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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1923)
RED CLOUD. NEBRASKA. CHIEF THE BRANDING IRON By Katharine Newlin Burt Copyright by Katharlna K. Butt 8YN0PSI) Jon Iindls, eighteen years old, wlfo of Pierre, Is the daugh ter of John Carver, who mur dered her mother for adultery. Hor lonely life, with her father, In n Wyoming cabin, unbrurablo, Joan leaves him to work In a hotel In a nenrby town, Joan mcotn Pierre, ai tho two, mutu ally attracted, are married. Carv er tells Plorro story of Joan's mother. Pierre forces a cattle brand. Prank Holllwell, young minister, presents books to Joan, Tlerro forbids her to read them. CHAPTER V Continued. "There'.! poetry this time," ho mild, "act Pierre to rend It iiloiid to you." T1k suggestion wbb met by a rude laugh from Pierre. "I wouldn't be wnslln' my time," he Jccrod. It wns the first rift In Ills cour tesy. Holllwell looked up In sharp surprise. He saw n flush of the truth, n Jlttlo wriggle of the green serpent In Plerro'H eyes before they fell. He flushed and glanced nt Joan. She wore nn almost timorous nlr, accepted hlfl remarks In silence, shot doubtful looks nt Pierre before nho answered questions, was an entirely different Joan. Now Holllwell was angry and he stiffened townrd his host and host ess, dropped ull hi? talk nhout the books and smoked hnughtlly. He was young and over-sensitive, no more master of himself In this Imjtnnce than Pierre and .Tnnn. But before he loft after supper, refusing a bed, though Pierre conquered his dislike sufllclent l.v to urge It, Holllwell had n moment with Joan. It was very touching. He would tell nhout It nfterwnrd, but for n long time he could not henr to remember It. She tried to return hla hooks, com Ing with her arms full of thorn nnd lifting up eyes Hint were almost tragic with renunciation. "I can't bo tnklng time to read them. Mr. Holllwell," she said, that extraordinary, ovvr-expresslve voice of hers running an octave) of regret; "nn someway Pierre don't like thut I should spend my ovcnln's on them. Seems like ho thinks I was settln' my self up to be knowln' more than him." She laughed rupfully. "Me knowln' more'H Pierrot It's laughable. Hut anyways I don't want him to be think in thnt. So take the books, please. I like them." She paused. "I love them," she said hungrily, and blink ing, thrust them Into his hands. no put them down on the table. "Yon'ro wrong, Joan," he said quickly. "You mustn't give In to such a foolish Idea. Yon have rights of your own, n life of your own. Pierre mustn't Btnnd In tho way of your learning. You mustn't let him. I'll speak to hlm." "Oh, no!" Some Intuition warned her of the danger In his doing this. "Well, then, keep your hooks and talk to Pierre about them. Try to per suade him to read aloud to you. I shan't be back now till spring, but I want you to read this winter, rend all the stufT that's there. Oome, .Toun, to please me," and he smiled coax tafly. "I nln't nfrald of Pierre," said Jrfcn lowly. Her pride was ntung y the nggcstlon. Til keep tho books." Bttt sighed. "Good-by. When I seo you In tho spring, I'll be a right learned schoolmarm." She held out her hand and he took nnd held It, pressing It In his own. Ho felt troubled about her, unwllllnsr to Itfnvo her In tho snowbound wilder ness with thnt young savage of tho smoldering eyes. "Oood-by," snld Pierre behind hlm. His soft voice had a click. Holllwol! turned to him. "Oood-by, Landls. I shan't soo either of you till the spring. I wish yon a good winter nnd T hope " Ho broke off and held out his hand. "Well," snld he, "you're pretty far out of everybody's way here. Be good to each other." "D n your Interference I" snld Pierre's eyes, but he took the hand and even escorted Holllwell to hla horse. Snow came early and deep that win ter. Plorro had cut and stneked his winter wood; ho hud sent his cows to n richer mnn's ranch for winter feed Ing. There was very little for hlm to do. After he had brought In two bucket of water from the well and had cut for the day's consumption a piece of meat from his elk hanging outiilde against tho wnll, he had only to sit nnd smoke, to read old magn r.lnes and pupors and to watch Joan. Then the poisonous roots of his Joal ousy struck deep. Always his brain, falsely Interpreting her wistful silence she was thinking of the parson, hun