The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 16, 1900, Page 21

then while the child sang her , she stood by the window S n 1g. There -was not a_breath of or a speck of cloud. The air was cold that she almost wished a 1ad not heard of the party bricks for, their feet were alrea; th the heavy . s there thinking. £he remembered thelr last Christmas eve old Vermont for sleighing, nd friends to there was a little grave ed to themn in those far-away Marth glad . How n seemed! Nothing as far as she could see, and that asked wee Marjory, soft hand Mam- 1 wonderingi the transient ared for the long, cold o round by the to the some of time all Mo'am I , helping in the hou: fields, ward t much like their white compan- me get 1t 1 answerlng to < r names that n to them. In bounded to the ing questioning v ny other names, em, Tab! that they had g to the cup- e was Mary and how her baby came to be Big hand that Doll at, he put the ple When the first a'falfa crop was being ing and laughing vested that summer Mary, with some ~hoolboy. aunts and cousins, “raked the meadows e went on be- sweet with hay” for Juseph Dean and in ap'n when she the afternoon domestic, soclal Marjorie some ples for went out ealling with her dolis and fittle starving for gon. The hay fleld was just beyond | come, Jo? and the ditch and she often Went alone. Di- my own jove,” he rectly there was a wild call for “Mamma, 4 in his arms, leap- mamma!” the sound of pattering feet and a1 Fing away in a diz- little wagon wheels hurrying across the hirl ar d the house and then drop- bridge and r:-xen screaming Indian women arefully on the ste ain with in hot pursuit. T o e SieD B&d prom- . What under the sun?’— but Marjorie ) w they would go. Hal interrupted with “I foun' it. I foun' it. ichards al had his way with every Big Dolly. Mine; mine!” sobbing bitterly one. as Mary came up and snatched from the "The aay passed, the baking was finished wagon & tiny red-brown baby wrapped and Martha found time to slip into the in a red calico apron. In its place she bedroom to mark the few gifts for little threw down the dolls that had hitherto We're p Y been the child's } come of no t was not he ard cried her: quent visits and the privilege of etting it for Marjory's « tha learned to love the unsmiling aining little creature whose rot awck eyes looked though they well might ex the strange name the for Big Dolly it was w Big Dolly w they crossed the * a gently swung aside noticed any but made no wer to_thelr words of sympathy a: as they left her sad gaze followed the litle falr-haired and told him to *be well to-mor- As they went out a puff of smoke from the smothered fire where they had baked thelr evening cakes rusted to meet them : anger or reproach: flame glared fiercely for a moment, leap- raging mutely in its ness, then crept beneath the frag- ments of charred wood and died, and the ashes lay where it was no sound ywhere except the far- whining bark of a coyote tangling the air M a snarl of d It was dreari! cold in there where Mary h her moaning ‘Was it this Mary or the other whose child lay among heaps of straw who was so_happy—no, so exceed- Things seemed strange- 1y_mixed in Martha's mind that night. When they reacned Bob Sanders’ cabin the company, sixteen besides themselves and not including the children, had al come and were waitin, while they laughed an gay songs of In the straw! ingly sorrowful? for the fiddler, Jjoked and sa ntier life as they st about the stove, a sheetiron heater stand- ing in the middle of the house, where a artition was 3 rds were ranged along ome si THE SUNDAY CALL end and upheld by nall kegs and dry goods boxes. On these were heaped shawls, cloaks and wooden hoods ard nes- tled among them a half dozen or so or children too young to dance and most of them asleep. “0 Ma’am Dean,” Hal Richards called did vou bring the ples? Come in, Jo, and waim yourself. We'll blanket the team."” Hal was everywhere and,-as usual, al- ways talking or singing and quite eclipsed or, bashful, awkward Bob: but Betty, »ily’ Betty, who could cut her cord of -00d or 1asso & wild steer with the best of them, was also quick of brain and tongue and not ensy to silence, After many a cogitettish evasion and hi- larfous game of {ag partners were se- cured and the two sets took their places at_either end of the long