Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-08-06

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days taciturnity. He loved spirit even
II IL had TO be subdued, and he thought
on the instant that he might possibly
come to leok upon the i..ir savage m al
actual and not nominal daughter-in-
law. He had keen appreciation OF
courage. and he thought he saw in hen
face, ~ she turned upon them, look
Of defiance or daring. and nothing could
have got Mt his nature quicker. II the
case had not been SO near to his own
hearthstone, he would have chuckled.
As it was, he said good humoredly that
Mackenzie and Marion should 80 and
bring her back. But Mackenzie was al
ready ut that duty. Mrs. Armour had
had tho presence Of mind to send for Col
vim, but presently, when the general
spoke, she thought 1t better that Marion
should go and counseled returning to
breakfast and not making the matter Of
too much Importance. This they did,
Richard very reluctantly, while Ma
rion, rather pleased than not at the
spirit shown by the strange girl, ran
away over the grass toward the lake,
where Lali had now stopped.
There was n little bridge at one point
where the lake narrowed, and Lali, evil
IDENTIFY seeing it all at once, went to-
ward it and ran up Oh 1t, standing
poised above the water about the mid
die Of it. For IN instant an unpleasant
possibility came into Marion's mind
suppose the excited girl intended sui
cidel She shivered as she thought Of it,
and yet She put that horribly cruel
and selfish thought away fom her with
an indignant word at herself. She had
passed Mackenzie and come first 10 the
lake Here she slackened and waved
her hand playfully to the girl, so as not
TO frighten her, and then with forced
laugh came up painting on the bridge
and was presently by Lali's side. Lali
eyed her little furtivoly, but seeing
that Marion was much inclined TO be
pleasant she nodded 20 her, said some
Indian wore; hastily and spread out
her hands toward the water. As she did
50 Marion noticed again the beauty OF
those hands AID the graceful character
Of the ges, are, so much So that she for.
got the fat hair. ard the unstayed body.
and the rather broad feet, and the deli
cate duskiness, which had so worked on
her in imagination and in fact the even
ing before. She put her hand kindly on
that long slim hand stretched ont beside
her, and because she knew not what
else 10 speak and because the tongue Is
very perverse ut times, saying the oppo-
site Of what is expected, she herself
blundered ont, How, how. LaliV
Perhaps Lali was as much surprised
at the remark as Marion herself and
certainly very much more delighted.
The sound Of those familiar words.
spoken by accident, as they We're, opened
the way TO better understanding rs
nothing else could possibly have done.
Marion was annoyed at herself and yet
amused too II her mind had been per
fectly assured regarding Captain vi
dali, it is probable that then and there
peculiar, q genial. comradeship would
have been formed. AS IL was, Marion
found this little event more endurable
than she expected. She also found that
Lali, when she laughed in pleasant ac-
acknowledgement Of that How" had re-
markably white and regular teeth. In.
deed Marion Armour began 10 discover
some estimable points IN the appearance
Of her savage sister-in-law. Marion re-
marked to herself that Lali might be
rather striking person if she were dress
ed, as her mother said, in Christian gar
ments and could speak the English Ian
guage well-and was somebody else's
sister in law.
AT this point Mackenzie came breath
lessly to the bridge Gi.d called out a
sharply To Lali. rebuking her. In this
Mackenzie made mistake, for not only
did Lali draw herself up with consider
able dignity, but Marion, noticing the
masterful nature Of the tone, instantly
said: Mackenzie, YOU must remember
that you are speaking TO Mrs Francis
Armour, ard that her position in Gen
eral Armour's house Is the same as
mine. hope il is not necessary To say
anything more, Mackenzie.
Mackenzie flushed. She was n scusi-
bic woman. She knew that she had done
wrong. and she said very promptly: Il
am very sorry. miss was tustercd,
and expect have ~ 20, used 10 speak
ing to-to Mn, Armour n I'll h. sure
a. do In the future
As she spoke two or three deer came
trotting out of the beeches down 90 the
lakeside IL Lali was pleased and ox-
ited before. she was overwhelmed now.
Tier brCath came in quick gasp~. She
laughed. she tossed her hands. she seem
"a to become dizzy with delight. and
presently, n II this new link with and
reminder II her past had moved her n
one little expects savage heart l. NOV
ed. two tear gathered in her eyes. then
slid down her cheeks unheeded and dried
there In the sunlight n she still gazed
II the de,r Marion, az first surprised.
was now touched. A. she could not have
.hought IL possible concerning this wild
reaiurc, and her hand went out and
,aught Lali's gently. At this genuine
act Of sympathy, instinctively felt by
Lali-the stranger In q strange land.
husbanded and yet a widow-there
came n food of tears, and dropping on
her knees she leaned against the low
railing of the bridge and wept silently.
So passionless was her grief IL seemed
the more pathetic, and Marion dropped
un her knees beside her. put her arm
round her shoulder and said: Poor
grill Poor girll'
At that Lali caught her hand and
held it, repeating after her the words:
Poor girl! Poor girl"'
She did not quite understand them,
but she remembered that once just be-
fore she parted from her husband at the
great lakes no had said those very
words. II the fates had apparently given
things into Frank Armour's hands when
he sacrificed this girl to his revenge,
they were evidently inclined to play q
game which would eventually defeat
his purpose, wicked as it had been in
effect if not in absolute motive. What
the end of this attempt to engraft the
Indian girl upon the strictest conven-
tion of English social life would have
been had her introduction not been at
Greyhope, where faint likenesses to hei
bast surrounded her, it is hard to con-
lecture. But from present appearances
it would seem that Richard Armour
was not wholly false prophet, for the
savage had shown herself that morning
to possess in their erudeness some strik.
ing qualities Of character. Given char.