Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-02-03
CHAPTER XII
Lydia Giggles

Lydia Glggles
The days flew lightly by, lightly for
Lydia, too, in spite of the heavy Sc
cret she carried of Levine's plotting.
The day before they broke camp,
Lydia's old squaw appeared and asked
for Charlie Jackson.
Charlie and Kent were cooking din
ner.
"Dear me-" said Miss Towne, tell
him to take. the poor thing away, Ly-
dia."
"He must feed her, first," exclaimed
Lydia, leading the old Indian over to
the cooking shelter.
Kent and Lydia exchanged glances
as Charlie led the squaw-Susie, he
called her-into the woods, after Ly-
dia had heaped her old arms with
food. Kent and Gustus had put the
dinner on the table and they all were
seated at the meal when Charlie re-
turned.
"what did she want, Charlie" asked
Olga.
"You wouldn't care If 1 told you"
replied Charlie, grimly. "But," he
burst forth suddenly, "some day you
whites will pay. Some day the Japs
or the Jews will do to you Americans
what you've done to us.
"Look here, Lydia, Levine is up to
some new cussedness. Old Susie came
on him in council the other night with
six Of the worst half-breeds in the
reservation. She lost her head and
began to jaw him so she didn't find
out what it was about. And he's get
ting the last of my timber now. Ly-
dia, you've got to help me. When you
get home, talk to Levine"
"Getting the last of your timber! y
exclaimed Kent.
Eyes, the law lets 'em get the dead
and down stuff and who's going to
swear it's fresh stuff that he cut this
summer and will get out next .winter?''
"But how does he come to be taking
your wood? Why don't you go to see
him yourself?' asked Kent.
81 can't answer either of those
questions" replied Charlie, sullenly.
The two young whites thought OF
the attack on Levine, and looked at
each other apprehensively.
"Won't the Indian agent stop him?
asked Lydia.
"He! Why, he's deep in the mire
himself with Dave Marshall. My God
Margery Marshall went to New York
on blind Indian boys pines! Lydia
save my pines for me! They belong
to my tribe My father was going to
Washington three years ago to tell
the President about the graft when
they shot him from ambush. If put
up a fight, they'll shoot me. Lydia
won't you help us?'
Neither Kent nor Lydia ever had
seen Charlie thus before. He was
neither arrogant nor sullen. He was
pleading with tragic hopelessness
that moved his two hearers pro
foundry.
ooh. Charlie! | will try" cried
Lydia. 81 truly WILL
81 knew you would" said Charlie
huskily, and he turned back abruptly
to the camp.
Lydia stared about her. Supposing
she thought, that she owned hun
dred acres of this pine land. She
forgot Kent and concentrated every
force Of her mind on sensing Bwha
land ownership would mean. AND
suddenly there stirred within her 6
desire for acreage, for trees, soil
stream and shrub, wide demesnt
that should be hers and her children
forever.
"Are you really going to talk to LIE
vine?" Kent reused her from he
reverie.
"Yes! Didn't promise tor"
Lots of good it'll do" gruntet
Kent. "And if you tell him we over
heard him in the woods, TIL be sore.
ST don't see why"
Because, after I finish high school
I'm going to tell him I know, to maxi
him let me In on the deal. Look here
Lyd. don't tell him I was with you
anyhow"
"oh, all right" replied Lydia, cross
Iy. "For goodness sake. don't LETT
talk about it any more. don't, SCI
why men always have to be plotting
I'm going back to camp and hell
pack"
The driver arrived with the carry
all at nine o'clock the next morning