Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-08-28
HRIEh,
The Half-Breed.
A Romance of Colonial DAYS.
By ROBERT A. CUMMING.
lCoPYRIGHT, 1901
CHAPTER ".

| lCoPIiiGHT, lo9o-I
CHAPTER ".
MONTREAL
IN the year 1876 this fair city Of the
present day was military post around
which had grown up 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-looking grenadier of the Guard,
! with his bear-skin shake and big
mustache, to the poor tiller of the SOIL
compelled TO abandon his little farm,
ms 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-
tied children of the soil, with their
statuesque forms and bronze faces
marked by stoical Indifference. Here
and there chief crested with
eagle plumes, stalked through the
crowd with naughty step, like bar
barrie prince at q Roman festival, vail
ing his hatred or jealousy of the superb
or race beneath mask of naughty in
difference.
Squaws were there with bcad-worlled
moccasins, baskets or wampum for sale;
some with babes strapped on boards
upon their backs. Unlike their lords
they were merry and observant, and
although unattractive in form and feat
ure, yet sweet-voiced and woman-like.
young and handsome Lieutenant of
grenadiers, with his arm in sling and
face into which the roses of health
were slowly returning, paused to OBJ
serve band of Indians performing
War-dance, when a finger was laid on
his shoulder and sweet, low-toned
voice said:
captain Barzac, ] am so glad to see
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 I am indebted
for. 10
charming sisterhood of our Lady of
Mercy, what do we not owe you've
poor soldiers of France!"
''And what would France do without
her soldiers?" asked the lady, smiling.
''Ah, my friend, if We women did not
make ourselves useful to our protectors,
we would lose the object of our dearest
ambition!'
s'Ambitionl you are not ambitious.'
sob, yes, and you will learn some day
that a woman's ambition, like your OWE,
is to conquer, to subdue, but not with the
same weapons. All, pardon ME; 1 am
talking like woman who has hobby,
as the English say-how coarse they are!
To make amends, let me introduce you
to nv niece, Ninon Destain.'
The young soldier bowed; the lady
courtesied in the formal manner of the
time, although her eyes betrayed
certain interes st in the wounded hero,
while he, after a 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 of the CARR ison; wives and
daughters of officers, sisters of a relig-
ious order who served in the hospitals,
and the Indian women who had few
pretensions to beauty of any kind. The
cadet of a noble, though impoverished
family, he had spent ten years in the
colonies, marching and fighting. when
not on garrison duty, undisturbed by
anv other sensations than those con-
nected with military life until now, at
the age of twenty. seven, he beheld
face and form which recalled the civ
ilization he had almost forgotten. But
Mile. Destain was not 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 princess whom untoward
fate had driven from q throne to wan
der amid barbarous scenes and uncon-
genial associates, yet whose innate gen.
crosby compelled to hide her d1sdaln
under mask of gracious condescenslon.
De Barzac was waiting to hear the
sound of her voice, but her attention
liz