The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume], October 22, 1915, Page 10, Image 10

About The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
THE FARMER: OCTOBER 22, 1915
10
5 'T-Ji'yJ
,4 "
3dT A MfhM A
(
,. (Continued.)
Sb shook her licua nnd, drawius
Hearer, seated "herself on the ground
before the"'-'" dugout. "You look Big
Hair," she- explained sedately, "6'it
youe, speech is talk of vre&k squaw'
."' Somewhat . disconcerted by theee
wors, WiHocfc sat down opposite her
and resumed his -Tape as if to assert his
sex. "I , seem weak to yon" he ex
plained, "because I love you, child, and
want to make friends .with you. But
let me meet a big man well, you'd see,
theni He looked so' ferocious as he
tittered these words, that she started
tip tike a frightened quail, ' ? - "
:Xo, no, . honey," he cooed abject
ly, "I woxildn't hurt? a fly. How comes
It that you, ain't forgot to talk like iv
.Wzcd being's ?"
lilted Feather, him always put me
with squaw that know English that
becii to school" on the reservation. Nev
er 1st iie learn tail; like' the Indians
Hini- always say some day take me to
my own people. '
" "Iid he; tell you . your mother died
two years ago?" '
"Yes. , Father, him dead too. Both
filed "in the plains. Father; was shot
by robbers. Mother was left in big
wa;na. Toh bury her nearluis moun
. tain"
"Oh. hoi So your father was killed
at the' same time your mother was, eh?"
"Yes.". v : '
"Well, all right, And now you got
nobody but me to look after you. Just
you tell me what you want, and it'll be
.. . v- v - -; - ' ; ' ,' .
..'"Vanf; to be . all like wiire people;
want to be just like mother."
.; "Well, 'I'll teach you a3 fur up as
I've i been myself. Your style of talk
ain't correct, but it was the best Red
Feather could do by you. Ill taker" you
by the baud right from where Red
Feather left you and carry you up the'
heights' , , '
' She examined him dubiously. "You
know how?" . .
"1" ain't no bellwether, iii the paths
of learning, honey,r but Red;' Feather is
some miles behind me-- . Wbafs your
name?-'
' "Lahoma." ; 1 :
"Bora that way or Injnnlzedr '; ,
"Father before he died iim an time
want to go settle In the- Oklahoma
country settle on a claim -witb-mother.
They go' there " trt-o times three -but
soldiers all tiautr make them go back to
Kansas, i So me, I was born, and they
named me pklaboma, but all time .they'
call me IJiboma. That I must be call
ed, Lahoma, because that father and
motber all time call me. Lahoma, that
my' name;" She 'inquired anxiously,"
"You ail me Lahoma T" . She leane-I
forward, hands upon knees, in breath
less anxietyi - - ' ; -"
"Yon bet your life I will, Lahoma!" -"Then
jme stay all time with you all
Hmel 4-nd you' teach me, talk right
and dress right and be like mother and
my twhite people? You teach me all
that?" ' - " - ' .
'- "That's the program. I'm going tc
civilize you that .means to make you
BY
II BRECKINRIDGE ELLIS
Copyright, 1913, by the Bobbs-Morrill
. .;.--. Company. ..
vanished from her face, and her eyes
sparkled with expectancy.
;
"You teach me all that?" t
'j i
' like' white folks. It's going to take
iime, but f the mountains are f ujl of
time." ,--... .
. "You 'civilize me right now? , You
begin today?"-. She,. 'started- up and
stood erect with arms folded, evident
ly waiting for treatment.
"Tho process -will be-going on-all tbe
While you're associating with me,
oney. That 'chief, Sed . Feather he
hit a daughter, hasn't he?"
"No; him say no girlno boy." She
spoke with confidence.
"I see. And your father's dead, too,
eh?". Evidently Red Feather had thor
oughly convinced her of the truth of
thes.e pretenses. '
"Both mother, father. Nobody but
me." She knelt down at his side, her
- tmnhled. , "If I had Just one!"
"Can you remember either of tnem?"
"Oh, yes, yes! And Red Feather,
him talk about them, talk, talk; al
ways say me be white with the white
- people seme day. This is the day.
You make me like mother was. You
civilize me begin!" The cloud had
CHAPTER IV.
