,, .tattu
BED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
1E
The Branding Iron
By Katharine Neulin Burt
FOREWORD
Next to the itnpulBcn to natlpy
ImtiKfr ntul thirst, iiiul to rest
when tlrcil, tliu most olninrtitnt
In to possess something; to ,o
qulro property. Willi posse lon
coiiiph tho thntiKlit of protecting
and o tnnrkltiK tho property ns
to fllstliiRUlsli It from that bo
lonfflnic to others, Tlio brnnillnK
Iron In only nn Improvement
upon criulo methods of marking
In vacuo nlnco tho boclnnliufH of
thn human race. Thin Is n
romance of tho cattlo country.
Primarily, It Is a lovo Htory In
which tho passions of vlrlln,
ntronK - willed, danger - defying
people aro roallHtlciilly nnd
poworfully revealed. Knthnrlno
Nowlln Hurt, tho nuthoreHS. hns
had much cxpcrlcnco of tho Went
and finds crcat Inspiration for
hor work In the life nnd chnr
nctcrs of that region. There aro
few writers who cfiunl her In
ability to mako readers feel tho
(motions of lur characters and
tho effects of llfo spent In closo
conjunction with wild nnturo.
Book One: The Two-Bar
Brand
CHAPTER
i
Joan Reads by Firelight
Tliero Is no silence ho fearful, so
linen llilcss, .so searching hh tho night
ullonce of a wild country burled live
feet deep In snow. For thirty miles
(r so, north, south, cast and west of
lie small, half-smothered speck of
pold In Pierre Lnndls' cabin window,
Jhore lay, on n certain December
lilght, this silence, bathed In moon
light. Tlio cold was Intense: below
tho bench where Pierre's homestead
lay tliero rose from the twisted, rapid
river a cloud of steam above which
tho hoar-frosted tops of coltonwood
trees were perfectly distinct, trunk,
branch and twig, against a sky tho
color of Iris petals. The stars dared
brilliantly, hardly dimmed by the full
moon, and over the vnat surface of tho
onow minute crystals kept up a steady
shining of their own. The range of
hnrp, wind-scraped mountains, up
lined fourteen thousand feet, rode
ncross the country, northeast, south
west, dazzling In white armor, spears
tip to tho sky, a sight, seen suddenly,
to take the breath, like the crashing
jDiarch of archangels militant.
In the center of this ring of silent
rybtal I'lerre Landls' logs shut In a
jlttlo square of warm and ruddy hu
man darkness. Joan, bis wife, made
tho heart of this defiant space Joan,
the one mind living In this ghostly
urea of night. She had put out thn
lamp, for Pierre, starting townward
two days before, had warned her with
certain threatening sharpness not
to wasto oil, nnd she lay on thn
hearth, her rough head almost In the
Dshcs, reading n book by the unsteady
light of the flames. She followed the
printed lines with a strong, dark fore
finger nnd her lips framed the words
with slow, whispering motions. It
was n long, strong womun's body
utretched (here across the lloor, heav
ily if not sluggishly built, dressed
rudely In wnrm stuffs and clumsy
boots, and it wns a heavy face, too,
unlit from within, but built on lines
of perfect animal beauty. Tho head
nnd throat had tho massive look of a
marble fragment stnlncd to one even
(one nnd dug up from Attic earth. And
she was rending thus heavily und
slowly, by firelight In the midst of
this tremendous northern night, Keats'
version of Boccaccio's "Tale of Isa
bella and the Pot of Basil."
The story for some reason interest
ed her. She felt that she could un
derstand the love of young Lorenzo
nnd of Isabella, the hatred of tlioso
two brothers and Isabella's horrible
tenderness for that young murdered
head. There were even things In her
own life that she compared with
theso; in fact, at every phrase she
stopped, and, staring nhend, crudely
nnd Ignorantly visualized, nfter her
own experience, whnt sho had Just
read; nnd, In doing so, she pictured
her own life.
I lor love and Pierre's her llfo be
fore Pierre cnine to put herself In
Isabella's place, she felt back to tho
days before her love, when sho had
lived In a desolation of bleak poverty,
tip and away along T.ono river In Iter
father's shack. This log houso of
Pierre's was a castle by contrast.
