f
noted Tetong chieftains, and at once sprang to her opportunity. She
admired and trusted Lawson. His keen judgment, his definiteness of
speech awed her a little, and with him she was noticeably less assertive
than with the others of her artist acquaintances. So here now she sat,
painting with rigor and immense satisfaction the picturesque rags and
tinsel ornaments of the Tetongs. To her they were beggars and tramps, on
a scale with the lazzaroni of Rome or Naples. That they were anything
more than troublesome models had not been borne in on her mind.

She had never professed special regard for her uncle the agent--in fact,
she covertly despised him for his lack of power--but, now that the issue
was drawn, she naturally flew to the side of those who would destroy the
small peoples of the earth. She wrote to her father a passionate letter.

"Can't you stop this?" she asked. "No doubt Uncle Henry will go direct
to Washington and make complaint. This Captain Curtis is insufferable.
I would leave here instantly only I am bound to do some work for Mr.
Lawson. We must all go soon, for winter is coming on, but I would like
to see this upstart humbled. He treats me as if I were a
school-girl--'declines to argue the matter.' Oh! he is provoking. His
sister is a nice little thing, but she sides with him, of course--and so
does Lawson, in a sense; so you see I am all alone. The settlers are
infuriated at Uncle Sennett's dismissal, and will support you and Uncle
Henry."

In the days that followed she met Curtis's attempts at modifying her
resentment with scornful silence, and took great credit to herself that
she did not literally fly at his head when he spoke of his work or his
wards. Her avoidance of him became so painful that at the end of the
third day he said to his sister: "Jennie, I think I will go to the
school mess after this. Miss Brisbane's hostility shows no signs of
relenting, and the situation is becoming decidedly unpleasant."

"George!" said Jennie, sternly. "Don't you let that snip drive you away.
Why, the thing is ridiculous! She is here on sufferance--your
sufferance. You could order them all off the reservation at once."

"I know I could, but I won't. You know what I mean--I can't even let
Miss Brisbane know that she has made me uncomfortable. She's a very
instructive example of the power of environment. She has all the
prejudices and a good part of the will of her father, and represents her
class just as a