Morris tribune., 1895-10-30

"Oh, do tell us about it," cried the girl.
tention, her hands clasped before her,
resting on her knees Then slowly she
| seemed to awake from wandering in
that quaint old world valley-the deep
est valley with perpendicular cliffs in
| the known world-to the stern, snow
bound world of the frozen north, and
the change was remarkable one, truly.
As for Jeanette, she had sat with
wide open eyes and tingling ears, as il
she listened to some Of La Salle's adj
ventures in the days Of le bois coureurs.
Australia seemed a farther off and more
mythical country to her than that hap.
by hunting ground Of the Ojibways
and the Crees. She felt wholesome
respect for a man who could tell Of
such wonderful places and at the same
time hardly talk Of himself at all.
Now, said the girl, "this book has
an interest for me that it had not be-
| FORE. But it is sad book, and the NOR
al is so evident
She checked herself abruptly as if she
had said more than she intended to say.
Eyes, he said musingly and with an
unconscious, pitiless candor, apart
from the moral conveyed, it is simply
the history Of a natural sequence obey
ing one of natures just laws. 1t is the
inevitable tragedy which waits upon
those lives whose downward career has
begun by some apparently tri1ing di
vergency from the obvious path Of duty
until passion or the sordid love Of
gain has perverted the moral eyesight,
and death alone can break the spell that
binds the infatuated victim. just think
Of those misguided men being shot down
like wild animals by the troopers
He in his turn stopped abruptly.
What on earth was he talking about to
this girl? He had entirely lost sight of
the awkward parallel and personal bear
ing that the imaginary case he had been
discussing had upon the surroundings
Of this girls own life. Had he forgot
ten what he was and what he was there
for? Was it not bad enough to have un-
thinkingly put into this innocent girls
hands a book having such a direct per-
sona1 application without parading his
views upon it and running the risk of
being considered as playing the part Of
"a moral preceptor, though, to do him
justice, nothing had been further from
his thoughts? He fairly bit his lips with
yexation at the false light be must ap
pear in to this girl.
Il And now how could he right him
self in her eyes without making matters
worse? Tt was such delicate subject
and must surely only bring further pain
and humiliation upon her. Surely she
could not deem him guilty of such can
tdid.brutality. Fearfully he stole look
at her. 40
And she, with that subtle intuition
which some women possess, saw that
/ he had suddenly realized what miscon
struction might be put upon his I'M
guarded moralizing She was also trae
enough to her womanly nature to feel
not little secret qualification in the
fact that the thought of it distressed
him. Had it not, then it would have in
Dictated lack Of interest in her.. She saw
the horns Of the. dilemaaa he was on,s
and it was touch of thespirit of old
Mother Eve that made her affect tObe-
ieve him guilty.
ssOh, of course, you are right, she
said coldly after a pause, ssand I ought
to feel obliged toyou for the delicate
way in which you have tried t6sinculcate
better principles into t,s poor folks j.
But she was mistaken when she
thought she could. jest on such sub
'Jert, for her lipshad quivered, and there
was a pathetic ring in her voice as she
brought the sentence; to. an abrupt close
And now as it flashed upon him that
his conduct must have appeared in the
light of deliberate insult his face be-
came the picture Of ramorse and morti
fication. Trulys.a man is laundering
animal But with nor little satisfac-
tion she saw the perturbation of mind
she had caused him, and, like the true
woman that she was, came to his aid.
Forgive mes"' she cried, and there
was hint Of pity. for him in her voice.
Do you think I am not q better judge
Of men than tosnppose you guilty of
such a thing?s T saw from the first that
you had not drea ned Of preaching at us;
it was wrong of me TO try to joke on
such a subject. Come, let us cry quits,
though your punishment has been more
than you deserved. = There was a strange
mixture Of contrition and generous
frankness in her voice.
He could hardly trust himself to an
swer her on account of the unwonted
citation that he felt The girl began to
show in new aspect in his eyes. No
experienced coquette Of the gay up to
date world could have applied the rack
and released him again more skillfully
than she had done. The very fact that
she had caused him temporary pain
made him feel attracted by her.
Then she rose from her seat. put on a
dainty beaver cap, pulled on large
loose fur coat and drew on her mitts.
He rose to go.
"Oh, no, not till I come back, I" she
said pleasantly. Jeanette will make
some tea, and you must wait and have
cup with us. You see, we are quite
fashionable folk here, and generally
Iaro a orr, ~, fha aftnl,,oou ahOf1t a |