pKDDENCH ETHEL DHUESU mm (Copyrlcht, by the Bobba-Merrlll Con panjr.) The parsonage girls enter tain a visiting minister, much to his discomfiture, and Carol rides a cow with disastrous results. Mr. Starr, a widower Method lit minister, has been assigned to the congregation at Mount Mark, Iowa. He and his daugh ter Prudence she Is nineteen and the eldest of five girls have come on ahead to get the new parsonage ready for the younger members of the family. Of course the whole to'wn, espe cially the Methodists, is very cu rious about the newcomers. In dividual members of the Ladies' Aid society drop in upon the family and "pump" the girls for all they're worth. But the Starrs rapidly adjust themselves to their new surroundings, and the father decides his brood Is old enough to participate In family prayers. Little Connie has Just finished hers much to the amusement of her elders. CHAPTER II Continued. So It was that Iho twins nnd Connie Irere tilono for a while. "You did a pretty good Job, Connie," told Carol approvingly. "Yes, I think I did myself," was the tomplucent answer. "Hut I Intended lo put In, 'Keep us ns the apple of thy Ure, hold us In the hollow of thy hand,' ind I forgot It until I hud said 'Amen.' I had a notion to put In n postscript, but I believe that Isn't done." "Never mind," said Carol, "I'll use lhat In mine, tomorrow," It cannot be said that this form of family worship was a great success, the twins were Invariably stereotyped, tut and dried. They thanked the Lord for the bountiful morning, for kind friends, for health, and family, and par Kmage. Conhio always prayed In sen tences extracted from the prayers of sthers she lutd often heard, and every time with neurly disastrous effect. But later on the morning worship meat better. The pruyers of the chll Iren changed became more personal, less flowery. Thoy remembered that when they kuelt they were at the feet of God, and speaking direct to Dim. The family had been In the new pnr onage only three weeks, when a vis iting minister called on them. It was bout ten minutes before the lunch eon hour at the time of his arrival Mr. Starr was In the country, visiting 10 tne girls received him alone. It was an unfortunate day for the Starrs fairy had been at college all morning tnd 1'rudenee had been rummaging It) the attic, getting It ready for a rainy flay and winter playroom for the younger girls. She was dusty and tired. The luncheon hour arrived, anil the girls came In from school, eager to be np and away again. Still tho grave ruuuK minister sal discoursing upon serious topics with the lldgety Pru dence and In spite of dust ami per spiration, she was good to look upon. Rev. Mr. Morgan realized Unit, and could not tear himself away, finally Prudence sighed. r "Do you like sweet corn, Mr. Mor gan?" This was entirely out of tho lino of their conversation, and for a moment he faltered. "Sweet corn?" he repeated. "Ves, roasting eurs, you kuow cooked on the cob." Then he smiled. "Oh, yes, Indeed. Very much," he said. "Well," she began her explanation rather drearily, "I was busy this morn ing and did not prepare much luuch eon. We are very fond of sweet corn, and I cooked an enormous panful, ltut thut's all we have for luncheon sweet corn nail batter. We haven't even broad, because 1 am going to hake this afternoon, and we never eat It with weet com, anyhow. Now, If you care to eat sweet corn and butter, nnd WUed Pi hes, we'd Just love to have you stuy for luncheon with us." By, Mr. Morgan was charmed, and said so. So Prudence rushed to the kltcheu, opened the peaches In a hurry, and Ashed out n clean napkin fur their guest. Then they gathered about Mu table, Ave girls and the visiting min ister. It was really a curious sight, that table, in the center stood a tuli vase of goldenrod. tin either side of the vase was a great platter piled high wltli sweet corn, on the cub I Arouud the table were sis. plates, with the nec essary silverware, and u gluss of wa ter for eocb. There was also a small 'hah of peaches at each place, nud an Individual plate of butter. That was all except the napkins. Hut Prudeuce made no upologlea. She wus u daugh ter of the uaraounge she showed Itev Mr. Morgau to his place as graciously and sweetly as though she were usher ing him In to a twenty-seven-course banquet. "Will you return thanks, Mr. Mor gan?" she said. And the girls bowed their heads. I lev. Mr. Morgan cleared his throat, and began : "Our Father we thank thee for IBS!) table." Thlrt was more of the blessing, but the parsonage girls beard not one ad ditional phrase except Connie, who followed him conscleutlously through every word. Carol burst Into merry laughter, close upon his reverent "Amen" and after one awful glare at her sister, Prudence Joined In, and soon It was a rollicking group around the parsonage table. Mr. Morgan him self smiled uncertainly. He waB puz zled. More, he was embarrassed. But us soon ns Carol could get her breath, she gasped out an explanation. "You were Just right, Mr. Morgan to give thanks for the table! There's nothing on It to be thankful for! And the whole family went off once more Into peals of laughter. Mr. Morgan had very little appetite (hat day. He did not seem to be so fond of sweet corn us he had assured Prudence. He talked very little, too. And as soon ns possible he took his hat and walked hurriedly away. He never culled at the parsonage again. A few weeks ufter this Carol distin guished herself again, and to her lust ing mortification. A man living only six blacks from (he parsonage had gen erously offered Mr. Starr free pastur age for his pretty little Jersey In his broad meadow, and the offer was grate fully accepted. This meant that every evening the twins must walk after the cow, and every morning must take her back for the day's grazing. One evening, as they were starting out from the meadow homeward with the docile unimul, Carol stopped uud guzed ut winkle reflectively. "Lark," she said, "I just believe to my soul that I could ride this cow. She's so gentle, and I'm such a good liiinil ut sticking on." "Curol " ejaeiiluted Lurk. "Think how it would look for n pnrsonuge girl to go down the street riding a cow." lint there's no one to see," protest ed Carol. And this was true. For the parsonage was nenr the edge of town, nnd the girls pnssetl only five houses on their way home from the meadow ami nil of them were well buck from (lie rond. Lark argued and pleaded, but Carol was flrtn, "I must try It," she insist ed, "and If It doesn't go well I can slide off. You can lead her, Lark." The obliging Lurk boosted her sister up, and Carol nimbly scrambled Into place, riding astride. "I've got to ride this way," she snld. "Cows have such funny backs I couldn't keep on any other way. If I see anyone coming, I'll slide for It." For a while till went well. Lark led Bllnkle carefully, gazing about anx iously to see, that DO one uppronched. So they advanced to within two blocks of the parsonage. By this time Bllnkle Concluded that she wus being imposed antly, "I don't want to be too hard on Bllnkle, for after all It was partly my own fault. So I won't go that far. But I. must draw the line somewhere! Hereafter Bllnkle and I meet as strangers !" CHAPTER III. "Cows Have Such Funny Backs." upon. She shook her bend violently, and twitched the rope from Lark's hand, gave n scornful loss of her dainty head, ami si nick out madly for home. With great presence of mind, Curol fell flat Upop the cow's neck, and bung on for dear life, while Lark, in (error, started out in pursuit "Help! Help!" she cried loudly. "Pupa! Pupa! Pupa!" In this way they turned lu at the parsonage gate, which happily stood open. As luck would have It, Mr. Starr was standing at the door with two men who had been culling on hint, and hour lug Lark's frantic cries, they rushed to meet the wild procession, and hud the aniline experience of seeing a parson age girl riding lint on her stomach on the heck of u galloping Jersey, wltli another parsonage girl In mail pursuit. Bllnkle Stopped beside the burn, uud turned her bead about Inquiringly, Carol slid to the ground, and buried her face In her hands at sight of the two men with her father. Then, with never a word, she lit out for (lie house at top speed. The three men sut down on the ground and burst Into hearty laughter, Lark came upon litem ns thev sat thus, nnd Lark was angry. She stamped her foot with a violence that must have hurt her. "I don't see anything to laugh at," ha cried passionately, "it was awful, ii was just awful I Oarrle might have been killed! It It " 'Tell us nil about It, Lurk," gusped her father. And Lurk did so, smiling little herself, now that her fears ,orc relieved. "Poor Carol," she said, she'll never live down the humilia tion. 1 must go and console her." lu a Hide while Curol fell much bet ter. But she talked It over with Pru dence very seriously. "I hope you understand. Prudence that 1 shall never have anything more to do wltli Itlinkle! starvation for all 1 care, I'll never tuke her to and from (he pasture again. uldn t do It ! Such rank Ingrati tude as dial cow displayed wus never equaled, I am cerlatu." "I suppose you II quit using milk The Ladles' Aid. Now, this really was a crisis In the life of the parsonage family. The girls had met, separately, every member of the Ladles' Aid. But this was their first combined movement upon the par sonage, and Prudence and Fairy real ized that much depended on the suc cess of the day. As girls, the whole Methodist church pronounced the young Starrs charming. But as par- sonnge people well, they were obliged to reserve Judgment. And as for Pru dence having entire eharge of the household, It must be acknowledged that every Individual Lady