John Carver and his dnughler had
shared one room between them; Joan's
bed curtained off with gunny-sacklng
In a corner. She slept on hides and
rolled herself up in old dingy patch
work quilts and worn blankets. On
winter mornings she would wnke cov
ered with the snow that bad sifted In
between the Ill-matched logs. There
lind been a stove, one leg gone and
substituted for by a lingo cobble
stone; thero liad been two chairs, n
long box, a foible, shelves all rudely
made by John; tliero had been guns
nnd trnps nnd snowshoes, hides, skins,
tho wings of birds, a couplo of fishing
rods John ninde his living by legal
and lllegnl trapping and killing. He
I ud looked like n trapped or hunted
nenture himself, small, furtive, very
('"ric, with long fingers always work
i ' over Mm mouth, k great crooked
Copyright liy Katharine N. Hurt
nose a hideous man, surely a hideous
father. Ho hardly ever spoke, but
sometimes, corning (ioii'o from tho
town which ho visited several times n
year, but to which he had never tnken
Joan, ho would sit down over tho stove
and go over henvlly, for Joan's benefit,
tho story of his crime and his escape.
Joan always told herself that she
would not listen, whntcver he Bi-Jd
she would vtop her ears, but ulwuyt
the story fascinated Vr, held her, eyes
widened on the figure by the stove.
Ho had sat huddled In his chair,
gnomelike, his face contorting with
tho emotions of the story, bis own
brilliant eyes fixed on tho round red
mouth of tho stove. Tho rellectlon of
this scarlet circle was hideously no
ticeable In his pupils.
"A mnn's n right to kill his woman
If sho ain't honest with him," so the
story began; "If he finds out she's
ben trick In' of him, playln' him off
for another mnn. That was yer
mother, gel; she was a bad woman."
There followed n coarse and vivid
description of hor badness and the
manner of It. "That kinder thing no
man enn let pass by In bis wife. I
found her" again the rude details of
his discovery "an' I found him, an'
I let him go for the white-livered cow
ard ho was, but her I killed. I shot
hor dead after she'd said her prayers
an' asked Clod's mercy on her soul.
Then I walked off, but they kotched
me an' I was tried. They didn't swing
me. Out In them parts they knowed
I was in my rights; so the boys held,
but 'twas n life sentence. They tuk
me by rail down to Dawson nn' I give
em the slip, handcuffs an' all. Per
haps 'twas only n half-hearted ehaso
they nindo fer me. Some of them fel
lers niebbo had wives of their own."
He always stopped to laugh nt this
point. "An I cut off up country till
She Followed the Printed Lines With
a Strong, Dark Flnaer.
I come to a smfthy at the edge of a
town. I hung round for a spell till the
smith lied gone off an' I got Into his
place an' rid me of the handcuffs.
'Twns a Job, but I wasn't kotched at
It an' I made myself free." Followed
the story ?r his wnnderlugn una his
hardships and his coming to t.oiic
river nun setting out his urvs. "In
tUem days there weren't no law ag'ln'
trnppln' heaver. A man could make
a honest Uvln. Now they've tuk an'
made- laws ng'ln' n man's bread an'
butter. I ask ye, If 'tnln't wrong on
u Tuesday to trap yer beaver, why,
'tnln't wrong thn follerln' Tuesday. I
don't see It, Jes becos some fellers
bnck there bus ninde a law ng'ln' it
to suit themselves. Anyway, the mar
ket fer heaver hides Is still prime.
Mebbe I'll leave you n forth), gel.
I've snved you from bndness, anyhow.
I rlhketl a lot to go back an' git you,
but I done It. You was playln out In
front of yer mint's house an' I come
fer you. You was n three-year-old an'
a big youngster. Says I, 'What's yer
name?' Says you, Moan Carver'-; an'
I knowed you by yer likeness to her.
By 0 dl I swore I'd save ye. 1 tuk
you off with me, though you put up a
fight an' I bed to use you rough to
silence you. 'There ain't a-goln' to bo
no man in yer life, Joan Carver,' says
I; 'you an' yer big eyes Is n-goln' to
bo for me, to do my work an' to look
after my comforts, No pretty boys
fer you an' no husbands either to go
a-shootln' of you down fer yer sins.'''
He shivered and shook his head. "No,
hero you stays with yer father an'
grows up n good gel. There uln't
a-goln' to be no man In yer life,
Joan."
But youth was stronger than the
man's haf-crazy will, and when she
wns seventeen Joan ran away.
Sho found her way easily enough to
tho town, for she was wlso In tho
tracks of the wild country, and John's
trail townwnrds, though so rarely
used, was to her eyes plain enough;
H rtlSHBKBEj ED
IIP I
and very coolly she walked Into tho
hotel, past the group of loungers
nround tho stove, and nsked at the
desk, where Mrs. Upper sat, If sho
could get u Job. Mrs. Upper and the
loungers stared, for there were few
women In this frontier country nnd
those few were well known. This
great, strong girl, heavily graceful In
her henvlly awkward clothes, bar
headed, shod like a man, her face nml
L throat purely classic, hor eyes gray
nnd wide and as secret In expression
as nn unturned beast's no one hud
ever seen the like of her before.
"What's yer name?" asked Mrs. Up
per suspiciously. It was Mormon day In
the town; tliero were celebrations and
her houso was full; she needed extra
hands, hut where this wild creaturo
was concerned she was doubtful.
"Joan. I'm John Cnrver's daugh
ter," answered the girl.
At once comprehension dawned;
heads were nodded, then craned for n
better look. Yes, the town, the whole
country even, had heard of John Car
ver's Imprisoned daughter. Sober
and drunk, he had boasted of her and
of how there was to bo "no mnn" In
her life. It was like dangling ripe
fruit nhovo the mouths of hungry boys
to make such a boast In such a laud.
"Your father sent you down here
for a Job?" nsked Mrs. Upper Incred
ulously. "No. I come." Joan's grave gaze
wn unchanging. "I'm tired of It up
there. I ain't a-goin' back. I'm most
eighteen now an' I kinder want n
change."
Sho had not meant to be funny, but
n gust of laughter rattled tho room.
Sho shrank bnck. It was more terrl
fylng to her than nny cruelty she
had fancied meeting her In the town.
Theso were tho men her father had
forbidden, these- loud-laughing, crin
kled faces. She had turned to brave
them, a great surge of color In her
brows.
"Don't mind the boys, dear," spoke
Mrs. Upper. "They will laff, Joke or
none. We ain't nono of us blamln'
you. It's a wonder you ain't run off
long afore now. I can give you n Job
an' welcome, but you'll be green an'
unhnndy. Well, sir, we kin learn ye.
You kin turn yer hand to chamber
work an' mebbe help nt the table.
Maud will show you. Hut, Joan, whnt
will dad do to you? He'll be tnkln"
nfter you hot-foot, I reckon, an' be
fer gettln' you back home ns soon as
he enn."
JoRn did not change her look.
"I'll not be goin' back with him,"
sho said.
Her slow, deep voice, chest notes of
a musical vibration, stirred the room.
The men were hers and grullly said so.
A sudden warmth enveloped her from
heart to foot. She followed Mrs. Up
per to the Initiation In her service,
clothed for the first time In human
sympathies.
CHAPTER II
Pierre Lays His Hand on a Heart.
Maud Upper was the first glil of
her own age that Joan had ever t:een.
Joan went In terror of hor nnd .Maud
knew this and enjoyed her ascend
ancy over an untamed creaturo twice
her size. There was the crack of n
llnn-tamer's whip In the tone of her
Instructions. Thnt was after a day
or two. At first Maud had been hor
ribly nfrald of Joan. "A wild thing
like her, llvln' off there In the bills
with that man; why, ma, there's no
tellln' what the might bo doln' to roe."
"She woP. T hurt ye," InuqlirJ Mrs.
Upper, ud'o had lived In ,be wilds
herself, having been a frontienuan's
wife before the days even of this fron
tier town and having married tho
hotel-keeper as a second venture. Sho
knew thnt civilization -this rude place
being clvlllzntlon to Joan would cow
the girl, and she knew that Maud's
self-assertive buoyancy would frighten
the soul of her. Maud was large,
hipped, blgh-hosomed. with a small,
round waist much confpresied. She
taught Jnau Impatiently and humhod
loudly hut not unkindly at her ways.
"Geo, she's nwkward, ain't she?"
she would say to the men; "tr.ill like
a bull moose!"
The men grinned, but their e.es fol
lowed Joan's movements. As n mat
ter of fact, she was not awkward.
Through her clumsy clothes, the heavi
ness of her early youth, In plii yf
all the fetters of her Ignorant e. her
wonderful long botes and her woinJw
fill strength nsseite.l thomspKes And
she neer hurried. At first this ap
parent si;g;:istinc-s Infuriated Maud.
