BLESSING

The Indeh, Apaches to their enemies, attacked a wagon train in Cooke’s Canyon. Among the children taken was a three-year-old girl. At first she was with the Mescaleros, but Chief Puma bought her for two ponies and took her home for his wife. They named her Lolotea, or Blessing. When she reached womanhood, Puma sent her back to live with the whites, to learn their ways, to become one of her own people. The Whites called her Blessing, too. But White Eyes don’t like children raised by Indeh, and a woman beat Blessing nearly to death. A slow-witted man and the parson’s daughter take care of Blessing, saving her life. But they are killed, and Blessing must run away. Gradually she returns to her Indeh ways. She promises to help a whore and her pimp because others had helped her. They are nothing but trouble, but she promised. Can there ever be peace for Blessing?