The St. Johns herald., 1921-06-02


 rested on soft, shining hair, fiuffed out attractively, forming a most agree able frame for the young face. the cheeks flushed with excitement. Shel- by stood before her tongue-tied, unable to find words of greeting, painfully conscious of his own awkwardness. The embarrassment, however, was but for the instant, for the preacher had been waiting his entrance, eager to begin the ceremony.
 What occurred during the next few moments was never wholly clear in Shelby's mind. He did mechanically whatever he was told, but without comprehension. He remembered walk ing between rows of curious faces, oc- casionally recognizing familiar countenance, clear across that crowded parlor to the further wall, which seemed to be decorated profusely with sprays of evergreen. He seemed to recall that the girl joined him. stand ing at his left, and that she had ad- vanced to his side guided by Dan Mo Carthy. It was all vague, misty, un- certain, and the next moment all he saw was the fleshy figure of the Buff falo Gap preacher standing there im- mediately before him, his hands up- lifted and his sonorous voice uttering words that sounded like a prayer. Then Dan came forward again and he felt her hand resting in his, real izing how soft and small it was. He remembered a question was asked him and he answered ives" and then he seemed to hear her whisper a similar response. The, preacher said some thing, using some strange words. and turning once to face the silent crowd pressing close in upon them; then he lifted his hands solemnly and Shelby caught the sentence, 'T pronounce you husband and wife and whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."
 There was an explosion of breath, faint clapping of hands, an instant buzz of tongues. He felt that he must have shaken hands with a thousand people; was pushed here and there by the efforts made to reach him and finally, bewildered, his mind in a whirl, found himself once more out . in the hall, obsessed with a desire to escape. He possessed no idea as to what had become Of the girl; no doubt she was somewhere back there in the crush, but he, at least, was free, and would wait for her to join him out side.
 He stood there alone, staring down at the team of broncos and the heavily laden blackboard uncomprehendingly Yet slowly 1t all came back and his mind began to arouse from blank stupOr. His attention was attracted by the approach of a horseman trot- ing steadily up the deserted street to- ward the hotel. The rider was a cav airy soldier in uniform, powdered with dust, his horse showing evidences of hard travel.
 Shelby watched his coming curious ly, his memory still lingering upon the scene within. The man drew up at the hotel, dropped his rein over the horses head, swung stif1y to the ground and advanced up the steps. He glanced aside at Shelby's motion less figure, took a step toward the door and then wheeled suddenly.
 Say, ain't your name ShelbyP'
 The dazed bridegroom turned and looked into the face confronting him, his mind snapping back into quick recognition.
 "Sure. Well, thunder, you're Shau- messy of the Sixth. What're you do- ing here"
 The two cIasped hands firmly.
 Thought I knew you, Tom, when l first came up the steps, but wasn't quite sure till got a side view. Must be six years since you left us, ain't it? What am I doing? Oh, they've showed us up here from Arizona and I've been up at the Reservation watchin' lem ghost-dance an am headin' now for Collins to tell the old man the news. Some fun goin' to be pulled off pres ently."
 lou mean Ine SIOUX are g0fn' on rampage ag'in?
 "Sure thing, unless miss my guess, an I reckon I ought to know Injuns by this time. It'll either come this fall or next spring. I figure they'll never hold in over winter. OF Sittin' Bull has got the game in his hands an you know that OP devil, I reckon"
 'I have reason to. Any troops up there?"
 ''No; the Injun agent don't believe there's goin' to be any trouble; says it's just a few young bucks who are raisin' h-l. He don't know what is goin' on. But I been among 'em an the whole outfit Is blood-mad. I seen two of their ghost-danceS myself back