looked forward to this meeting with eager ness they wanted to "size up" the sit uation. They were coming to see for themselves! Yes, It was undoubtedly a crisis. "There'll be a crowd, of course," said Fairy. "We'll Just leave the doors between the front rooms open." "Yes, but we'll close the dining-room doors. Then we'll have the refresh ments all out on the table, and when we are ready we'll Just fling back the doors carelessly nnd there you are!" So the table wus prettily decorated with flowers, and great plates of sand wiches and cake were placed upon It. In the center was an enormous punch bowl, borrowed from the Averys, full of lemonade. Glasses were properly arranged on the trays, and piles of nicely home-laundered napkins were scuttered here and there. The girls felt that the dining room was a credit to them, and to the Methodist church entire. From every nook nnd corner of the house they hunted out chulrs and stools, anticipating n real run upon the parsonage. Nor were they disappoint ed. The twins and Connie were not even arrayed In their plain little ging hams, clean, before the first arrivals were ushered up Into the front bed room, ordinarily occupied by Prudence and Fairy. "There's Mrs. Adnms and Mrs. Prentiss, nnd Mrs." began Connie, listening Intently to the voices In the next room. "Yes," whispered Carol, "peek through (he keyhole, Lark, and see If Mrs. Prentiss Is looking under tho bed for dust. They say she" "You'd belter not let Prudence catch you repeutlng " "There's Mrs. Stone, and Mrs. Davis, nnd " "They say Mrs. Davis only belongs to the Ladles' Aid for the sake of the refreshments, and " "Carol ! Prudence will punish you." "Well, I don't believe It," protested Carol. "I'm Just teling you what I've heard other people say." "We aren't allowed to repeat gos sip," urged Lark. "No, and I think It's a shame, too, for It's awfully funny. Minnie Drake told me thut Miss Vurne Joined the Methodist church us soon as she heard I he new minister was u widower, so slit? " "Carol I" Carol whirled around sharply, and Hushed, and swallowed hard. For Pru dence wus Just behind her. "I I I" but she could get no fur ther. Upon occasion Prudence was quite terrible, "So 1 heard," she said dryly, ut her eyes were hard. "Now run up stairs und out to the field, or to the burn, nnd play. And, Curol, be sure nnd remind me of thut speech tonight. I might forget It" The girls ran quickly out, Carol well in the lead. "No wedding fee for me," she mumbled bitterly. "Somehow I Just can't help repeutlng " "You don't want to," said Lark, not without sympathy. "You think It's UCh fun, you know." "Well, anyhow, I'm sure I won't get uuy cuke tonight. It seems to me Pru dence Is very harsh sometimes." "You Gtnone the Chilkat Indians The. Counts or chilkat U like tan appeal to father, If you Do you think that Prudence is a bit too young to handle the youngsters with proper discipline? (TO BE CONTINUED.) SUPREME IN HIS EGOTISM Man So Sure of Himself That He Suf fers Little From the Desire to Possess. Men do not, ns o rule, suffer very much from the desire to possess, be cause they are so sure that they do possess, because they find It so diffi cult to conceive that (heir wife tan lint! any other man attractive, writes W. L. George In the Aliunde Monthly. They are too well accustomed to be ing courted, even If they are old and repulsive, because they have power nnd Boney; only they think It is DO Cause they are men. Beyond n Jealous care for their wives' fidelity, which I suspect arises mainly from the feeling that an unfaithful wife is n criticism, they do ttol nsk very much. But wom en suffer more deeply becuuse they know thut man lias lavished on them for centuries a condescending adiiil ra don: that the king who lays his crown ut their feet knows thut his Is the crown to give. While men possess by right of possession women possess only by right of precarious conquest. They feel It very bitterly, this fugitive empire, and their greatest tragedy Is to Hud themselves growing n little older, uncertain of their power, for they are afraid, as age comes, of los ing their man, while I have never beard of a husband afraid of losing his wife, or able to repress his siik. She can die of j prise If she forsook him. According to Growth. Freddie was told by his father to tlnd out the prices of seats for the circus. Freddie soon returned. breathless,froni haste, and announced: "Twent-m and cream, too," suggested Prudence, cents for children, uud fifty cents for .m, wen, suiu uroi more toier- overgrown people." PON the discovery of the northwest const of America, the Tllnglt were found In pas session of southeastern Alas ka, with (he excepdon possibly of the southernmost portion of Prince of Wales Island, which had been wrested from them by Invndlng Hnldn from Mnsset on the Queen Charlotte Islands during the lnt(er half of the