Year: 1872

Now, girls, if you can only manage
to live there three or four months, the
! land will be ours for all time. l know
it looks hard, but see no other way for
u.s.


L looked into my fathers pale care
worn face, and then glanced over to Ka-
THE, who stood locking and unlocking
her pretty white fingers as though in
some way they held the solution Of the
problem which just then was puzzliug
US.


L don't mind the place, father she
began, in her sweet voice. Together
with our books, music and sewing, Lulu
and can stand almost anything but it
seems so lonely for a couple of girls to
go off iuto the heart of the prairie and
live by themselves Besides. if either of
US were taken suddenly i'll, or if danger
should in any way come to us, what
could we do :"


why, the nearest neighbor is not
more than five miles away, and he'll
look you up every week or two. perhaps
every day or two besides, either one Of
you is strong enough to walk that dis
tance in case of emergency. The house
is away from the road, secluded by a
growth of cottonwood, with a brisk lit
tie creek near. No one will know that
you are there, go you will be in no dan
ger from intruders. l would not ask it
of you if there were any other way. or if
l could 60 myself; bnt a. my health is,
you know that constant medical attend
ance is necessary to me"


A violent fit of coughing interrupted
him, and Ka,hie and I, more touched by
that than we could have been by aught
else. put our arms about his neck and
promised to do as he wished. True, we
had good cry over it when we were by
ourselves. but before him we were in
good spirits, planning. cheerfully. about
our quarter of years scjourn on fathers
claim of one hundred and sixty acres.


Our minds once made up. we put the
dark side of tie picture out of sight. snd
began to look for the brighter touches.
We laid in a stock of provisions that
would have victualled family of six for
the given time. We took our sewing
machine with two bolts of muslin pack
ed up big box of books, our guitar,
fathers violin, and music enough for an
orchestra, and stated for the wilderness.


Once in four weeks we were to have
our mail brought to us from the outer
world. together with little necessaries
that must be obtained from time to time
Our only society in the meantime, must
be that of each other, unless we counted
our six Brahms hens and brood of ten
young chickens. -e


We found the place precisely as it had
been described to IS. dilapidated cot
tase that must have been thought almost
palatial at the time of building. 1t was
built of logs, of course but it had four
rooms. two of which were fit for use.
There had been an entry running through
it, but the front as well as the back door
was off its hinges. giving the prairie
wind a splendid chance to scurry through.
There were shaky stairs. also, and one
large room above thai had not progressed
beyond bare beams and rafters. A few
boards were placed across, path fashion.
but beyond that, nothing had been done
in the way of improvement.


"A fine chance to lock up of nights !"
was Kathie's first exclamation, as she
pointed to the unbinged doors.


mo bolts or locks to the two habita- |
BILE rooms, either" I made answer.


well, since we shall have nothing
moro formidable than musqui'os and
snakes to lock out. suppose there is
little use in being afraid. We can set !