Part 4 (1/2)
”That's true,” said the Elder, thinking aloud, ”and good. Ef we all held together there'd not be much wrong done.”
”Then I kin tell the boys,” resumed Morris, rising, ”that you'll be with us, Elder. All us young uns hold by you, an' what you say, we'll do, every time.”
”Wall,” replied the Elder slowly, ”I don't know. I kain't see my way to goin'. I've always done fer myself by myself, and I mean to--right through; but the meetin' seems a good idee. I'm not contradictin' that.
It seems strong. I don't go much though on meetin's; they hain't ever helped me. But a meetin' seems strong--for them that likes it.”
With this a.s.surance Morris was fain to be satisfied and go his way.
Bancroft had listened to the colloquy with new feelings. Prepared to regard with admiration all that the Elder said or did, it was not difficult for him now to catch the deeper meaning of the uncouth words.
He was drawn to the Elder by moral sympathy, and his early training tended to strengthen this attraction. It was right, he felt, that the Elder should take his own course, fearing nothing that man could do.
In the evening he met Loo. She supposed with a careless air that he was goin' to pack them leather trunks of his.
”No, I've reconsidered it,” he answered. ”I'm going to beg your father's pardon, and take back all I said to him.”
”Oh! then you do care for me, George,” cried the girl enthusiastically, ”an' we ken be happy again. I've been real miserable since last night; I cried myself to sleep, so I did. Now I know you love me I'll do anythin'
you wish, anythin'. I'll learn to play the pianner; you see if I don't.”
”Perhaps,” he replied harshly, the old anger growing bitter in him at the mention of the ”pianner”--”perhaps it would be better if you gave up the idea of the piano; that _costs_ too much,” he added significantly, ”far too much. If you'd read good books and try to live in the thought of the time, it would be better. Wisdom is to be won cheaply and by all, but success in an art depends upon innate qualities.”
”I see,” she exclaimed, flaming up, ”you think I can't learn to play like your sister, and I'm very ignorant, and had better read and get to know all other people have said, and you call that wisdom. I don't.
Memory ain't sense, I guess; and to talk like you ain't everythin'.”
The attack p.r.i.c.ked his vanity. He controlled himself, however, and took up the argument: ”Memory is not sense, perhaps; but still one ought to know the best that has been said and done in the world. It is easier to climb the ladder when others have shown us the rungs. And surely to talk correctly is better than to talk incorrectly.”
”It don't matter much, I reckon, so long as one gets your meanin', and as for the ladder, a monkey could do that.”
The irrelevant retort puzzled him, and her tone increased his annoyance.
But why, he asked himself, should he trouble to lift her to a higher level of thought? He relapsed into silence.
With wounded heart the girl waited; she was hurt, afraid he did not care for her, could not even guess how she had offended him; but, as he would not speak, her pride came to her aid, and she remarked:
”I'm asked out this evenin', so I'll have to get ready and go. Good night, George Bancroft.”
”Good night, Miss Loo,” he replied calmly, though the pain he suffered proved that jealousy may outlive love. ”I think I shall go to this meeting at the school-house.”
They parted. Loo went upstairs to her room to cry over her misery and George's coldness; to wish she had been better taught, and had learned her lessons in school carefully, for then he might have been kinder. She wondered how she should get books to read. It was difficult. Besides, couldn't he see that she was quick and would learn every-thin'
afterwards if he'd be good to her. Why did he act so? Why!
Bancroft went to the meeting, and found the house crowded. A young farmer from the next county was present, who told how a United States officer with twelve men and a surveyor had come and drawn the boundary line, torn up his fences, and trampled down the corn which he had planted in the Indian Reserve. The meeting at once adopted the following resolution:
”In view of the fact that the land cultivated by American citizens in or upon the Indian Reserve has never been used or cultivated by the Indians, who keep to the woods, and that it is G.o.d's will that land should bring forth fruit for the sustenance of man, we are resolved to stand upon our rights as citizens and to defend the same against all aggressors.”
Every one signed this doc.u.ment, copies of which were to be sent to General Custer, and also to the President, to the Senate, and to Congress. It was arranged further to write to their own representatives at Was.h.i.+ngton giving an account of the situation.
After this the meeting broke up, but not before all present had agreed to stand by any of their number who should resist the troops.
When Bancroft returned home Mr. and Mrs. Conklin were still up, and he related to them all that had taken place. The Elder rose and stretched himself without having made a remark. In a whisper Bancroft asked Mrs.
Conklin to let him have a word with her husband. As soon as they were alone, he began: