The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-15


in the winter for travellers. Ladies' some-
times made the journey on that route. which
the Government had lately opened. and the
mails were carried that way; he could take
passage with the mail carriers.
This fact determined Northwick He shranS
from trusting himself In Government keeping.
though he know he would DO safe In 1t. He
said no would go by Tadousac; and the land
lord found q carrioie driver. with n tough little
Canadian horse. who agreed to 60 the whoie
way to Chicoutimi with him.
After an carly lunch the man camo. with the
low.bodled slcdge. set on runners OF solid
wood. and deeply bedded with bearskins for
the lap and back. The day was still and sunny.
like the day before. and the air which drove
keenly against his face. with tho rush
Of the carriole. sparkled with particles
Of frost that sometimes filled 1t like
light shower OF snow The drive was
30 short that he reached St Joachim at
noon. and he decided to push on part OF the
way to Bale st. Paul after dinner. His host at
st. Joachim approved OF that. You Goin'
have snow tonight and big drift tomorrow"
he said. and he gave his driver the name OF
an habitant whom they-could stop the night
with Tho driver was silent. and no looked
sinister: Northwick thought how easily tho
man mlRnC muTueE IAtu oh ehoe AohoAS $500
and mako of with tho money In his belt:
how probably no would do II II he
dreamed such wealth was within his
grasp. But tho man did not notice him
after their journey began. except once 10
turn round and say. Look out YOU
nose. You goin' freeze him." For the rest
he talked to his horse. which was lazy. ana
which he kept urging forward with Marche
doncl Marche donor finally shortened to
och done! Oh donc! and repeated and re-
peated Mt regular intervals like the tolling Ola
boil 1t made Northwick think Of boil buoy
of a ledge of rocks. which he had spent sum-
mer near Ho wished to ask the man to stop,
but he reflected that the waves would not lot
him stop: no had to keep tolling.
Northwick started. He must be going out
Of his mind, or else he was browsing. Perhaps
he was freezing. and this was the beginning OF
the death browse But he felt himself warm
under his furs where he touched himself. and
he knew no had merely been dreaming. Ho
lot himself go again. and arrived at his own
door In Hatboro'. He saw the electric lights
through the long piazza windows. and he was
going to warn Elbridge again about that colts
shoes. Then he heard q sharp. fox-like bark
ing. and found that his carriole had stopped ct
the cabin Of the habitant who was to Keep
him overnight The open doorway was filled
with children: the Withholding dogs leaping
at the horses nose were in frenzy OF curios-
ity and suspicion.
Northwick rose from his mp freshed
physically. but with a desolate and sinking
heart The vision OF his home had taken all
his strength away with It: but from his sur
face consciousness he returned the greeting
OF the man with q pipe in his mouth and what
looked like q blue stocking on his head. who
welcomed him. It was a poor place within.
but it had a comfort and kindness OF its own.
and it was we'll warmed from the great oblong
stove OF cast iron set in the partition OF the
two rooms. The meal that the housewife got
him was good and savory. but he had no relish
for II, and went early to bed. He did not
understand much French. and he could not
talk with the people. but he heard them speak
OF him as an old man.with a sort Of surprise and
pity ut his being there. He felt this surprise
and pity. too: it seemed such a wild and
wicked thing that he should DO driven away
from his homo and children at his age. He
tried to realize what had done II.
The habitant had given Eorthwick his best
bed. In his large room: he went with his wife
into tho other. and they took two or three OF
tho younger children: tho rest all scattered up
into the loft: each bnde the guest well-man-
nered good night. Before Northwick slept he
heard his host get up and open the outer door,
Some Indians came In and lay down before
the fire with the carriole driver.
CHAPTER Nv.
In the morning Northwick did not want to
rise; but he forced himself: and that day no
made the rest Of the stage to Bale st. Paul. 1t
showed but he got through without much in
terruption. The following day. however. the
drifts had blocked the roads 50 that he did not
make the twenty miles to Malbaie till after
dark. He found himself bearing the journey
better than he expected. He was never so
tired again as that first day after st.
Anne. He did not eat much or sleep much.
but he felt we'll. The worst was that
the breach between his will and his mind
seemed to grow continually wider: he had a
sense OF the rift being like ohasm stretching
further and further. the one side from the
other. At first his mind worked clearly but
disobediently: then he began to be aware OF q
dimness in its record Of purposes and motives.
At times he could not tell where he was going.
or why. He reverted with difficulty to the fact
that he had wished to get as far as possible.
not only beyond pursuit, but beyond the
temptation to return voluntarily and give him
self up. He knew. In those days before the
treaty. that he was safe from extrad-
ton: but no feared that II detec-
Two dppIOuCuou uo Wouiu ylciu W hltus
and 60 back. especially as he could not
always keep before himself the reasons for
not going back. When from time to timo these
reasons escaped him. 1t seemed as II nothing
could be done to him in case he went homo
and restored to the company the money he
had brought away. 1t needed q voluntary
operation Of logic to prove that this partnl
restitution would not avail: that he would be
arrested and convicted. He would not DO al
lowed to 60 on living with his children in his
own house. He would be taken from them
and put In prison.
He made an early start for Tadousac. after
a wakeiul night. His driver wished to break
the forty-mile journey midway. but Northwlck
would not consent The road was not 30 badly
drifted as before. aud they got through a little
after nightfall. Northwick remembered tho
place because It was here that the Sagucnay
steamer lay SO long before starting up the
river. HerecoGnized in the vague night light
the contour OF tho cove. and the hills above 1t.
with the villages scattered over them. II was
tvenfv ycara sinoe he had made that trim