Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-03-03
THE STORY


her talk with Levine the man AYERS
his methods are lawful and really best
for the Indians. The girl Is only half
convinced.
CHAPTER xII.-Charlis tells Lydia
his father was killed by halfbreeds at
the instigation of Levine, and she 10
miserable at the thought. The family
poverty also weighs heavily on her
She Is elected class valsdictorian. Billy
Norton takes her to the senior ball,
T where she she has her first girlish won
Continued from last weekly
He glanced down at her and saw
streak of blood on her forehead. His
face worked and he began to sob and
curse like mailman.
Kicking, striking with his free arm,
oaths rolling from his lips, he burst
through the crowd and rushed Lydia
to the free space about the fiagpole
where Charlie Jackson stood coolly
watching the proceedings.
Billy shook his fist under the In
dams nose.
"Get down there and call the pack
off or I'll brain you"
Jackson shrugged his shoulders,
calmly. LET 'em have their fun. It's
their last blowout. hope they do kill
Levine and Marshall"
Lydia pulled herself free Of Billy.
Call them off, Charlie. It'll Just
mean trouble in the end for all of you
If you don't"
Charlie looked at Lydia closely and
his voice changed as he said, you got
hurt, Lydia? I'm sorry"
"Sorry! You id brute!' raved
Billy. IF tell you, call off this row.
The two young men glared at each
other. Afterglow and freight re-
vealed a ferocity in Billy's face and
q cool hatred in Charles that made
Lydia gasp. -..' = '.<-=.
Billy put his face closer to Char
lies. Call it off I" he growled.
Charlie returned Billy's stare for a
long moment Then sullenly, slowly,
he turned and threw out across the
night long, shrfn cry. He gave 1t
again and again. At each repetition
the noise of the mob grew less, and
shortly painting, feverish-eyed bucks
began to struggle into the light around
the pole ...s z.,-s
Then, without word, Billy led
Lydia away. The Indians passing
them shook their bows at them but
they were unmolested.
Gan you walk, Lydia? Do you
think you're badly hurtT' asked Billy.
ITO think of me not scratched and
you hurt! Your father ought to horse
whip mer'
"You saved me from being trampled
to death" cried Lydia, Indignantly.
ooh, there's the auto"
BILLY" cried Levine, "could you run
the car and the two women down the
road while Amos and help the agent
get order here? The worst seems to
be over, for some reason" -..
'Billy got Charlie Jackson to call
the Indians in," said Lydia.
''I'll wait for you at the willows, a
mile below Last Chance" said Billy
He was an Indifferent chauffeur but
he reached the willows without mis-
hap.
Sitting with the murmur of the
brook and the fragrance Of marsh
grass enveloping them, the two young
people did not talk much.
"Billy," whispered Lydia, you're
so good to me and was so horrid to
you once"
Billy felt her fingers on his knee
and instantly the thin little hand was
enveloped in his warm fist. DO you
take 1t all back, Lydia?'
swell, the horrid part Of 1t, do"
she hedged.
"That's all right" returned the
young man. "I'm willing to fight for
the rest of 1t. Don't try to pull your
hand away, because I intend to hold
It till the folks come You can't help
yourself, SO you have no responsible
ity In the matter"
So for an hour longer they sat,
watching the summer night and Wit
ing.
Finally two dim figures approached.
"All right, Lydia?" asked Amos.
"Oh, yes! Yes!" she cried. "Are
either of you hurtY'
NO." replied Levine. 1--WE got hold
Of Charlie Jackson about eleven and
locked him up, then we felt secure"
"You aren't going to hurt Charlie I"
cried Lydia.
"No, but we'll shut him up for a
week or so," said Amos.
Levine started the car homeward
They reached home at daylight. The
celebration made table talk and news
paper topic for several days. No real
attempt was made to puni1h the In
dams. For once, the whites, moved
by a sense of tardy and Inadequate
Justice, withheld their hands.
It was just before college opened
that Amos announced that he was go
ing to buy the one hundred and twen-
ty acres John had set aside for him.