The Red Cloud chief., 1897-10-08


he said. as the old
-" u,iser might lave
sent, 1t was certainly acceptable uide
the circumstances.
After taking care to pocket the
draft, he tossed up the boy and kissed
him, and told Marjorie he looked as
II she coddled him too much. Then he
prepared to leave.
Shall you he back soon. Leon?'
asked Marjorie, timidly. Whenever
she addressed him now she was al
ways fearful of the reception of her
words.
Il shall not return at all" answered
Caussidiere; ''or rather, / shall be late,
as ! dine with a little party of friends.
Do not sit up for me-"
And with another kiss blown airily
to his offspring he was of.
Marjorie did not cry Or show any
sign that this conduct distressed her.
She was too used to it for that. She
turned in tender despair to her only
comfort-the child. They sat alone to-
gethcr. the little n perched on his
mothers knee, listening opened mouth
ed as she talked to him of her old
home. She told him OF Miss Hether-
ington, about the manse, and Mr.. Lor-
raine, who lay quietly asleep in the
little kirkyard. How strange it would
be, she thought, to take the little one
there. How Miss Hetherington would
o,.. I,x-. H.. - .a.,Il
stare and call it 'uncanny" to hear
him prattling so prettily in French,
All! but would the day ever come
when she could take him there in
deed?
Long after the child had gone to
bed. Marjorie sat by the fire thinking
Of those happy days; she wrote to
Miss Hetherington, concealing as well
as she could the dark spots in her life,
speaking cheerfully and happily of her
little boy, and still dwelling upon the
hope of one day bringing him to her
old home.
Then she sat down to wait for her
husband.
Caussidiere VAS late. and when he
appeared Marjorie saw at n glance that
all his good humOr had left him. lie
was angry at finding her up; accused
her of wishing to time his going and
coming, and peremptorily ordered her
to bed. Without a word Marjorie
obeyed; she saw that he was rather
the worse for liquor. and that any
thing she might say would provoke
him.
The mex morning she rose early. ac-
cording to her usual custom. To her
amazement, just as she was about to
give the child his breakfast. Caussi-
diere came down.
He had dressed with unusual care:
he took his breakfast silently. and
when It was over he went up stairs
again to add a few more touches to
his already carefully made toilet; then
he r%eappeared, nodded to the boy and
to Marjorie-he was too well dressed
to touch either-and left the house.
Though he had said nothing, Mar
jorie was certain from his dress and
mysterious manner that it was no or
binary work that had called him
away that morning, and as she
thought of the strange. cold way Ne
had left her. her eyes filed with
tears.
Suddenly there was a knock at the
door. Hastily brushing away her
tears, Marjorie cried "Entrez," and the
door opened, admitting a woman. none
other than Adele of the Mouche dor.
or all the women of Caussidiere's
acquaintance, this was the one whom
Marjorie most wished to avoid. She
was half afraid of Adele, since she had
on one occasion heard her singing one
Of her songs in a cafe crowded with
men. Marjorie's strict Scotch train
ing made her shrink from commun-
ion with such a woman When she
saw Adele's face. therefore, she felt
troubled, and demanded rather coldly
what she sought.
II seek Caussidiere," returned
Adele. "Is he at homer"
NO" returned Marjorie, quietly,
he has gone out"
She thought this answer was con-
elusive and expected to see Adele dis
appear, but she was disappointed. She
came in, closing the door behind her,
walked over to little Leon, and patted
him on the head.
Leon gazed up and smiled; ne had
no fear of her; but Marjorie made a
movement as II to protect him from
her touch.
As Marjorie came forward, Adele
looked up from the boys curly head,
and asked, almost roughly:
where is Caussidiere. did you say?"
II do not know" returned Marjorie.
drawing the boy toward her; "he did
not tell me.
"He seems to tell you very little.
about himself. madame said Adele,
fixing her eyes strangely upon her
companions face; then she added,
suddenly, why do you draw the boy
away from me?"
Marjorie did not answer, so. with q