eighteenth century. From the testimony of the early explorers, this occupation seems to have been of sufficient age to have developed a racial type, speaking the same tongue, acknowledging estab lished laws, and bound by like con ventions, says an article by George T. Emmons In the American Museum Journal. What knowledge we cun gather of their origin and early life from their family traditions, songs and geo graphical names, although fragmen tary and vugue, tells consistently of u uniform northward migration by wa ter, along the const and through the in land channels from the Tslmshton pe ninsula and Prince of Wales island, which wus constantly augmented by parties of interior people descending the greater rivers to the sea. The social organization of the Tlln glt is founded on matriarchy, or de scent through the mother, and Is de pendent upon two parties, (he mem bers of each of which may not marry among themselves, hut the two parties Intermarry uud supplement each oth er upon the many ceremonial occasions that mark their Intercourse. The two parties are subdivided into fifty-six existing families or clans, founded on blood relationship and nb solutely Independent in government, succession, Inheritance nnd territory. Within the family there Is a well-de fined 8fl8tdcrBC?, wholly dependent upon birth, from which (be chiefs are chosen; nn Intermediate .class consist ing of those who have forced them selves to the front, through wealth, character or artistic ability; nnd the poorer people. In earlier days there were many slaves who had no recog nized rights. Chilkat the Leading Tribe. Geographically considered, there tire 10 tribal divisions known as "kwans," a contraction of "kn" (man) and "an" (land lived on or claimed). Of these several tribes the Cliilknt-kwun has been the most prominent since our ac quaintance with Alaska. The relative importance of n primitive people Is measured by conditions of food supply and other natural resources. The com manding position of the Chilkat, at the head of the inland channels controll ing the mountain passes to the Interi or, gave them the monopoly of the fur trade of the upper Yukon valley, und the placer copper fields of the White river region. These products, unknown to the coastal urea, were economically Important In primitive days, and after the advent of European the Increased demand for furs, and their greater value, made this trade even more lu crative. The Tllnglt were a canoe people and might be termed semi-no-mndlc, ns they were on their hunting grounds In the curly spring nnd lute fall, while the summer season was spent In the fishing camps by the sal mon streams; but notwithstanding these long absences, they built sub Stnntial villages, where, except for so cial activities, they spent the winter In comparative idleness. As (hey looked to the sea for their principal food supply, their villages were directly on the shore Just above the high water-mark, In sheltered coves, where they could launch their canoes and land in any weather nnd at any stage of (he tide. But the Chil kat, differing from all the other Tllng lt, lived Just beyond the open water In n rather restricted territory on riv ers that were Veritable storehouses of food, bringing un nhundnnco of fish life to their very doors and so permitting them to remain at home throughout the year, except when on their trading trips to die interior, which gave their habitations a more permanent charac ter, and contributed to the unity of communal life. Of the four principal old villages, all of which have survived the ravages of constant strife and the still more deadly by-products of civilization liquor and disease; Klukwnn (mother town) has always held the first place lU size, wealth and the churncter of Its people. It retained Its supremuey long after the more southern coast vil lages had gone to decay, as Its more Interior and isolated position and the Independent and aggressive reputation of Its population kept white traders at.n distance. Klukwnn lies at the edge of a gradual slope on the north bank of the Chilkat, 20 miles from Its mouth, where the swift current con centra ted In a single channel forms a strong eddy that permits the landing of canoes at any stage of the river. Of the five totemlc families that form the Chilkat-kwan, four are resi dent here. Of these the Kon-nuh-tu-dl, the sole representative of the Raven party, Is the one with which this paper deals. Their legendary history, so Im aginary and interesting, Is closely as sociated with the wanderings and an tics of "Yehlh," the Haven creator. The Whale House. When I first visited Klukwnn In 1885, the large old communal houses of the Kon-nub-(a-dI were still stand ing, the principal one of which, that of the hereditary chief, "Yough-blt" (Whale house), was In the last stages of decay and uninhabitable, although (he Interior fittings were