gry to read his books, longing for the open season and his coming again to the ranch. In December n man came In on snowshoes bringing "the mnll" one letter for Pierre, a communication which brought heat to his face. Tho Forest sorvlco threatened him with a loss of land; It pointed to some flaw In his title; part of his property, tho most valuable part, had not yet been surveyed. . . . Pierre looked up with set Jaws, every lighting Instinct sharpened to hold what was his own. "I hev put In two years' hard work on them acres," he told his visitor "an' I'm not plnnnln' to glvo them over to tho tlrst fool favored by the Serv ice. My tltlo Is as clean us my hand. It'll tnko more'n thievery un' nioro'i splt to tako It nway from me." "You better go to Robinson." ad rifled the bearer of tho letter; "can't get after them fellers too soon. It's n country where you can easy come by what you want, but where It nln't bo easy to hold onto It. If It ain't yer land It's yer bosses; If It ain't jer bosses It's yer wife." He looked at Joan and Intigbcd. Pierre went white nnd dumb; the chance shot had Inflamed his wound. Ho strapped on his snowshoes and bnde a grim good-by to Joan, after the mnn had loft. "Don't yon bo wastln' oil while I'm nway," he told her sharply, standing In the doorway, his head level with the steep wall of snow behind him, nnd he gave her a threatening look so that the tender ness In her heart was frozen. After he had gone, "Pierre, say a real good-by, say good-by," she whis pered. Her fn.ee cramped and tears enme. Sho henrd his steps lightly crunch ing ncross the hard, bright surfneo of the snow; they entered Into the ter rible frozen silence. Then she turned from tho door, dried her eyes with her sleeve like n little vlllngo girl, and ran across the room to n curtain shelf. Plerro would he gone n week. She would not waste oil, but she would rend. It, was with the appetite of n starved creature that she foil upon her books. CHAPTER VI Plorro Takes 8tepa to Preserve His Property. A log full forward and Joan lifted her bend. She had not come to nn end of Isabella's trngedy nor of her own memories, but something other than the falling log had startled her; a light, crunching step upon the snow. Sho looked toward tho window. Tor an Instant the room was almost dark nnd the white night peered In at her, Its gigantic snow-peuks pressing ngalnBt the long, horizontal window panes, nnd In thnt Instant she saw a face. Joan came to her feet with pounding pulses. It hnd been Pierre's face, hut at the snme time the face of n stranger. He had come back Ave days too soon nnd something ter rible hnd happened. Surely his chanc ing to see her with her book would not make him look like thnt. Besides, she wns not wasting oil. Sho had stood up, but at tlrst she was Incapable of moving forward. For the first time In her life she knew the paralysis of unreasoning fear. Then the door opened and Plerro enmc In out of the crystal night "What brought you bnck so soon?" nsked Joan. "Too soon for you, eh?" He strode over to tho hearth whero she had lain, took up the book, struck It with his She- Turnod Her Hawd, All That She Could Turn. Jiand as though It had hepn a lmtcd faco, and flung It Into the fire. "I seen you through tho window," he said. "So you been hnnny rendlu' while T been nway?" "111 got you supper. I'll light the lamp," Joan stnmmored. Pierre's faco was pale, his black hair lay In wet streaks on his reunite. Tf must have trnveled at furious speed through tne bitter cold to be In such n sweat. There was a invstortnno controlled disorder In his look nnd there nrose from him the odor of strong drink. But he was .steady and suro In all his movements and his eyes wore dendly cool and reason able only It was tho reasonableness of Insanity, reasonableness based on tho wldlest premises of unreason. "I don't want no supper, nor no light." he said. "Firelight's enough for you to read parsons' books by; It's enough fcr mo to do what I oughter done long afore tonight." Sho stood In the middle of the small, log-walled room, arrested in the act of lighting a match, nnd stared at hlm with troubled eyes. Slip was no longer nfi'nld. After all, strange as ho looked, more strangely as he talked, he was her Plorro. her man. The con fidence of her heart had not been seri ously shaken by his coldness and his moods during this winter. There