The smile had deserted her lips and
her eyes were very serious.
"Just what do you mean, please?
Have you heard scmething"
messy has been in the army a long
while; he was fifteen years in the
Sixth cavalry. Now l happened to
learn, accidentally from Mccarthy,
that Old Calkins was once a sergeant
in that outfit, so naturally l asked
Shaunessy if he ever knew him."
"And did he?"
"Sure; they were bunkieS once an
; he said jeff Calkins never was mar
ried an didn't have no daughter"
'Well, did 1 ever say 1 was his
daughter?"
mo, o. course you didn't. I never
asked, but everybody thought you
must be. What Was the old man to
you, anyhow? l reckon I got right
pto know"
you certainly have. but I cannot
tell you very much. Frankly, / don't
. know. could not explain even how
came into his care. That sounds
strange, perhaps, but 1t is true.
wasn't much Of a girl when he got
me first and I've scarcely been out of
his sight since. we asked him a
thousand times, but he never would
explain. Once he raid It would come
out all right after awhile. 1t seemed
to anger him for me to ask ques-
tons, So at last. stopped"
That's mighty queer. Did he ever
tell you what your real name WASP"
"Oh, yes; there wasn't any secret
about that-it was Carlyn."
"Olga Carlyn," he repeated the
words slowly. "SOrter Norwegian
Irish, amt it? That story sounds "a
Their funny to me-"
my idea is he was hiding me from
someone; trying to keep me from be-
ing found. l decided that was why
he moved about from place to place
and always lived in such poverty and
alone. l believe he had money or
could always get some when needed
Then he seemed to be afraid all the
time and watching for something to
happen"
'"And you don't have no recollection
whatever Of either your father or
mOther?'
"Not of my mother; she may have
died when was baby, but 1 can
remember my father. although 1 never
saw him very often. He was a tall
man with iron-gray hair and mustache;
once saw him in uniform"
IAN officer, likely"
~ think so. l was at school then
and am sure the lady principal called
him colonel. never lived with him.
but always at some school, first one
and then another. I am sure l was
in ST. Louis when Calkins came for
me and took me away. That is actu-
ally everything know about it; since
then we've Just moved around from
place to place."
4hCy lCIi IOuC VII
thus for hours, seldom speaking, each
engrossed In their own thoughts. To
ward shutdown they came into a more
rolling country. with patches of green
grass, and the trail wound in and out
among shallow depressions, yielding
greater variety of scenery. Just be-
fore dark they tOiled up over a high
ridge and from the summit looked for
some distance down the valley of the
Cottonwood. The trail ran slantingly
down the side of the bluff, zigzagging
here and there in search of easier pas
sage. and it was necessary to descend
slowly. Consequently 1t was an hour
after dark when they finally drove up
to small cabin surrounded by .Tees,
hundred feet back from the stream.
and the driver announced their arrival.
CHAPTER VI.
A Blow Of Treachery.
II WAS a dpSOlafo hoIna-cOnfpp-