Soldan High School - Scrip Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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2-A lr- A 2 t.A -3- af- -1 9-:f - af.:-R f '-2-f -Y . Soft Wind 'S Return fi.- '2!g'. OFT Wind was ill at ease. Why was it that this heavi- 5 gg ness weighed upon her when other maidens were so happy? g Had not Blackcoat the best warrior in the tribe, fallen in 4 , u ' . love with her? Ah yes! Soft wind knew! Many brave warriors before him had sought the advice of her father in order that they might see Soft Wind. She could recall how each one had watched her as he had listened to the wise words of her brave father, White Feather. Buft always Soft Wind, as she sat at the fire, had busied herself with her tasks of weaving pretty vari-colored baskets or pulling plant dyed grasses through soft doe skins of which she would be making festival robes. Soft Wind had seen the court glances of those warriors before, and at last of Blackcoat. She was not without understanding and knew full well the meaning of them, but, sly maiden that she Was, she had taken no heed of them. However, it was not long until her father rebuked her for he was growing old, and he deemed it desirable that Soft Wind should grace some other brave warrior's lodge. Soft Wind had replied that she did not care to leave her father for one whom she did not love. Whereupon White Feather let the matter drop and allowed Soft Wind to have her will. In fact, he secretly rejoiced, because he loved his daughter dearly and had found the decision to part with her no easy matter. As to Soft Wind, there was no wonder that Blackcoat loved her, for Soft Wind was the tallest and most beautiful maiden of the large village of teepees. Her black hair was always neatly braided in two large braids that hung full and glossy to her knees. The band of precious wampum about her high forehead was blessed by a single white eagle's feather which gave evidence of the most honorable and bravest blood in her tribe. Soft Wind was as swift as the does, with which skins her lithe and beautiful young body was always clad, and it was a well known fact among the tribe that never a twig cracked under her feet as she ran. Then too, she could not only weave better than any of the other maidens in the village, but the lodge which she kept for her father was the clean- est and sweetest-smelling in the village. Truly Soft Wind, dusky pearl that she was, could not have helped being the most sought after maiden in the village, had she tried. In spite of Soft Wind's aloofness, White Feather's 'words had started action in her heart. It was not long after this until Soft Wind, 9

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X..-. 'B 11: --- v Lg A -3---1-Q-ff Y .,X A- u ifv- handed down through many ages to Crawford's mother in the form of a ring. Crawson had an older brother, Lee, who was a very worthless fellow and consequently was continually getting into trouble. It seems that it was Lee who really stole the jewel in order to pay a huge gambling debt. Lee was, however, very crafty and sly, and by clever manoeuvering had thrown the guilt of this theft on his younger brother, William. Then came the discovery of the robbery and William had been turned away from home, never to return. Soon after Crawson went to visit Lee, and easily forced him into writing a signed statement of his guilt. This the brother sealed inside a small miniature and promised laughingly to present William with it after the death of their father. He then made him leave and warned him about returning. Crawson heard of his family from time to time from different sources, so he did not give up all hope of ever establishing his innocence. Although Crawson was determined to get the important miniature, he was really without an idea as to how to do so before his father died. Crawson had never told his wife or daughter about the miniature, and after the former's death he practically gave up all hopes of recon- ciliation with his father. Then his daughter, in ignorance of its value, had bought the miniature in a pawnshop. That was the end of his story. The next day I went with him to his father's residence, and he was joyfully welcomed by his father, who had regretted his hasty act many times, though he had been too proud to admit it. He was very glad when he read the paper from the miniature. He then told us of Lee. He had caused his father nothing but sorrow, and he was now spzinding five years in prison for some matter of no importance here. We found, through tracing down the matter of the miniature, that Lee's wife, needing money badly, had sold the miniature. Then Ellen, admiring it, had brought it home. Crawson, together with his daughter and father, have now taken up their abode in Paris, where his daughter is studying art under the great masters. Recently I received an exact duplicate of the miniature painted by her, and you may be sure I prize it highly. -Virginia Farrar, '5. eww eww ew ess be-:ad was S

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each time a brave feat was performed, or a brilliant dance executed, or a great endurance shown by some warrior, told herself how much more easily, better, and quickly Blackcoat could have done it. At first Soft Wind thought nothing of this preference because in the main it was true. Gradually, however, it began to dismay her, for she felt that she was no longer being just. Finally this preference divided itself into two component emotions-both much deeper-and they were alternate joy and despair. A sound, like the wind offering sympathy to the fire as it rushed through their tops in the winter, was often heard coming from the lips of Soft Wind those days. This soft sad rushing sound was one that no one but the breeze and the firs of Soft Wind could have made! and one who knows the language of the trees could have read Soft Wind's story in that sigh. Soft Wind could see no reason why she should go to Blackcoat's lodge just because this heaviness was upon her. A tear came to the surface, blurring the vision of the pretty new doe skin garment, but she quickly dashed it away, for Indian maidens are always brave and none have ever been seen crying. Nevertheless, the wind was heard many times more that night rush- ing through the firs before Soft Wind fell asleep. Was it significant that the pallet of spicy pine needles upon which she lay was covered with the huge bearskin Blackcoat had given her father? But then there were happy sides to this strange heaviness of Soft Wind. When these occasional happy spells came, one might have seen Soft Wind in her own little white canoe gaily paddling down the silvery stream that came from the melting snow of Mount Tahoma. Or if one were careful he might have seen her sitting on the fallen body of a giant oak sounding the calls of the cardinal, the pee-wee, the nuthatch, and even the meadowlark, which she had heard before her tribe had moved farther westward. Soft Wind grew sadder as the winter approached, for she knew that if she ever went to Blackcoat is must be soon and she was loathe to give up her carefree happiness to the demands and burdens of a man who loved her. One day when White Feather and Blackcoat, with many other brave warriors, were on an expedition-fighting a neighboring tribe-Soft Wind announced her intention of going to Mount Tahoma, the Great Spirit. She was going to ask the Great Spirit for the speedy and safe return of her father. . After she had pacified the other women of her tribe she finally set out, warmly clothed and well provisioned. 1 0