had been fines of tierce, possessive tender ness. She was his own woman, his property; at this low counting did she rate herself. A sane man dm s no In Jury to his own possessions And Pierre, of course, wao sane. He wns HIL Ati weebK Ql tired, angry, he had ncn drinking her Ignorance, her Inexperience led her to put little emphasis on the ef fects of tho poison sold at the town saloon. When he was warm and fed and rested he would bu quite himself again. She went about preparing a wieal In splto of his words. He did not seem to notice this. He had tnken his eyes from her nt last nnd wns busy with the fire. She, too, busy nnd reassured by the familiar occupation, ceased to watch him. Her pulses wcro quiet now. She wns even beginning to be glad of his return. Why had she been so frightened? Of course, after such n terrible Journey alone In the bitter cold, he would look strange. Her father, when ho came back smelling of liquor, had nlwayi boon more than usually morose nnd unlike his every-dny self. He would sit over the stove and tell her trw story of his crime. They were hor rible home-comings, horrlblo evenings, but the next morning they would seem like dreams. Tomorrow this strange ness of Plerro'a would bo mistlike and unrenl. "I seen your sin-buster In town," snld Pierre. He was squatting on hla heels over the lire which he had built up to n grent blaze and glow and he spoke In a queer sing-song tone through his teeth. "He nsked nftor you real kind. He wanted to know how you was gettln on with tke edlca tlon bo's ben handln' out to you. 1 tell him that you was right satisfied with me nn' my ways an' bed quit his books. I didn't know ns you whs hovln' such a good time durln' my absence." Joan was cruelly hurt. His words seemed to fall heavily upon her heart. "I wasn't hcvln' a good time. I was mlssln' you, Pierre," said she In n low tremolo of grieving music. "Them books, they seemed like they was all the company I lied. "You looked like you was mlssln' ' me," he sneered. "The sln-buster an' I had words about you, Joan. Yes'm, ' ho give me quite n line of preaehln' j nhout you, Joan, as how you bed oughter develop yer own life In yer own wny along the lines laid out by ; him. I told him ns how I knowed best whnt was right an' flttln" fer my own wife; ns how, with n mother like your'n you needed watchln' more'n learnln' ; as how you belonged to mo I an' not to him. An', says he, 'Sho , don't belong to any man, Pierre Lnn- j dls, ho said, 'neither to you nor to me. She belongs to her own self.' 'I'll see thnt she belongs to me,' I i said. 'I'll fix her so she'll know It an' j every other feller will.'" At that he turned from the Are and straightened to his feet. ' Joan moved backward slowly to the ' door. He had made no threatening ! sign or movement, but her fear had i come overwhelmingly upon her and every Instinct urged her to flight. But before sho touched the handle of the j door, ho flung himself with dendly, itwlft force and silence: ncross the room nnd took her In his arms. With ' nil her wonderful strength, Joan eo'ild not brenk nwny from hlm. He dragged her back to the hearth, tied her el- ' bows behind her with the scarf from his neck, that very senrf he had worn i when the dawn hnd shed a wistful beauty upon him, waiting for her on a morning not ho very long ngo. Joan went weak. "Pierre," she cried pitifully, "what are you a-goln' to do to me?" He roped her to the heavy post of a set of shelves built against the wall. Then he stood nway, breathing fast. "Now whose gel are you, Joan Carver?" ho asked her. "You know I'm yours, Pierre," she sobbed. "You got no need to tie mo to make me sny thnt." "I got to tie you to mnke you do more'n say It. I got to make sure you nre It. II l-flru won't take the mire, ness out of me nfter this." Sho turned her head, all that sno could turn. He was bending over the fir?, nnd when he straightened she saw that he held something In his hand . . , a long bnr of mc-tnl, white at the shaped end. At once her memory showed her a broad glow of sunset falling over Pierre nt work. "There'll be stock all over the country marked with them two bars." he had snld. "The Two-Bar brand, don't you fer git Itl" She wns not likely to forget It now. She shut her eyes. Ho stepped close to her nnd Jerked her blouse down from her shoulder. She writhed nway from him, silent In her rngo and