room, with the red-hot stove between them. “Fire away, Jo!" “Screw up vour music box!” and loud yvawns and imitation snores never for an instant hurried Joseph Dean, who belfeved In ‘“gettin’ a good read He rat in a_rawhide chalr on a dry goode box, with Hunchy Pat, the call- er, at his feet. “C-r-e-a-k. c-r-a-w-k, tum, tum!" came from the quivering sirings. Then Joe raised his chin, set the violln carefully in place and held the bow polsed while the Taiting company, old and young, stood on :me foot listening for the first note of the une. “Slam to yer pardners!" shouted Hunchy, and the bow pounced on the first wail of “Buffalo Girl"—very appropriate, considering the extraordinary perform- ance that foliowed. the bowing and bob- bing of heads, jerking of shoulders and geraping of feet, the awkwardness, real and assumed, of the merry crowd. O, the kiote's ghost 1s a-walkin’ to-night, Is a-walkin' to-night; He hunts iffthe sage when the stars are alight And barks St the goose in the moo-00-oon, And barks.at the goose in the mog-00-oon, Sang Hal, bowing toward the violin and striking ih at the beginning of the tune. *“Don’t he, Maggie Dean? Come on, you little jumping Jack!” And he swung ier to hig shovider, where she sat laught: to his curly topknot 5 through the changes with oniy one for rtner. e center and all hands round. - Which are we, Periwinkle?” o' course!” she answered Indig- Martka, locking and listening, amused with the cddity of it ali. felt a sudden chill and put out her hand to close the side door near, which was standing partly open, but some object prevented. Before she could move to learn what, the obstruc- tion was out of the crack and inside. She could hear it, could feel it wriggling alon the floor, even pressing her feet forward to get more room. It was surely not a for it was apparently trying to be quret. She might have screamed, though Murtha was not a screaming woman, but a hand grasped her ankle and a hise of warning ceme from the creeping creature. Then she almost laughed at herself. Of ake Schnieder, the scamp! at Well. he might have his fun; she wouldn’t spofl it The swinging couples jarred the floor ili the stovepipe chattered In its place in the roof and threatened to fall. “Put it cut went around the room. Directly the stove was outside, the fire poured on the frozen ground and plled with sage tops till the flames went crack- ing high in air. Jartha never danced. so watched the fire, thinking. t ing strange visions In the wavering, sway- ing, vaulting flame and smoke. She seem- ed to see faces, dark intent, vengeful, ering at her from the quivering heat ey came and went and came again, lifted high or dropped low and moved stealthily nearer and nearer to the door. They were childrer of the fire, these faces her wakinz dream, for they glowed darkly red, and two were hideous with blackened cheeks and forehead. They scemed—rshaw! what was wrong with her that she should have h notions? She would think of something else, of Jakey and his mischief. What d!d he mean to do? 8She glanced at the space between overhanging shawls near which he had stopped moving, and ‘there, for one in- etant. lay a red-brown hand closed about the hilt of a hunting knife. Ah, then those were real—not dream faces that had shone out from the fire, Hal was stiil singin What's the matter with our caller? We must get & better bawle Patty's volce ia growing smaller; bound for the promised land. " grumbled Hunchy, “who 1s caller ere, 1'd like ter know?" “Cure, an’ It's ginerally sahposed to be ver Riverence,” answered Hal. ‘Yis, Darlint; as fast as I can. As he bent to set Marjorie In her lap Martha spoke close to his ear. ‘Don't look. There are Plutes outside. What do want " 't know,” he answered; “T'll find t." He was soon back with his report, which was that Mary’'s kid had gone up the shaft and the familles were aft- be afther lettin’ it go er the doctor’s scalp: that it was the third Plute he had let go out of his hands to the happy hunting grounds, or some other place, and he must take the consequences; also that they had tracked him to Bob's e abin. Martha thought hard for one swift in- stant. “‘Hai!” He stood at attention. “At the end of this dance get them all out and beip me set the table.” He saluted and ““They are all going out and Hal and I will set the table. You