T h e S k y L o v e S ig n
A Story Of Central Oregon
Sij 3 rr IFranblut
CHAPTER I
(Continued from last week)
The homesteader made it a point to happen along that way a good
deal oftener after that than was actually necessary. He also called at the
ranch where the school teacher boarded, more than had been his custom. He
was asked to stay for supper one night, and it didn't require any coaxing to get
him to do so. It so happened that he was given a seat at the table next to the
“ schoolmarm,” bnt being “ old timers’’ of course they never thought to intro
duce him to the teacher. All appeared as awkward and dumb at the visitor in
the presence of this well-bred girl from the city, and a painful silence prevailed
throughout the meal. The Southerner had been living the rough life of a bach
elor homesteader so l<ff>g that he seemed to have Inst all his former wits and
manners. Now that he was sitting so near the winsome creature who lived in
his ¡memory by day and his dreams by night, he was, to use his own words,
“ scared stiff,” and only risked an occasional glance in her direction.
Fortune favored the visitor, however. All ate in a hurry and left the table
but Billie and the young teacher. But, being a Southerner, he was indeed in an
embarrassing position now. It was very painful to sit in further silence, but—
they had never been introduced I But Miss McGee, being a product of the West,
showed the Southerner the superiority of Western etiquette over Southern by
proving herself master of an awkward situation—and the man—ns she did on
occasion in times after. Leaning slightly towards the visitor, the girl rested a
pretty hand on the edge of the table near his plate and looked him straight in
the face, saying, “ How soon will the thresher be at the main ranch T”
Now, this was the first thresher that had ever visited this section of the
interior. It was a new, up-to-date gasoline machine, having the “ straw
blower.” The new thresher had created interest in the community second only
to the new teacher. Bluffing at being cool and deliberate, the man re
plied :
“ They expect to be here next Wednesday, if nothing goes wrong.”
"You know I have never seen a ’blower,' and am anxious to see it,” said
she.
“ Do you live around here ?”
“ Yes,” he said; “ I have a homestead over bv Trail Gap, about five miles
from the schoolhouse. That is north and west of the schoolhouse.”
I don't know why he took the “ schoolhouse” as the basis of his calculations
—unless the "schoolhouse” had become the center and hub of the universe to
Billie. And it evidently had.
“ And you live alone?”
"Y es.”
"Homesteading that way must be very lonely.”
“ It is—at times.”
"Do you know of any more homesteads to be had around here ?”
“ Yes, there are two or three, but none of them are very good. Had you
thought of filing oh one ?”
“ Yes; I hear so much about homesteads out here that I am beginning to get
the ‘fever,’ you see. But I am afraid I haven’t that much nerve.”
“ It would require a lot of ne ve for a girl to try to prove up on a home
stead.”
“ I really don’t believe 1 would be afraid. I could learn to shoot a gun, you
know. But I fear it would be too dreadfully lonesome. I am afraid 1 wouldn't
have nerve enough for that.
"Do you think it really would be unsafe—for a girl alone ? Would the
coyotes really be dangerous ? My ! when I hear them at night I get homesick
for mamma. You know there are so few young folks around here, sometimes
I get real homesick.”
“ No, it really wouldn’t be unsafe, if a girl was nervy and cool-headed and
knew how to handle a gun. The coyotes are harmless—to people. They will
kill lambs and chickens, but they never bother people except in very extreme
cases.
“ If you really would like to look at a homestead, there is an abandoned
claim not far from here—only a mile and a half—with a cabin already on it,
and a spring. That is a big thing, for so few of the claims have any water on
them. I have to haul water three miles.”
“ My ! that must be very hard, but I presume you are accustomed to hard
ships. But I would like to see this claim, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. I
could go some Saturday.”
“ I will gladly go with you. I will get off two weeks from next Saturday.
Could you go then ?”
And thus they became acquainted at the table after the others had left.
The girl had broken the ice, but before leaving Billie got up enough courage to
give his name and ask hers.
That night Billie rode home to his lonely claim very happy. A new star had
risen on the horizon of the young pioneer's lonely life.
Having been asked to help with the threshing at the ranch where the girl
boarded—luck for him again—Billie had the heavenly pleasure of eating at the
same table, and always next to the school teacher, at breakfast and supper for
nearly three days. It was evident that the women folk were favoring the
Southern man.
When he began work with the thresher, Billie found that he was not the
only admirer of the young teacher. All the men, young and old, liked to talk
about the subject that seemed uppermost in all minds—the new schoolmarm.
The younger fellows bragged a good deal about winning the pretty teacher, as
though each believed he stood an equal chance against the rest. Billie joined in
the talk, too, but he kept his own counsel regarding his speaking acquaintance
with the girj. However, their calculations were false, for Billie Bonham was
no ordinary factor, even with an even break, to be taken into consideration.
In this case the Southerner was X, the unknown qnantity.
That first night at the supper table, when it was discovered that the home
steader had stolen a march on them, trouble began. The presence of the refined
girl at the table made the thresher men feel decidedly awkward and ill at
ease. The women folk and the Southerner, who were seated at one end of the
large table, did most of the talking, though some joking was attempted by
some of the bolder ones of the thresher crew. Now that the ice had been
broken, Billie was keen to see his advantage. And he was becoming daring
with his gaining confidence. As usual, the most of the men ate in a hurry and
soon left the table to enjoy their smoke outside. Seeing that Billie would soon
be left alone with the women folk, one of the o der men proposed,on leaving the
table, “ that the last man to leave the table help the cooks wash the dishes.”
This brought forth a laugh all around. The women qu’ckly seconded the sug
gestion and the teacher "added fuel to the fire” by daring the victim with, “ 1
don’t believe you’re game to help us with the dishes I”
“ You don’t believe I’m ‘game’? ” promptly replied the Southerner, a big
smile on his face and mischief alight in his keen brown eyes.
“ I ’ll call that dare I
"You don’t think I’m ‘game’ ? ”
He looked straight into her eyes. He saw that he had scored this time,
for she flushed crimson and dropped her eyes. She didn’t answer his repeated
question.
While the thresher hands were outside smoking Billie was standing in front
of a big. steaming dishpan washing dishes. The girl was standing by hiro dry
ing them. The young teacher was still blushing in her embarrassment. The
bachelor was plainly master of this situation. He was very happy and talked
more to the girl than she did to him, but he little realized to what extent he
had roused the jealousy of the other men.
[To be continued]
IMPORTANT TELEGRAM
TROM THE GOVERNOR
Oregon Executive Urges Agricultural
fVparedness in Anticipation of
A food Shortage
“ At this time when the mobilization
of all the resources of our country is
the paramount national problem, it is
the patriotic duty of all of us to co op
erate in every possible way. It seems
to me Oregon’s great opportunity lies
in the organized encouragement and de
velopment of agricultural production.
With this in view, I suggest that the
Portland Chamber of Commerce take
the lead in organizing the commercial
bodies of ihe state in an Oregon League
of Agricultural Preparedness, whose
objects shall be the maximum produc
tion of staple crops chiefly oacftil in
feeding the nation and protecting our
citizenship from the hardships of in
creased living cost. Every community
should be organized so that its vacant
lots and unused fields, so far as pos
sible, shall be placed under cultivation.
An especially important work can be
done with school children. Each one
should become a volunteer patriotic
farmer this summer. Organized pur*
chase of seed would cut cost and should
make possible free distribution to those
who cannot afford this initial invest
ment. I respectfully suggest this gen
eral plan for your consideration, be
lieving it good economics and soundly
patriotic.”^
___
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