'Get e gait on ye, Joan Carver:" sho
would scream above the din of the
rough meals, but soon sho found thnt
Joun's slow movements accomplished
a tremendous amount of work hi an
aniazlngly short time. There Mas no
pause In the girl's activity. She
poured out her strength as n pthon
pours his, noiselessly, evenly, steadily,
no haste, no waste. And the men's
eyes brooded upon her.
(to nn coNTixunn.)
Unfair Attack.
Cabby (to chauffeur, whose car has
bumped Into his horse) Ah, yer
blankety blank cowr.rd I Forty against
one! -Boston Evening Trunscrlpt.
NEW CLOTHES FOR SCHOOL;
GOWNS IN SUAVE LINES
FOK the little daughter, who must
have new clothes for September
wear, there nro many new and at
tractive styles in frocks ninde of tub
mutorlnlu that will delight her youth
ful heart. And furthermore, because
or their simplicity, they do not pre-M-nt
any dlflletilty In making. Tub
frocks for Juvenile wear are being
shown In linen and gingham In all
sorts of cheery colors and nearly all
of .them hnve for decoration simple de
signs in hand embroidery to relievo
the severe lines of the mode.
Devonshire gingham Is used In tho
little dress pictured here. Tho collar
and cults nre of white linen embroid
ered with bright-colored cotton yams.
Devonshire
The wnlstllne Is defined with
two
rows of cording and the collar ties
with a little ribbon bow.
Dotted swlss voile and bailste con
tinue ns the most popular materials
for party wear. Little frocks of these
.materials aro elaborated with pin
tucks, smocking, hand-drawnwork and
embroidery nnl aro developed In
shndes of mauve, light blue, pink, rose,
French blue, and tangerine. Linens, In
plain colors generally, have collars and
lecve facings of tho same material In
contrasting colors, embroidered
tiny flowers In slmplo patterns.
Coats, capes and suits lor junior
girls Incorporate ninny of the same
style Ideas as those of their elders.
Youthful two and three piece sports
suits of tweeds and homespuns, In col
or mixtures, hae made their appear
nnco as well as a multitude of gay
little knitted sweaters sultablo for
wear with the knlcker and blouse, or
skirt and blouse combinations that
aro at present In favor.
While thero Is n uniform opinion
In style circles tKdt the straight
line bllhouette will ho the most popu
lar In coats and suits for fall there Is
u considerable latitude of opinion as
to whether gowns will conform to
straight lines or uoL So niuoy doslgn-
1 KTxmvx&"xt)i-iyKrrwt .MHl&Nv.
1 K 2$ iMSif i"r'"rv"VA t Wf HB&t Sw i
life muT Mfw '" iiiiMiii I iiiiiii wiirrif h?r
m mttmmmfi V,MSv 2&?mmMr9rf?M? iv
crs are favoring drapery tlut It Is suro
to become an important part of early
fall fashions.
Generally spenklng, tho draped gown
Is nt once clover and extremely simple.
Where drapery Is used, the waist or
blouse portion follows the ensy lines
of the present mode nnd draping Is
confined to tho sleeves nnd to ono sldo
of the skirt. Kmbroldcry Is th most
popular means of trimming and tliero
Is a noticeable absence ot ruffles,
plaits, panels or other elaborations.
The uttractlvo dinner gwn shown
hero Is of black satin ornumented with
machine embroidery, the design done
In French knots. The embroidery In lu
Gingham Dress
J Ktibdued colors thnt do not form too
harsh a contrast with the satin. Tho
draped skirt of this model Is caught
In a puff over the left hip and falls
In soft folds to the ankle. It Is bal
anced on the right side by the long
fold of a false sleeve draped at tho
shoulder. The walstllno Is low and Is
caught by a narrow bolt of aatln.
Tor the slender woman n garment
of this kind provides nn attractive
vnrlatlon of the mode, but If one la
short or plump tho soTersly straight
y0!
Attractive Dinner Gown
lino Is
drapery
of lines.
n better choice, unless tho
Is adroitly dono by master
(. 1123, WiteiTmiier Ualoft.)
with l'Hlfcl'll .g.