fear and fighting dumbly. Sho made no nppenl. At thnt moment her henrt wus so full of hatred that It was hard ened to pride. He lifted his brand and set It against the bare flush of her shoulder. Then terribly sho screamed. Again, when he took the metal away, sho screamed. Afterward there was a dreadful silence. Joan hnd not lost consciousness. Her healthy nerves stanchly received the anguish and the shock, nor did she make any further outcry. She pressed her forehead against the sharp edge of the shelf, she drovr her nails Into her hands, nnd at Intervals she writhed from head to foot. Circles of pain spread from the deep burn on hor shoulder, spread and shrank. 'The bones of her shoulder nnd nrm ached terribly; lire still seemed to be eat ing Into her flesh. The air was full of the smell of scorched skin so that she tasted It herself. And bolter than her hurt her henrt burned, consuming Its own tenderness nnd love and trust. (TO UK CONTINURP) Great Soldler'n Weaknec6. The great duke of Wellington wns a believer In omens. The story It told that he would not offer battle on any day that he met or saw n yellow dog cross his until. Har,etTVJTTadiaox ita. . .ett are Tnacfe Jat Home LJmvnvnn Informed and purposo- x fill women of today may be, how-t-ver businesslike and pructlcnl. they hmv no disposition to turn their bucks upon the pretty furbelows that It Is the privilege of the gentler sex to wear. The more advanced they be come, the more generally appreciative or the nlcetlen of dross they arc; the more nlert and alive to Its posslblll Men Tho fall season Is here and has brought with It tho most elaborate and FOR THE HANDY NEEDLEWOMAN diversified styles In all departments of dress thnt this generation has seen. Tnklng dress accessories made of ribbon un an example, we find them In greater numbers than ever, and of rib bon girdles, sashes and hags It Is safe to say that most of them nre made at home. Women see them In the shops and copy them, and special designers keep turning out new models of these enticing and beautiful ucee.s.ories. A (lower girdle and two bags are Il lustrated here. Those forehanded women who occupy their leisure time making gifts u long wuv In advance of the holidays will llnd Inspiration In these tine feminine belongings. Two toned satin ribbon In peach and yellow is used for the lovely girdle two lengths rolled nnd twisted together support three flowers, have pointed EXTREMES i.ctals and little rose centers made of the ribbon. The girdle fastens with n snap fastener under one of the flowers and three ends of ribbon, In different lengths, fall from It. They are trimmed on the bias us tho ends and the middle length show the darker side of the ribbon. At tho left n flower hag Is shown made of two-toned (black and white) satin ribbon. Lengths of tho ribbon are stitched together to form the bag nnd a Hut rosette Is set In a how of ribbon on one of Its sides. The center of tho rosette Is sprlpkh'd with French knots in white silk floss, prettily slum luting stnmens of the flower. Two widths of green and gold bro caded ribbon are stitched together to MHX V,"Ke::!:SiiPP:::: a&' fis&r mii&wKaSiity' JNk SSS) m tI&3SLwfew3ip v JFWpk lfg)sxt,'M fV:s:!VL make tho rich hag shown at the right, The bag Is lined with silk gathered nt the top and sewed to a metal bag-top. A good quality of silk or satin lines these bags and often their handles are made of the ribbon or of silk cord, which Is run through a casing near tho top and out through openings at the side. A frock, following the fashion of simplicity to Its extreme, may con sist of little more than one lar,?o rn tube-like afliilr for tho body, with two b-mall tubes for Mouvos; hut If the inn torlal Is chosen with care nnd the trimming applied with discrimination, the finished garment has the dignity and charm that belong to simplicity. A garment of this character Is shown nt the right of the picture. It Is ot brocaded silk, cut In the stralghtllne style, and Is trimmed with plain silk rullies at the sleeves and along the side opening. Sk Inrge pearl buttons, and a belt of the material, contribute the proper finishing touches to this Ingenious, pructlcnl nr.d becoming frock. The other extreme of the present fashions Is illustrated In the frock shown at tho left. This Is of midnight, blue crepe de chine with a deep plaited luce bertha at the neck. Tho