The Red Cloud chief., 1901-08-23

And now AIOnzo Edwards came daily
to the cabin, and ut last brought his
father, who talked long and earnestly
with Papa Pierre. smoothing his pride
by praising Celeste. and urging his
consent to a marriage. Neither OF this
farmer squires doubted that the un.
willingness of the girl herself was co.
quetry. and tho younger deemed him.
self the favored OF her SWANS. The
f1ddling Scotchman! 1t never entered
his head that Ferguson might be d
rival.
Pierre swore ferociously In French
at the situation. These Edwards, Nor
Dieu'.' Here. Celeste, what you say
eh!" ferguson looked at the girl as
II his eyes could find her very hearts
thought. She shrugged her shoulders
and left the room. Pierre mutteret
"diablo! dam. dam" and struck his
open palm against the door. And then
he looked orcc keenly. searchingly, a,
Ferguson. The latter's face was as ey.
pressionless as a granite bowlder.
The next day Pierre set out TO look
after his traps and Ferguson stayed a,
the cabin to make a pair of snowshoes
he said. The hearth was light with
great logs, and Celeste's ring, which she
wore only before her father and the
Scotsman, sparkled on her finger. She
sat on n of the heavy splint-bottom
chairs and watched the progress OF the
work. Finally Ferguson threw down
the strips Of deer hide and said: "You
are not going to marry this Edwards
Celeste?"
why not, monsieur replied the
girl, proudly, though with her cheeks
ablaze at the question.
Because l say not, Celeste" he an.
swered.
"What right-you--" the girl brok-
emily cried; then with a splendid cour.
age she laughed, looked him full in the
face. shrugged her shoulders, and
m%ockingly repeated Pierre's old re.
mark, Eth! Bien! N'importe."
Ferguson took one step across the
hearth and caught her to him.
She struggled at first, but came tc
the knowledge of his alteration OF heI
in an amazed joy.
w Will go down to the village to-
morrow afternoon, Celeste, get mar.
ried and come back and surprise Papa
Pierre in the evening. You shall take
your place as my wife In the city and
We Will live In the woods here half the
year with Pierre"
The girls heart was w%ell-nigh break
ing with sheer happiness. The Ions
night seemed to her as a kind mother
shading with its dusky palm the one
light OF her life from a too binding
%brilliancy.
In h morning a strange warmth
was in the air. An uncanny mildness
FOR that time OF year. And Pierre
shook his grizzled head. storm,
think" he said. He and Ferguson went
to the traps together. shot n brace OF
rufied grouse and returned for dinner
After dinner Ferguson and Celeste
went down the mountain side together
the light of what had happened ntill
radiant on the girls face.
'O" "uiAH IL IL, SHe Salu.
I'm afraid there is going to be q
storm said her companion. At the
village they met the minister, who wss
a w~hite-haired, kindly old man, and
were man and wife ere the girl coul,,
realize what had happened.
AS they crossed the log bridge over
one OF the mountain streams the sky,
which had been of a dark green color.
turned suddenly light, then to an inky
black. A hollow. roaring sound came
over h mountain and the storm was
upon them. Ferguson caught his wife
by the wrist and darted under the
bridge and into a hollow under the
embankment. a space amply sufficient
to shelter half a dozen people. A wild
gust scattered water into their retreat
and another volleying roll Of cracking
winds swept away the log bridge like
a heap OF straw. For hours, as 1t
seemed to them. the fierce storm ragged
OF wind and electricity, and afterward
a heavy rain fell. They remained in
the hollow until daybreak. and then.
heavy-hearted with forebodings OF dis
aster, they hurried on to the fort at
Passaconnaway. A perfectly appalling
sight confronted them here. Vast pines
uprooted and flung aside like wheat
stalks by the Graders motion. Hem
locks. hardy and tall, prone on the
rocky soil. stripped and scourged by
the tornado's might. The very GROUND
itself scooped and quilted by the cleav-
ing share OF the indomitable winds.
Higher and higher they crept. and at
last. after many hours, as 1t seemed, of
toiling through barriers of tangled
limbs and tree trunks, they came to the
spot where the evening before had been
the little home Of Papa Pierre. And
under a vast chaos OF uprooted pines
and hemlocks, buried in an interlocked
mass of gigantic timber, hidden from
sight by the roots of century-old for
est affairs. IL rested.
The darkness had circled, poised. de-
scended. The wild winds had sprung
ont from tho hpllou,o Nf ho..