Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-09-11
HRIEA,
The Half-Breed.
A Romance of Colonial Days.
By ROBERT i. CUMMING.
ICOPYRIGHT, 1901
CHAPTER ".

[CoPYRIGHT, 1901
CHAPTER ".
MONTREAL.
In the year 1856 this fair city of the
present day was a military post around
which had grown upja struggling town,
composed of the families of men in the
civil and military service of the French
Government, fur traders and mechanics.
The little city nesting at the foot of
the hill from which it took its name.
Mount Real, or Kings Mountain, its base
partly encircled by the st. Lawrence
river, was very gay place.
The esplanade on the river bank was
usually crowded in daytime by gayly-
dressed officers on horseback and on
foot, soldiers of all grades from the
fierce-1ooking grenadier OF the Guard,
with his bear-skin shake and big
mNstache, to the poor tiller of the soil,
compelled to abandon his little farm,
his wife and children, for GLORY and
the honor Of serving King Louis; then
there were sailors from the men-of-war,
voyageurs in the employ of the fur
traders, and civilians of all grades in
the social ladder. and all wearing the
mask of thoughtless merriment or Gym
ical levity with which the French con-
'ceal or disguise volcanic passions, in
tense resolve and sublime devotion.
Mingled with this throng, and yet in
strongest contrast, were the dark
skinned allies of France-the disinher-
iced children of the soil, with their
:statuesque forms and bronze faces
marked by stoical Indifference. Here
and there o. chief crested with
eagle p1umes, stal1ed through the
crowd with naughty step, like bar
barrie prince at Roman festival, vail
ing his hatred or jealousy of the superb
or race beneath mask Of naughty in
difference.
Squaws were there with bead-worked
moccasins, baskets wampum for sale;
some with babes strapped on boards
upon thet9 backs. Unlike their lords
they were merry and observant, and
although unattractive in form and feat
upe, yet sweet-voiced and woman-like.
A young and handsome Lieutenant of
.grenadiers, with his arm in sling and
a face into which the roses of health
were slowly returning, paused to OBJ
serve o band OF Indians performing
Gsar-dance, when a finger was laid on
ANoice said:
you almost restored to health"
The young man bowed low; he even
kissed the hand offered him-a small,
plump hand, although the owner was
past the meridian of life.
''Ah, madam, how good you are he
said; Ito your kindness 1 am indebted
for restoration to life. You and your
charming sisterhOod of our Lady of
Mercy, what do we not owe you've
poor soldiers of France!'
''And what would France do without
9er soleiers?" asked the lady, smiling.
-'Ah, my 9riendO if we women did not
make ourselves useful to our protectors,
we Nsould lose Che object of our dearest
AMBITION
e'Ambition! you are not ambitious"
''Oh, yes, and you will learn some day
that woman's am bition, like your own,
is to. conquer, to subdue, but not with the
same weapons All, pardon me; I am
talking like q woman who has a hobby,
as the English say-how coarse they are!
To make amends, let me introduce you
to my niece, Ninon Destain.''
The young soldier bowed; the lady
-courtesied in the formal manner of the
time, although her eyes betrayed a
O certain interest in the wounded hero,
while he, after timid glance at her
face, decided that she was the most
beautiful woman he had ever seen.
In truth his observati ons of female
beauty had been confined to the mar
row circle % the CARR ison; wives and
, odaugA tiers of officers, sisters of relig-
ious order who served in the hospitals,
and tho INDIAN women who had few
pretensions to beauty of any kind The
cadet of q noble, though impoverished
family, he had spent ten years in the
colonies, marching and fighting, when
not On garrison duty. undisturbed by
any other sensations than those con-
pActed with military life until now. at
the age Of twenty seven, he beheld q
face and form which recalled the civ
-ilization he had almost forgotten. But
Mile. Destain was not a beauty. She
was type of the ancient noblesse, tall
of form with dark expressive eyes, firm
mouth and abundant brown hair. She
had the air of a princess whom untoward
fate had griven from throne to wan.
der amid barbarous scenes and uncon-
genial associates, yet'whose innate gen.
crosby compelled to hide her disdain
under a mask Of gracious condescension.
De Barzac was waiting to hear the
sound of her voice, but her attention
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