circular skirt l draped In a Jong spiral, beginning at the waistline. Tho cuir.s are of Kmplro Inspiration and are made of dark georgette, edged with lace, nnd caught up to the sleeves with Hat velvet bows. Tho first velvet evening gowns of the season have made their appearance and, naturally, they nre shown In tho long simple lines that nre favored In coats and suits. Many are sleeveless, with long waistlines, and jeweled gir dles about the hips. Underblouses of metallic cloth and brocade are bcauth 'B3WIWWeKS. OF THE MODE fully combined with the iashjonabla colors In velvet, heading Is stronger than ever and a new development ! bending appears In Inrge, cut beadf that resemble precious stones. t. 1921, Western Newspaper Union.) A Practical Gown. A frock of crepe do chine In shndtt of blege or gray wade on strnlghl lines and finished with collar and culT of colored linen frilled nt the edges Is as useful as It Is smart. Tho sleeves are h vz and tight SUFFERED MANY YEARS WITH FEMALE TROUBLE FERUhMA LIKE A GIFT FROM HEAVEN A&ett mm k Mrs. Katio Scheffcl, R. F. D. No. 5. Lowell, Ohio 'I have been suffering for years with female trouble. Was operated on five years ago. It relieved me some but I did not regain my strength. Two years later was taken sick and bedfast several months. I treated a long while without much relief. I was dis couraged, my mind affected, so nervous I could neither cat or Bleep and unable to do anything. We tried several doctors but enc after another gave up my case ns hopeless. Finally a good friend advised me to try Pc-ru-na. I did. It relieved mc almost immediately. Your medical department said I was suffering front chronic catarrh of the system. I began taking your medicine in March, 1914, and con tinued until August. I took ten bottles of Pc-ru-na and three bot tles of Man-a-lin and felt like a new person. Your medicine seemed like a gift from Heaven, k was like coming from darkness into light. AVc have used your medicine since for coughs, colds and grip with good results. Wc will always keep it on hand. I weigh twenty five pounds more than I ever did, cat and sleep well and can do a fiood day's work. Everybody says I look fine. Even the doctors arc surprised. I cannot thank you enough and will always recommend Pe-ru--na to sufferers from catarrh." MRS. KATIE SCHEFFEI,. K. F. D. No. 5, Lowell, O. Mrs. Scheffcl is only one of many thousand women in the world, who owe their present health to Pc-ru-na. The record of this medicine is a proud one as Pc-ru-na has held the confidence of both sexes for fifty years or more. If your trouble is due to t, catarrhal inflammation in any or. gan or part of the body, do like Mrs. Scheffcl. Try Pc-ru-na. Insist upon having the original and re liable,, remedy for catarrhal condU tions. You won't be sorry. Aik Your Dealer About ThU Old-Timo Tried Remedy Imported Joke. He Why the deuce do I struggle with this piffling Job? Fair Typist Don't be dHcournged; think of the mighty onk-It wns once u nut like you. P.oston Transcript. WLWB CRY FOR "CASIORIA" Especially Prepared Tor Infants and Children of All Ages Mother! Fletcher's Cnstorln has been In use for over HO years to relieve babies and children of Constipation, Flatulency, AVInd Colic and Diarrhea; allaying Feverlshness arising there from, and, by regulating the Stomnch nnd Ilowels, nlds the asslmllntlon of Food; giving untural sleep without opiates. The genuine bears signnture Still Same Age. When mother Introduced Dorothy to the caller she said; ".My llt'hs girl was live years old yesterday." "And I'm live years old today, too," said Dorothy. Boston Trnnscrlpt. Baby's little dresses will Just simply dazzle If Bed Cross Ball Blue Is use in the laundry. Try It und seo for your self. At all good grocers. Advertise ment. Differently Expressed, "They used to call 1dm u bonchend." "That was before ho .succeeded. Now they say he Is u man of hard, solid sense." Boston Transcript. Twlcted. "This question seems to puzzle you. "Not the question, but the answer.' London Answers HaHFs Catasrarft Medicine TrcaatmCrSS local and internal, and has been success ful In the treatment of Catarrh for ovei forty years. Sold by all druggists. F. J. CHENEY &. CO., Toledo, Ohio Clear Baby's Skin With Cufcicura Soap and Talcum Soap 25c, Oktmcot 25 tad 50c, Talcuj 25c, s K-wT4ieA. .tl-KL.ASK V.t ?..'- ---.JA f mir?5 dUtfM&U. h V X
