The Red Cloud chief., 1921-06-23

swer, and so the days journey began.
Often, near It's end, they came to
some lonely farmhouse. Always sam
son would stop and go to the door
TO ask about the roads, followed by
little Joe and Betsey with secret hopes
one Of these hopes was related to
cookies and maple sugar and buttered
bread and had been cherished since
an hour of good fortune early In the
trip and encouraged by sundry good
hearted women along the road. An
other was the hope Of seeing a baby
mainly, It should be said, the hope
OF Betsey. Joes interest was merely
an echo of hers. He regarded babies
with an open mind, as 1t were, for
the opinions of his sister still had
some weight with him, she being
| year and half older than he, but
| babies Invariably disappointed him,
their capabilities being so restricted.
Still, not knowing what might happen,
he always took a look at every baby.
The children were lifted out Of the
wagon to stretch thea legs at sloughs
and houses. They were sure to be
close behind the legs Of their father
when he stood ut strangers door.
Then, the night being near. they were
always invited to put their horses In
the barn and tarry until next morn
ing. This was due in part to the visit
| full faces of the little children-a fact
unsuspected by their parents. What
motherly heart could resist the silent
appeal OF children's faces or fail to
understand 1t? Those were memorable
nights for Sarah and Joe and Betsey. In
letter to her brother the woman said !:
"YOu don't know how good 1t seems
to see woman and talk to her. and
we talked and talked until midnight,
after all the rest were asleep. She
let me hold the baby in my lap until
1t was put to bed. How good 1t felt
to have a little warm body in my
arms again and feel II breathing! In
all my life l never saw prettier
baby. 1t felt good to be in a real
house and sleep In a soft, warm bed
and to eat jelly and cookies and fresh
meat and potatoes and bread and but
ter. Samson played for them and
kept them laughing with his stories
until bedtime. They wolldn't take
cent and gave us dozen eggs In a
basket and a piece Of venison when
we went away"
On q warm, bright day In the sand
country they came to a crude, hall
finished, frame house at the edge OF
wide clearing. The sand lay In
drifts on one side Of the road. II
had evidently moved In the last wind
A sickly vegetation covered the field
A ragged, barefooted man and three
scrawny, ill-clad children stood In the
dooryard. 1t was nOontlme. A mon
grel dog, with bit Of the hound In
him, came bounding and barking to
ward the wagon and pitched upor
Sambo and quickly got the worst Of
II. Sambo, after much experience
In self-defense, had learned that thu
best way out of such trouble was t.
seize leg and hang on. This HI
did. The mongrel began to yelp. Sam
son lifted both dogs by the backs o
their necks, broke the hold Of Samb'
and tossed aside the monsrel, VIII
ran away whining.
"That reminded me Of bull tha
tackled a man over In Vermont" N
said. "The man had a club In hi
I hand. He lodged and grabbed tn
bulls tail and beat him all over tn
lot. AS the bull roared, the man hol
' Tered: I'd like to know who begaI
this fuss anyway"
!, The stranger laughed.
"Is that your house" Samson raid
The man stepped nearer and an
swered in a low, confidential tone
, "Say, mister. this Is combination
. poorhouse and idiot asylum. ! an
. the idiot. These are the poor"
, He pointed to the children.
t.Il tdint " 0ot