Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27

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middle tent had been arranged with q
rough slab table and benches for a
dining and living room. The boys
tent with three cots and the girls
With four, were crowded but comfort.
able.
Its very nice, indeed. boys" said
Miss Towne. ''Come, girls, get out
your aprons. I suppose you're all
starved"
"Waiti Waltz" cried Kent. "That's
not the way this camps going to be
run. Charlie, Gustus and me do the
cooking. You ladies' are company
and don't have to do anything ex'
cept wash the dishes and make your
own beds.
II think that's very nice arrange.
ment," decided Miss Towne. Come
girls, let's unpack and arrange the
tent"
There was q very early pairing on
In the camp. Kent devoted himself to
Olga, Gustus to Margery and Charlie
to Lydia. Kent and Olga kept the
camp supplied with fish. Excepting
at meal time and the bathing hour
they spent the day In q birch-barh
canoe on the lake.
Charlie undertook to show Lydia
the reservation as the Indians knew
1t. II Lydia was a little puzzled by
his eagerness to make her understand
conditions on the reservation, she
gave little thought to the riddle.
They visited one or two neat Indian
farms, but for the most part Charlie
led her from one wick-i-up to the 9TH
er, deep set in recesses of the wood
where the only whites to intrude on
the Indians were the occasional gov
eminent wood cruisers. These wick-i
ups were novels, usually in the last
stages Of poverty and desolation.
One day they came to q wick--uI
where there were three children be
sides the father and mother. Two
of the children were half blind with
eye trouble. The whole family was
sitting in the sun, about a pot of fish
The grown-ups chatted eagerly with
Charlie, and he translated for Lydia
"They say it's been fearful winter
They only had ten dallars this year
out of their government allowance ant
they couldn't get work. The baby
froze to death or starved, or both
Wen bring some food over to these
folks, Lydia, because there are kids
eh?"
"But, Charlie, what's the govern
ment allowancer
ooh, didn't you know?-and you're
one of the white lords of creation
too! The government set aside this
land for the Indians In solemn treat!
with them, for ever and ever. Ther
it deliberately sold of big block o.
it and deposited the money at Wash
ington. The income from this was tt
be given to the Indians. There's ovel
two million dollars there. But by thu
time it's filtered from Washington tt
the Indians, this Is the result" HI
nodded at the half-starved group abou
the fish pot.
Lydia had had four days Of this. A.
they made their way back to thu
camp for supper she said to him, II
an unsteady voice, "Charlie, / cam
stand It'll Think of that baby thai
froze to death. And all these beauti
full woods are full Of half starved In
d1ansl What can I do about it, Char
lier'
"You can't do anything. It's tot
late. But I wanted you to see. / dom
care what girl understands as long
as you do. think an awful lot Of
you, Lydia"
He took Lydia's hand and patted it
Lydia looked up at him, thrilled by his
bronze beauty and the note in his
voice.
eff I were a white man." said Char
lie, I'D make you love me and marry
me. But I'm an Indian and sooner OF
later I'll 60 back to my people. Tn
just making believe / can play the
white mans game for a while" He
eyed Lydia wistfully. "But Wen be
friends, eh, Lydiaf-AlwaysI Ever
II 60 back to the wick-i-up, you'll be
my friend?"
"Oh, yes, Charlie, always" replied
Lydia, earnestly, even while there
flashed through her head the hall
whimsical thought, "Queer kinds Of
men want to be friends with me, Mr.
Levine, Mr.. Marshall, and Charlie
And they all hate each other'
After this episode, Charlie was less
strenuous about showing Lydia Indiar
conditions. That night he resumed 6
mild Irritation with Olga that he hat
dropped when school closed and Olga
met him more than half way.
wouldn't that come and get you'll
growled Kent to Lydia as Charlie and
Olga padded away in the canoe, the
next morning. "Say, Lyd, let's kill
time with a tramp up to the settle
ment for some gum"
All right, I can stand 1t If you
can. VIII you come along, Miss
Towner'
Miss Towne, who had been highly
edited by the mornings maneuverina
shook her head and settled herself In
her hammock. mo eight-mile walk
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