St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1894-03-10
NO. Six Sister.
BERNARD BIGSBY,
AUTHOR oE-
"Loyal at Last" "The Colonel
of the Fourth "and Other
Excellent Novels.

: And when Wanda Arlington learned
this dismal story. She brushed aside her
tears, and, with group of eager, chat
tering children around her, started up
the river to meet tho rcscuers- II was
easy to see by their downcast looks that
the worst had happeneds the worst, she
said bitterly to herself, was not death.
''You will bring him TO my room at
Mr.. Dolman's," she said. with COM
posure chat did not deceive the kind
hearted rivcrmen, who were tender as
women when trouble was TO the FORE
mo, no, lass. not that, not that. "
The speaker was William Bladon. He
was walking beside the sleigh a little
aloof from the others, but he advanced
to her side when she spoke.
Sand why not2'' the girl said hotly.
''What have done that you should
treat me SO cruelty? George Arundel
was my dear friend, as well as yours,
and claim my right to be near him in
his hour of need.
"But, miss"
NAY. hear me. II he could speak,
do you think he would approve your
harshness?"
''They think he'll never live to win
this journeys end" Bladon whispered.
"It matters little where they take him.
lass; your lodgings as good as any.
where else, SO have thine own way,
child. P'raps was too hard ON thee
this morn, but / loved the lad dearly
an I'm old an set in my ways"
So they bore the poor. manned body
to Dolman's house, and laid IL tenderly
on Wanda's bed
Then came the dreaded hour, when the
physician was making his examination,
and all the stricken girl could do was
to pray ceaselessly and pitifully that
Heaven would spare her the worst.
Good, kind, gentle DR.. West, who had
been her friend from the day after her
arrival In Glastonbury. came from the
sick chamber at last.
''No, he Is not quite dead, he said
'sBut / do not think he will linger
through the day."
And, without word, at his feet
Wanda Arlington fell, as though the
verdict had stricken her with death.
Meanwhile the villagers were hurry.
ing to and fro searching for traces OF
the other participant of the nights ad-
venture, who had SO mysterionsly dis
appearea IrUm the scene. IT ~ stsa IEHIs
possible that he could have fallen
through the Ice. for the snow-prints ot
the horses hoof were too fresh not to
tell the exact story OF their wanderings,
and there was not On air-hole near them.
But towards noon. a fisherman, who
had moored his ''hut" at the further
end of the bay, came into the village
and told story which set the tongues
of the gossips wagging.
He said that the preceding night, hav
ing his hut well In the shelter of big
snowbanlx, he had gone to rest
that very early In the morning be
tween two and three o'clock he had beer
awakened by Alphonse Damiens, very
white In the face and Withholding
about the eyes, who offered him Ave
dollars to help him to get TO the Cana
dian shore, and also gave him two-dol
flar bill for half-pint Of whisky he
happened to have. That he did conduct
him over the frozen river to Queens
vile, which they reached with much
difficulty. as he had to clear the way
in places with his axe. That Damien:
started off down lane away from the
village as soon as he reached the shore
and that he had seen nothing Of hin
since.
Didn't say nawthin' about no acct
dent?" asked James Dolman, who wa!
sitting on an inverted apple barrel IL
the grocery store, the center of grouI
OF admiring friends, all chewing tobac
co and whiting sticks.
she never said word about no acci
dent to me-" tho fisherman averred
HE seemed desp'rate anxious 10 get 4
!, Canady, and | thought he'd been IL
some row with the constable an want
ed to light out"
/ "Nas he hurt in any way?"
"Not as knows on. His boots an
pants was cut about bit. as was nat
raj after trayelin' orc. them spikl
chunks O. ice. but didn't see no bruise
ON him."
..That's strange" Dolman exclaimed
SAN did yer hear no noises afore 4
/, come ter wake yer up@
"Well, now you speak on it, think
I did. About half an hour, or maybe
hour afore 'Phonse come to my hut
hearn mos awful yellin' on the we
: side the bay"
: ssDown by Breclenridges?"
save, where the Glastonbury foil
crosses the mash"
seThet was two miles away fro
wheer the blind man was found
couldn't been him?" Dolman appeal'
to the circle Of open-mouthed listener
who nodded their heads in solemn
lence.
"Sav," interrupted the grocer, wi
had lust returned to the group aft
serving a woman with o pound OF bt
, ter. and had lost the fisherman's stor
"who is that stout, thick-seh oldl
man, as come up from Glastonbury
the livery-rig an is stoppin' at 70
house with the poor chap as is hul
| Jim?'
ssThet's the blind feller's keeper"
.sDu tell. Well, all can say is th
I'd rayther he were his keeper tn
p mine"
i "Ans wheer did yer make his
\ auaintance?'' Dolman asked, pausing
his whiting with awakened interest
l .sRipht wheer you're standin', Vi
He coined here as soon as ne reach
! the vilIage-an' q more cantankere
= old dog never clapp'd eyes on. "
the way he went for 'Phonse, an y
an the schoolmarm Tor deluderin