"Your mother's grave."
AIN'T, got the 'tools yet, honey,"
went on Brick. "They's no
breaking up and enriching land
that ain't never bore nothing
but buffalo, grass without I have picks
and spades- and plows and harrer3. I
got to get my tools to begin."
She , stiffened herself. VYou needn't
be afraid I'll cry. I want you to hurt
me, if that the way."
"It ain't like a pain in the stomach,
Lahoma." All I gets for you will be
some books."
"Books? What are books?" : ,
"Books?". Willock rubbed his busDy
head in desperation. "Books? Why,
they Is just thoughts that somebody
has ketched and put in a cage where
they can't get away. If you want to
be civilized you got to lasso other peo
ple's thoughts people as has went to
and fro and has learned lifean. yo-j
got to dehorn ' them ideas and tame
'em." . ' ; " " . "
. .. Lahoma' examined him with new In
terest "Are you civilized?" 'Her countenance-fell.
' ' '
"Not tovno wide extent,- but I can
ford tqler'ble deep stream that would
drown you, honey. I can write my
own, name and yours too, I reckon.
Lahoma Gledwarej yes, I'm tolcr'ble
well .versed on a 'capital G; you' just
make a gap with, a flying tail to it." !
"My name; not . Lahdma Gledware,"
she" interposed in some severity. "My
name Lahoma Willock. Beautiful nams
lovely, like fiower Willock. ' Call me
Lahoma Wflioclclike song . of little
stream ; eSledware hard, rough."'1
,- Brick Willock stared at her in amaze
ment. "Where'd you get that from?"
"My ' pame : Lahoma Willock Red
Feather tell me", " . r -
He smoked in silence, puffing rapid
ly. ... "How came you to be named La
homa Willock?" : ' :'- - :, :
Lahoma suggested thoughtfully, "All
white people- named i Willock T"
"There's a few" Willock shook his
, head "with less agreeabls uamest. But,
after all, Tm glad you have my name.
:WelL honey,-'-.this is .enough talk about
being civilized. Now. let's make the
first move on the' way, s You want to
see your mother's grave and lay some
of these wild flowers on it That's a
part of, being civilized, caring; for
graves Is. It's just savages as forgets
the past. and consequently never laarna
nothing. -' Come along. Them,-moccasins
will do famous until I can get you
shoes from the settlements. But I got
a pony the first time I ventured to
Doan's ' store, and ifll carry you if I
have, to -walk at your side. - We'll make
a festibul march of that journey and
-lay in clothes as a girl should wear
and books' to last through the winter."
Willock rose and explained - tha they
must cross the mountain. As they
traversed it. he reminded her that she
had not gathered any of the flowers J
that were . scattered under sneitemig
bowlders. , v:.
""Why?' asked Lahoma, showing that
her heghict to do so was intentional.
"Well, honey,' don't you love and
honor that mother that bore so much
pnin and trouble for you, traveling
with you In her arms to the Oklahoma
country, trying to make ; a home for
you up there in the wilderness and at
last dying from the hartbhips, 'of the
plains?. Ain't' she worth ft few flow
ers?" . r - .
"She dead. She not see flowers, not
smell flowers, not know." : .
Willock said nothing, but the next
time they came to a clump of blos soms
he . made a nosegay. Lahoma
watered him with a face as "calm and
unemotional as .that of Red Feather
himself. ' '
"What you do with that?" She point
ed at the flowers in his rough hand.
"I'm going to put 'em on your moth
er's grave." ' ';.. '
"She not know, not see, not smell.
She dead; mother dead.
"Lahoma, do you- know anything
about God?" '
"Yes Great Spirit God make my
path-white." ,-
"Wen, I want Gocf to know that
somebody remembers your mother. It's
God . that smells the flowers on the
graves of the dead." , '
They walked on. v Pretty, soon Laho
ma began looking about for flowers,
but they had reached the last barren
ledge, and no more came in sight.
"Take these, Lahoma.",
'No. Couldn't' fool God." They be
gan the last descent Willock sudden
ly discovered that tears were slipping
down the girfs face. Suddenly she
cried joyfully, "Oh, look, look!" She
darted towa--.l the spot- at the foot of
a tall cedar where purple and white
blossoms, showed in profusion. She
gathered an armful, and they went
down to the plain. '
.J'Her head's toward the west' he
said as they stood beside the pile of
stones. Lahoma placed the flowers at
the 'western margin of the pyramid.