go with them and, Jo.” laying her hand on his, “act the fool ut yer face and keep vour blab. shall have some, too. around the house, even groped among the 2 sleepy swine. and, though still unsatisfied, -Say, M: y walited. And 8o, In the light of the burn- ghost of & show to save that Injun if it ing sage, fragments of two races filleq gl their cups from the same coffee-pol ::S “Therefore, bless the sage for the took bread from the pams jin plais, wered, #01 aalf an hour if you never did There are Plutes out there. Watc but don't seem to. Keep somehow. Don’t stare and d questions. It means a life.” Jo nodd “Oh, wake up, Jo!" growled Tom kins, and Hal began: Now we'll catch aho And we'il change ¢ Riddle, diddle, fiddle. All ¢rivs-cross ‘n’ dow: to his wittly and as easily Hal, standing with his back Goor, n one pratext or an- With sk & great 1 the dancers and their vis- wed his lead. v ¥ z. But another danger rolled up, head . thrown 1t t t In his haste io stamping the lively tune. but hile 1tk had thrown th he was wondering what : was up to P le, jaggle, Jigsle, D, a5, o All tar across the or was flung open at were as n sound geance to overtake fts vie- e was up, and runuing Then he disappearsd: e bound by the law of his life. dren tore at t With a great slam bang Hal's volce sougded abov t shouted, ‘‘Vamose! Cle Git! It's supper bucket, Bob? Rake out t body, and find the coffee p the table extension? Jo. Maggie; Cap'n Dean and T w closed doors for a speli. Now next?’ He had locked the walting. with the serious q ell as voice. “The Piute doctor s ! thing 1§ to save him if opened his eves wide, then laid his finger on his lip. She kr ha bur bru ny other thing o and feathered and ¥ n ere be them Injuns was shootin’ a minute ago?” w and no one guessed except shawl-draped bench and : o words passed between her and th ¢ betore the fire fugitive. Then she went outsic i the mew cup= the feast, re- three cheers for them luck and a Hal, obeying orders, rolled in the barrels, set one in the middle of th and another near each end a their place the two long boards to_serve as table. Jo was doirg gloriously, N and she, too, laughed an tried to sing. but tha words come were ‘“far, far away’ and stopped. shiveredand complained of t draught tetweer the house and the sage oile. “Let's fill it in,” sne suggested. A arricade of brush was quiekly raised and approved; then she went in after ng frosty them not to let the coffee boil over. ured depths as b Hal had spreod the tablecioths and was and shone with as gl opening bundles, boxes and baskets. Mar- ise. How neighborly Bob and Betty hundred merry reir various ways. drove Martha looked fous stars of prom- people wers, o make the most of every good, o enjoy a been much, and comes—yet how ments! The rumbl er in the several distan entirely, and all selves was ruptions ¢ ™ and tha carefully dufastened the side looked out. No one was ther new wall cast a deep shadow pa ner of the house. She stepped t door and At the touch of the coid pillow of her little bed Marjory's eyes flew open with a startled, pieading look in their blue shad- ows. the Indlan lay and walked slowly Mamma,~ she demanded, * ™~ the bench while he Wriggled backward What did Ged want Big Doily fort out through the door and close to that Couldn't he find some other Christmas thin wall between bim and death, then lay present? I saw him. up e I dess there, face down and very still. while ] dreamed it,” she added sicepily, and nes- rtha, closing the door softly, answerea tleq & id she dream 167 Hals cheerful nonsense, though her hands - Marthe et and. watcned the child, trembled and her voice sometimes shook, thinking of the sorrowing Indlan mother Then, going again. she leaned care- and of that other Mary through whose lessly against the looseiy piled sage till it ;omnn(',:f{n;.- R atinns Ware to deaw tos toppled over in a tumbled, ifregular heap gether, to contend often, to unite some- beyond. §ot A sound came from the times, but tot harmonize—when? buried Indian, 5 “1 guess,” remarked Jo thoughtfully, “There, I've spoiled the fence,” she ex- “if we went by such a rule there'd be claimed. “Never mind, the coffee is done - tors an’ and supper is ristmas morning came rrows, the uncertain been u wouldn't ‘a’ had the They hesitated, went inside and all dn't ‘a’ben for the sage.