MRS. BUTLER'S
ACHES AND PAINS
Vanished After Using Lydiu
E. Pinlcham's Vegetable
Compound
W.Philadclph!a,Pa.-,,WhonIclc sd
louso last April I must have ovcrliftod.
tor alter that X had
pains and aches all
tho time and was so
discouvaged. I could
hardly do my own
housework, nnd I
couldnotcarryabas-
itctot groceries nom
tho store nor walk
oven four or fivo
squares without get
ting terrible pains in
my back and abdo
men and lowcrlimba.
I went to visit a friend in Mt. Holly,
N, J., and she said, 'Mrs. Butler, why
don't you take Lydia E. Pinknam's
Vego table Compound?' My husband
said that if it did her so much good
for the same trouble, I should try it.
So I have taken it and it is doing mo
good. Whenever I feci heavy or bad,
it puts mo right on my feet again. I
am ablo to do my work with pleasure
and am getting strong and stout. I still
tnko the Vegetable Compound and Liver
Tills, nnd am using Lydia E. Pinkhnm'a
Sanative Wash." Mrs. Chatiles BUT
LER, 1233 S.Hanson StW.Phila., Pa.
Write to Lydia E. Pinkhnm Medicine
Co., Lynn, Mass., for a free copy of
Lydia E. Pinkham's Private Text Book
upon "Ailments ci' Women."
Pitied the Poor Prisoner.
Dean Inge of St. Paul's cathedral,
London, Kng., speaking at a demon
stration on behalf of aulmiil welfare,
referred to his (laughter's death, and
said her favorite canary was after
ward placed with close friends, who
gave It open-air experience. It was
siost remarkable fact that the I.oiidm
sparrow, for whom very few peoplv
had a kind word, took pity on the Im
prisoned bird and dropped bits of
straw and other materials Into tho
cage for It to make u nest.
BABIES CRY
FOR "CAST0R1A"
Prepared Especially for Infants
and Children of All Ages
Mother I Fletcher's Castorla has
been In use for over .'10 years as a
pleasant, harmless substitute for Cas
tor Oil, Paregoric, Teething Drops nnd
Soothing Syrups. Contains no narcot
ics. Proven directions are on each
package. Physicians recommend it.
ThcgonuIne bears signature of
Electricity In North Lands.
Scandinavia, as a group of three
different countries, has for ninny years
been working on the problem of trans
ferring electrical energy from Norway
and Sweden to Denmark. An Im
portant report Is now rendy and threa
national commissions hnve It in hand.
Tho next report will go to the threo
governments. It Is understood that
projected plans enn enslly be cnrrled
out both technically nnd commercially
but at the same time there will be
seeded an Immense sum of money.
Cuticura Soap for the Complexion.
Nothing better than Cuticura Soap
dally and Ointment now nnd then ns
needed to make the complexion clear,
scalp clean aud hands soft and white.
Add to this the fascinating, fragrant
Cuticura Talcum, nnd you have tho
Cuticura Toilet Trio. Advertisement.
Getting Her Share.
The sage maintained that It was all
foolishness these Jokes about n wife
dipping Into her husbnnu's pockets.
"Whnt she renlly does," ho explained,
"Is to press his trousers and hang
them upside down. Then the money
drops out."
"And then whnt?"
"He's a poor stick If ho doesn't
divvy." Louisville Courier-Journal.
Cone's doctrine was put In practice
long ago, when sick people wore told
they "looked better."
Have You a Bad Back?
You can't bo happy when every day
brings morning laiaenesB, torturing
backache and sharp, cutting paina. So,
why not find the cause and correct it?
Likely it's your kidneys. If you aufTcr
headaches and dizziness, too feel tired,
nervous nnd depressed, it's further
proof your kidneys need help. Neglect
in dangcrousl Begin using Doan's
Kidney PUl8 today. Thousands have
been helped by Doan's. They should
help you. Ask your neighbor!
A Nebraska Case
MrB. A. H. Fos
flpator. Glny Center,
variiseur., says: "My
'"IrSS kidneys wcro In a
Cz: ' o n. ic conuuion.
5VTKLR7 fVlBrT! i was soro nnu
hwKmLjS:?'lnm(i- l had a
SVTtSKyJV? Jul1 achlnff ucross
my uucit nnu iwu
noys. I had hoard
about Doan's Kld
noy I'llls bulnsr so
kooiI. anil thoy
suro helped mo. Throe or four boxes
gave mo n pormnnont relief so I
have not beon bothered since."
Get Doan'c t Any Store, 60c a Box
DOAN'S "iSSHS
FOSTER-MILBURN CO., BUFFALO, N. Y.
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