Willock , laid his at thel foot of the
grave. v
. . .'
- During the two years passed by Brick
s Willock in dreary solitude conditions
about him had changed. " The. hardships
of pioneer life which fifty .years ago
had obtained' in the middlfe: states yet
prevailed in 1882 ; in --the tract of land
claimed by . Texas under the name of
Greer county but the dangers of pio
neer life" were greatly lessened. - As
Lahoma made the acquaintance of the
mountain, range and explored the plain
extending Deyond tlic natural horse
shoe, Willock believed she ran little
- danger from Indians. He himself had
ceased to preserve his unrelaxing
watchfulness. After all, ithad been
the highwaymen rather than the red
men whom he had most feared,, and
after two years it did not seem likely
that such volatile men would preserve
the feeling of vengeance.
' With the wisdom derived from his
-experience with wild natures, he care
fully abstained from any attempt to
force, ; Lahoma's friendship; hence it
was not long before he obtained it
without reserve. In the njeantime he
talked incessantly, and to his 'admira
tion he presently found her manner of
speech wonderfully like his own both
fluent and ungrammatical.
He knew nothing of grammar, to be
cure, "but there were times when his
mistakes, echoed from her lips, struck
upon his ear, and, though he might not
always know how to correct them, he
was prompt to suggest changes, test
ing each, as a natural musician judges
music By ear. Dissatisfied with his
own standards, he was all the move
-impatient to depart on the expedition
after mental tools, despite the dangers
that might beset the journey.
His first task, prompted by the com
ing of Lahoma, had been -to partition
off the half of the dugout containing
the. stove for the child's private cham
ber. , Cedar posts set in the ground
and plastered witb. mud higher than
his head left a' space between the top
and the apex of the ceiling that" the
temperature might be equalized in both
rooms.,. Thus far, however, they did
not stay in the dugout except long
enough to eat and sleep, for the au
tumn had continued delightful, and the
cove seemed to the child her home, of
which the dugout was a sort of cellar.
Concerning the stone retreat in the
crevice she knew nothing. Willock did
not know why he kept the secret since
he trusted Lahoma with all his treas-
urest but the unreasoning reticence of
the man - great loneliness still rested
on him. . ..
. - "Lahoma," he said one day, "there's
a settler over yonder In the mountains
across the south plain. How'd you like
to pay him a visit?" . '
"I don't want anybody but you," saiJ
Lahoma promptly. .
Willock stood on one leg, rubbing
the other meditatively with his delight
ed foot. Not the quiver of a muscle,
however, revealed the fact that her
words: had flooded his heart with sun
shins. "Well, honey, (that's in reason.
But Vvs got to take you' With me after
books and wlnt6r supplies',, and I don't
like the idea of traveling alone. It
corns to me that I might get Mr. Set
tler to go too. Time was not so long
ago when Injun bands was coming and
going, and, although old. Greer is be
ginning to be sprinkled up 'with set
tlers here and there, I can't get over
the feel of the old times. They ain't
no sensation as sticks by a man when
he's come - to be wedged in between
forty-five, and fifty, as the feel of the
old times.".
"Well," said 'Lahoma earnestly, . "I
wish you'd leave me hene when you
go after them books.' I don't want to
be with no strangers. I . want' to just
squat right here and bear myself com
pany." '., ,
"That's in reason. But, honey, while
you might be safe enough while bearing-
theeame I would be plumh crazy
worrying about you. I might not have
good cause for worrying, but worry
ingit ain't no birffl that spreads its:
wings and goes north when cold
weather', comes; worrying it's inde
pendent of causes and seasons."
"If you have, got to be stayed, with
to keep you from worrying they ain't
nothing more to be said." s
"Just so. That there old" settler, .
have crossed a few words with 'him,
and I believe he would do noble to
travel with. He's as. gruff and growly
as a grizzly bear if you say a word to
him,, and if he'll just turn all that
temper he's vented on me on to" any
strangers we may run up against on
the trail he'll do invaluable"
"I'll go catch up the pony," said La-:
noma briefly, "for I see the thing is
to be did. This will be the .first visit
I ever made in my life when I wasn't
drug by the Injuns."
"You mustn't say 'drug,' honey, un
less specifying . medicines and herbs.
You must say 'dragged.' The "-Injuns
dragged you from one village to an
other." He paused meditatively; mut
tering the word to himself, while la
homa ran away to catch the pony.
When she came back he said: "I've
been a-weighing that"' word, Lahoma,
and it don't seem to me that 'dragged
sounds proper. What do you .think?"
i "I don't like the sound of It neither,"
said Lahoma, shaking her head. "I
think drug is softer. - It kinder melts
in the ear, and dragged sticks.";
"Well, don't use neither one till I
can find out." Presently he was swing
ing along acrossthe plain toward, the
southwestern range, while the girl kept
close beside him on the pony.
Brick Willock and the man - he had
come to see were very good types of
the first settlers of Greer county one
a highwayman,, hiding from his kind,
the other a trapper by occupation try-.
ing to keep ahead of , the pursuing
waves of immigration. It ' was the
first time Lahoma had een Bill At
, kins, and as . she caught sight of him
before his dugout her eyes brightened
with ' interest. He was a tall, lank v
man of about sixty-five, with a huge
gray mustache and bushy hair of Iron
gray, but without a beard.
,But Lahoma-was not afraid of coy
otes, catamounts or mountain lions,
and she. was not afraid of Bill Atkins.
Her eyes brightened at the discovery
that he held, in .his hand that which
Willock had described to her as a book.
, : '.'Does', hes. read?" she asked Willock
breathlesslyl "Does he read. Brick?"
- The man looked up. saw Villoek and
bent over his book discovered Lahoma
on the pony and looked up again, un
willingly but definitely. "You never
told me you had a; little girl," he re
marked gruffly. ;
( "You never, asked me," said Willock.
"Get down, Lahoma, and make your
self at home." ' .
The man shut his book. "What are
you going to do?'
, "Going to visit you. Turn' the pony
loose. Ldhoma. ' He 'won't go far."
- (To toe Crontlnued.)
- .
The college sophomores don't both
er the freshmen any longer, as it
takes all their-time to haze the pro
i 1 i
1 ifo&yFPT1 AuiyiiJ J?
I . . ite SM0i ,
U " - W V V, $33? ti f UkB 1 1 1 1 a
1379 Main St.
Between Arch and
High Sts.
ary Sals
OFFERS GREATEST VALUES
in all sorts of home furnishings-
-a
noteworthy spe c i a 1
among the many being
these wonderful
4
f
CONVENIENT TERMS
Here's a real range bargain a
range that has stood the test of 35
years of satisfactory use in homes
that demand the best. Efficient for
every use to which a good range
x can be put and constructed of du
rable materials by the highest
grade of skilled specialists in the
stove producing world.
Healing Stoves of All Kinds
$3.75 up.
Two Very
FOR ONLY
imporfaiii Specials
An outfit that will do Justice to any
home, consisting- of V N '
Heavy Brass Bed, Spring and
Mattress, Mahogany Finish
. Dresser and Chiffonier of Adam,
design with Cane Seat Chair and
Rocker to match.
in Entire Be
FOR ONLY
01IIIS
An outfit of unusual richness and
most attractive, consisting- of
Massive 2 in. Post Brass Bed
with 2 in. JFillers, Spring and
Cotton Mattress, Birdseye Maple
Dresser and Chiffonier, with
Chair and Rocker to match.
SPECiAL50c to $5.00 FRAMED PICTURES orcnadt 25c lo S3.C0
Special Prices on All Kinds
1 - 61 RugsC' W-.
Royal Ka Shan Wiltons, highest "quality of all
Wilton Rugs 9x12 size .'. i".
The Famous Ardahan Rugs -79x12. size . .
The Celebrated Sarouk Rugs 9x12, size.
Fine Axminster Rugs $25.00 Vajue . . . ,
$67.50
; $35 00,
. $35-oo
$18.00
HE ANNIVERSARY SALE CONTINUES
' .ALL NEXT WEE&-- 7
-Wach the Sunday Papers for Many New
Bargains lor the Coming Week. ,
13In 1 THE LEE BEIITiEiS FURNITUEE CO.
