Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-22

young wife standing, mere feminine adjunct,
behind her husbands chair, Childres Parker
leaped to his feet
Sir his voice doomed through the studio.
'In not sit while my bride stands
Fashion" the photographer sputtered,
''pubc opinion"
"A fig for public opinion. 1t is the part Of
the husband to stand in protective attitude"
And stand he did, the 6 foot 3 of him
looming a tower of strength above the little
thing he had married, his broad hands on
either side of her chair as if ready to snatch
her from any danger, his huge frame rising to
muscular shoulders and above them the big
plain face looking down at her, its inherent
determination overlaid with gentleness. She
was a very small person inside the voluminous
hoops and furbelows of the period, but she had
great spirit and he loved her greatly.
The likeness is not complete. A complete
portrait would show him, for instance, with
poppy in his hand, one Of those red, silky
peoples which he loved above all flowers and
Sowed broadcast about his pioneer cabin 1t
would show him with brace Of duSky grouse
and a buck of several points, for he was a
mighty hunter In the heat Of shooting he
was forever cutting bits from his shirt-tail to
use as gunwadS, and Lucy must always De
piecing new tails It would show him In
his uniform of a lieutenant in the Mexican
War, and would somehow intimate the fact
that having no eggs to eat during the war he
had eaten three round dozen at sitting when
mustered out in New Orleans, and thereafter
for the duration of his life none at all. He was
q man who never did anything by halves, but
everything completely, whether consuming a
meal or saving q SOUL
THE stringy cayuse pony he bestrode circuit
riding should be in the picture, an Indian
under a tree, a doube-btted ak, and espe-
cially the stanch log church he built a citadel
unto the Lord.
From its first mention there was trouble over
the meeting house Childres Parker preached
that Sunday under oak on his donation land
claim a good place for service. The oak cast
a pleasant shade, little breezes sang in the
branches and there a natural granite
pulpit on which the circuit rider banged home
hopes of Heaven with his right hand and
despairs of purgatory with his left. Lucy.
demure in the background thought-her mind
would wander occasionally from Childres
preaching to Childres himself-that he was
sturdy as the oak as he stood there solid as
the rock
He closed his Book and bent forward
it. my friends" he said, has it occurred to
you that we must have big, well constructed
r.eetiI house?"
As he spoke he could see objections forming
against it in the weasel face OF Powell Killings
worth KillingSworth was ever one to put him.
self forward He sat with his capable wife on
the foremost puncheon bench and scowled at
he idea Barton behind Killingsworth, frowned
and pulled at his golden curling beard. Even
Harry Staley, who had happened in, bound for
Southern Oregon with his pack train, looked
dubious. The women set tight lips. Their men,
they felt had earned Winters rest. Tumwater
Toms was the only indifferent face. He stood,
stclid, blanket draped, in the background Tom,
beyond trade jargon, did not grasp English.
KndneSS was the best way to communicate
with Tumwater Tom. One single face smiled
encouragement Lucy felt the opposition and
be2med at her kusb.n
IF each man will give a days work every
week"
They had come West because easy climate
beckoned and the fat acres of donation land
claims. The wagon train shaking down
inCo a community, cabins had been built, the
first grain reaped. They were ready to let
down. The Winter they planned for themselves
consisted of casual rail-spltting and shooting
OF the abundant wild game. Resentfully they
glowered at him only TO find him looking down
on them mistaken, his jaw squared.
Killingsworths thin lips framed protests
Killingsworth was a lawyer, cautious, ungen-
ercus of physical effort and free with his
tongue. He had argued his way across the
plains, argued himself into the best claim. He
had even argued away the Indians who camped
every Autumn in the valley. At this moment
he arose to launch controversy His wife
pulled him back to the bench beside her.
Il speak Of it now" Childres Parker went on,
"because we must order a bell. 1t will take
some months to place it here by clipper round
the Horn. Harry Staley is leaving tomorrow.
A letter by his pack train will 60 to San Fran
cisco and East from there"
He quoted sizes and prices from a catalogue
which had been in his tOolbox when he left
Ohio two years before. He named his choice a
Tnrr, LolIoR 90