Christmas

nev

she was a beauty, as she looked at her dimpled smiling face,-a beauty, though she was an Indian. Yes, this charming little maiden was an Indian, belonging to what was once a great and powerful tribe. When, three years ago, Molly Elliston had come out to the far Northwest with her mother to join her father on his ranch, she had thought she should never feel anything but aversion to an Indian. Molly was then seven years old, and had always lived at some military post, for her father had been an army officer until the three years before, when he had given up his com

year, you'll see; and oh! oh!" clapping her hands at a sudden thought, "I know-I know what I'll do! Tell you?" as Wallula clapped her hands and cried, "Oh, tell me, tell me!" "Of cour

etalka told me;

Christmas after she came back from school. Why di

"Metalka didn't stay long after she came back. She di

O

d, I might have gone

u had been to

ev'ry day after she came back-ev'ry day, till-til she-went 'way. I can read and write and talk, talk, talk, all day in

or Molly. "You are such fun, Lula.

's school, two, three, four, five year, as Metalka did, then I could talk splen'id English,

don't you

her won't have me go. Metalka went. When she first came back, she was so happy, so

mean civ

all the money was earned to pay big 'counts up at agency store, where Indians bought things,-things to eat, you know; so what's the use, they said, to try to live white ways when everything was 'gainst them, and they stopped trying; and Metalka was so dis'pointed, for she was going do so much,-going help civ-civ'lize. She was so di

o let your sis

and deer for the skins; and my mother 'n' I had made bewt'ful moccasins and gloves out o' the skins, all worked with beads; and so he'd earned good deal money, and he 'd kept 'count of it all,-his way, and 't was honest way; and kept 'count, too, what he'd had out of agency store; and Metalka understood and reckoned it all up, and said he 'd have good lot money left after he'd paid what he owed at the store. But, Maje Molly, he didn't! he didn't! They tole him he owed all his money, and when he said they'd made mistake, and showed 'em Metalka's 'counts, they laughed at him, and showed him big book of their 'counts, and tole him Metalka didn't

k all white people bad; he do

back, and he built nice log house to live in instead of tepee, 'cause Metalka wanted it; and he like all you here, Maje Molly, 'cause you goo

't break my promise, you'll see,-you'll see, Lula. On Christmas eve I shall