Opposite
Lyric Theatre
STATE TEACHERS
HOLD MEETINGS
IN FOUR CITIES
New Haven, Oct. 22. The 69th an
nual meeting of the Connecticut State
Teachers' Association was held to
day, the sessions in accordance with
a new arrangement taking x place
simultaneously in four cities, Hart
ford, New Haven, . Danbury and New
London. For several years past the
sessions have been held concurrently
in Hartford and New Haven and be
fore that alternated between - those
two plaices.- The broader problems
of education were discussed at general
meetings while the moral detailed
phases and needs of school work were
taken up in sectional gatherings, .the
former being so arranged for morn
ing and afternoon as -to permit an in
terchange of speakers.
At the general meeting in the morn
ing at New Haven, the chief address
was givii by Philaneder P. Claxton,
United States Commissioner of Educa
tion, on "Democracy in Education."
' In the afternoon. Rabbi Stephen S.
Wise,, of New York City, spoke on.
"The ' War- Against War or Is War.
Cureless?" ,
. At Hartford, the morning speaker
was Prbf. J. W. Hudson, of the Uni
versity of Missouri, whose topic was
"American Ideals in Education." In
the afternoon, the speaker was Com
missioner Claxton.
At New London, the speaker of the
morning was Rabbi Wise, and of the
afternoon Di-. John' Dewey, of New
York City, who spoke on "New Fac
tors in Education."
At Danbury, Marcus H. White,
principal of the New Britain Normal
School, delivered the morning address
on "Some Educational Fallacies,"
Prof. Hudson bein'g the speaker of the
afternoon.. '" -.-
SWOBODA IS FREED,
AWAITS' FINAL ACTION
Paris, Oct. 22 Raymond Swoboda
has been discharged from prison, the
charge of espionage on which he was
held, having been dropped recently.
Ho has been released by the prefec
ture pending settlement of the ques
tion of his nationality.
Swoboda, who claims Amricari citi
enship, was arrested in June on a
charge of setting iire to the French
line steamer La To-iiraine. This ac
cusation was dropped but he was held
on suspicion of espionage. On Oct.
5 it was announced that the French
military authorities had decided that
there was no evidence on which to
hold him. , . It was; reported at that
time, that he might be sent to a con
centration camp.
'TIS HALLOWEEN WHEN SPIRITS STALK,
WHEN GATES WALK OFF AND FENCEPOSTS TALK!
'WHAT THINGS' WEi "SEEl blf -
ft
3 tk
w1
- ' If
9. Jr 4M!-S
, i k it oy , j
f rJ:X i -S X v-
5 A I
' III I I iimiii I nil in ill
BULGARIANS DENY
STRUMITSA CAPTURE
Amsterdam, Oct. 22. A telegram
received here from Sofia, by way. of
Berlin makes a categorical denial of
the report that the Bulgarian city of
Strumitsa has been captured by
Anglo-French troops. 'The message
states that in encounters which took
place with a few Bulgarian detach
ments, the French and British were
defeated and were unable ,i,o make
any advance toward the Bulgarian
frontier.
U. S. w
ON EXEC
ON'T ACT
UTION
The Cunard liner Orduna arrived
in . Jew "Kork. -from ,. Liverpool .with
$1,250,000 in gold, consigned to
American bankers.
.Washington, ' . Oct. 22 Secretary
Lansing had no report today from
Ambassador Page or Minister Whit
lock on the execution of Miss Edith
Cavell, the British nurse, by German
military authorities of Brussels.
As communication is' carried on di
rectly between American legations
abroad, concerning, prisoners and for
eign subjects under their care, officials
do not regard the lengthy published
correspondence between Mr. Page and
Mr. Whitlock without reference- to
the state department as unusual.
So far as the Washington govern
ment is concerned, the case appears
closed, every diplomatic' effort appar
ently having been exhausted previous
to the execution.
American Smelting & Refining Co.
advanced its price of lead from 4.50
cents to 4.75 cents per pound.-;, '
The Dayton, O., plant of tho Max
well Motor Car Co., will be greatly
extended , and the body making mill
doubled in capacity.