Part 13 (1/2)

With a gentle se from his manner it would have been hard to assert which was the happier, the children or their teacher Though Seth found theh he was a man unused tocharges

His thoughtful conteave out no sound as she stepped up to hirave s into a pair of steady, serious, inscrutable eyes No white wohts behind such an impenetrable ht well have served as a model for the Sphinx

”The white teacher lish

Seth proue

”The papooses of the Indian make the whitepause Suddenly one dusky urchin rose with a whoop of delight, bearing aloft the torn paper with several lu to it With one accord the little mob broke The triumphant child fled away to the bluff pursued by the rest of her howling companions The man and the squaere left alone

”The white man tells a story of a wolf and a squaw,” Wanaha said, returning to her own language The children were still shrieking in the distance

Seth nodded assent He had nothing to add to her statement

”And the wolf eats the squaw,” the woe, her literalthis children's story

A look of interest cahtful eyes But he turned away, not wishi+ng to display any curiosity He understood the Indian nature as few men do

”There was no one by to warn the squaw?” she went on in a tone of simple inquiry ”No brave to help her?”

”No one to help,” answered the man

There was another pause The children still inside the Mission house were helping to chant the Doxology, and the woman appeared to listen to it with interest When it was finished she went on----

”Where the wolf is there is er for the squaw Indian squaw--or white I, too, learn these things I learn from much that I hear--and see”

”I know,” Seth nodded

”You know?”

”Yes”

”Wanaha is glad The white brave atch over the young squaw” The woh of relief He understood this woiven to man to understand any woman--even an Indian woran'ht into Wanaha's eyes ”He's after the young squaw”

”And he will have the young squaw soon”

Wanaha abruptly turned away and hurried round to the entrance of the Mission The sound of peopletold her that the Sunday-school was over Her silent going suggested that she had no wish to be seen talking in private to Seth

Seth remained where he was His delay may have been intentional, yet he had the appearance of deep preoccupation He quite understood that Wanaha's presence during his story had been deliberate She had left her own class on so that he would be alone with his children There was no s, only a pucker between his dark brows, and an odd biting of his under-lip

At last he shook hih he found the shade chilly, and, ain tiroup which included Wanaha, and they talked a few reaves Then Mrs Rankin and Rosebudbuckboards, and Wanaha disappeared down a by-path through the trees Seth and Charlie Rankin followed their womenfolk