intact nnd it was still used upon festival occasions. It was unquestionably the most widely known nnd elaborately ornamented house, not only at Chilkat, but in Alus ka. It occupied the site of much older houses, und. It is claimed, much lurger ones. It Is said to have been built by Knte-tsu about, or prior to, 1835, und stood In the middle of the village. It represented the best type of Tllnglt architecture, a broad low type of Tllnglt architecture, a broad low structure of heavy hewn spruce tim bers, with noticeably high corner posts, (hut gave it a degree of character wholly wanting in the lurger houses of the Vancouver Island neople. It faced the river, with n frontage of 49 feet 10 Inches and a depth of 53 feet npproxlmntely the proportions oi Tllnglt houses, large and small. Each of these old houses formed n solid structure, the frame and planking sup porting ench odier wKhout the use of spikes. The doorway, which was the only opening in the walls, was ap proached by two steps, r The Interior formed nn excavation four feet nine inches below the ground level, with two receding steplike plat forms. The lower square floor space, 26 feet by 20 feet 9 Inches, constituted the general living and working room com mon to all, except dint portion In the rear and opposite the entrance, which was reserved for the use of the house chief, his Immediate fumlly, and most distinguished guesls. This was the place of honor in all Tllngit houses upon all occasions, ceremonial or oth erwise. The flooring, of heavy, split, smoothed plunks of varying widths, ex tended around a central graveled fire place six feet by six feet and a half, where all of the cooking was done over a wood fire that also heated the house in winter. In front of und a little to the right of the lire spuce was n small cellarlike apartment entered by a small trapdoor in the floor bnrely large enough to admit a person. This wus used ns n steam bath, by heating bowlders In the Are, dropping them on the floor below wldi split wood tongs, and pouring water upon them to gen erate vapor, whereupon the bather en tered and the opening was covered over. The flrst platform, extending around the main floor at nn elevation of two and three-fourths feet, served both us a step, and ns a lounging place In the daytime. Tho upper and broader platform, rising two feet above that below, was at the ground level, and wns floored with heavy planks. This platform constKuted the sleeping place of the Inmates. Anecdote of the Autocrat A southern woman tells about din ing In Boston once, when next to her sat a homely little old gentleman, who Mated (o know bow she pnssed the time In the country with her old fa ther. "Well, we rend." "What did you rend?!' "Chiefly The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table.' " Don't you get tired of It?" "Oh, no. When we get lo tlie end, we simply turn back to the beginning." The old genilcmnn chuckled, and made n remark Implying that (he "A ill. icrnt" wns no great thing among books, nud the lady was rather surprised in Ids disparaging nlr. After dinner she demanded of her hostess iho nniuo of die anappredntlvo old gentleman, and wns told that It was Oootor Holmes. one friend on enrdi my dog." "Well,' she answered, calmly, "If that Isn't enough, why don't you get another dog?" Simply Solved. He had beta calling on (he Widow Smithers tor some time, uud It could not be said that he had made an Im pression, although he hud failed to realize the fact. She decided to speed hltn on his wuy at the flrst oppor tunity, and II came that night. He heaved a sigh and said, "1 have oaly Wouldn't Hurt Cow. Little Edith was visiting In the coun try, anil as she was coming across the neiu one day to dinner, nn old pet cow noticed her, and thinking, per haps, Edith had something for her to eat, followed closely at her heels. The lime girl wns so frightened she started to run. mul the cow run. too. Finally, unable lo stand il any longer, she burst Into tears, saying: "Oh, If you'll only go away, I Won't hurt you." Daily Thought In (he effort lo appreciate various forms of greatness let us not underes timate the value of a simply good I'.fe. Just to be good, to keep life pure from degrading elements, to make It con stantly helpful in little ways to those who nre touched by It, to keep oue's spirit always sweet and avoid nil man ner of peuy anger and Irritability that Is an ideal as noble as It Is disV cult. Edward Howard Griggs. FOSS-WINSHIP HARDWARE COMPANY O. V. B. Cutlery HARDWARE Universal Ranges Big 3 Washers. All O. V. B. Goods Guaranteed Barrett Building, Athena, Oregon ESTABLISHED 1865 Preston-Shaffer Milling Co. AMERICAN BEAUTY FLOUR Is made in Athena, by Athena Labor, in one of the very best equipped Mills in the Northwest, of the best selected Bluestem wheat grown anywhere. 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