The Adair County news., 1922-02-28

aA1 ILL oHA3 lhOuSn, yCu AC SNAh " ~
awfully sorry"
Really, 1 don't" honestly. 81
don't mind being alone at all. I've
always been alone, so that won't
hart"
But this is different" he insisted
stubbornly. Besides, I heard some
thing back there in Ponca that makes
me think 1 had no business bringing
you along at ALL"
"What was that?"
"Why, just before we, come away
1 ran into an old friend O. mine in
the army, named Shaunessy. He'd
been up in the Sioux reservation,
watchin' 'em ghOst-dance, and he says
the bucks up there are goin' to raise
Ned before long, an there amt no
troops anywhere around sufficient to
hold 'em. It's or Sittin' Bull who is
stirrin' 'em up"
But surely they could never get
down here?'
"Not to POnca-no; they wouldn't
go in that direction. But they'd be
mighty liable to come raidin' down
the Cottonwood That's what Shaun
essy said; he told me I'd better run
my stock over into the Bad Lands,
and lie out for awhile, till the soldiers
got the devils rounded up again. 1
been thinkin' ever since I ought to
tell you about it, so. if you thought
best we could turn around an take
| you back to POnLa."
"And then what would you dO?"
me? Why go on O. course an
take care O. the cattle. 'Tain't the
first time I've seen Indians"
"Then 1 am going with you," she
said firmly. 81 am not the least
afraid. wonder if you have an extra
rifle out there?"
"Sure," he said, grinning. Il sOrter
like that kind O. talk, little girl. Can
you shootT
Some; I'll show you when we get
out there. Anyway, please don't turn
back on my account. l heard in POnca
that the Sioux were ghOst-dancing, but
4 didn't think about their coming down
the Cottonwood. Dad said they were
getting ugly, but I don't know where
he heard it."
This unexpected mention of Calkins
stirred Shelby Ito ask further ques-
tiOn. She was going on with 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?'
Il never heard Of it; seems sorter
odd, maybe, but l never did"
ut is Olga"
"Olga-Olga what?"
"Why, Shelby, 1 suppose"
mo, l 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 something"
"WelI, yes. This here soldier Shau
messy has been in the army a Ions
while; he was fifteen years in the
Sixth cavalry. Now l happened Il
learn, accidentally from Mccarthy
that Old Calkins was once a sergean
in that outfit, so naturally l asked
Sheunessy 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 daug ghter."
"Well, did 1 ever say 1 was his
daughter?"
''No, O course you didn't. 1 never
asked, but everybody thought YOU
must be. What was the old man tC
you, anyhow? 1 reckon 1 got a right
TO know"
you certainly have, but 1 cannot
tell you very much. Frankly, 1 dOn't
know. 1 could not explain even how
I came into his care. That sounds
strange, perhaps, but it is true.
wasn't much of q girl when he got
me first and I've scarcely been out Of
his sight since. we asked him
thousand times, but he never would
explain. Once he said it would come
out all right after awhile. 1t seemed
to anger him for me to ask ques
tions, so, at last. 1 stopped"
"Thats mighty queer. Did he evel
tell you what your real name was"
"Oh, yes; there wasn't any secreI
about that-it was Carlyn."
"Olga Carlyn," he repeated the
words slowly. "Sorter Norwegian
Irish, amt it? That story sounds ra
ther funny to me-"
my idea is he was hiding me from
someone; trying to keep me from be
ing found. l decided that was VIII!
he moved about from place to place
and always lived in such poverty an(
alone. / believe he had money o.
could always get some when needed
Then he seemed to be afraid all th'
time and watching for something t.
happen"
"And you don't have no recollection
whatever of either your father o
motherT'
"Not of my mother; she may hav
died when l was a baby, but cal
remember my father, although neve
saw him very often. He was tai
man with iron-gray hair and mustache