Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-30
VIII.

VIII
A leap of the heart and dizziness shot
through me and blurred my sight. The
reality of Madame de Terriers coming
to seek me surpassed all imaginings.
She walked with quick accustomed step,
parting the second growth in her way,
having tracked me from the boat. Seeing
my lodge in the ravine she paused, her
face changing as the lake changes; and
caught her breath. / stood exultant and
ashamed down to the ground.
Monsieur, what are you doing here?"
Madame de Terrier cried out.
Living, madame" I responded.
Living? DO you mean you have re-
turned to your old habits?"
II have returned to the woods, ma
dame"
Perhaps"
''You must not do it."
what must I do?'
Come back to the house. You have
given us much anxiety
/ liked the word us until 1 remem-
bered it included Count de Chaumont.
why did you come out here and hide
yourself?"
My conduct appeared contemplate. 1
looked mutely at her.
what offended you?"
Nothing, madame"
'Did you want Doctor Chantry to lame
himself hobbling around in search of you,
and the count to send people out in every
direction?"
mo, madame"
what explanation will you make to
the count?'
None, madame" 1 raised my head. "I
may go out in the woods without asking
leave of Count de Chaumont"
"He says you have forsaken your
,,J h&Yrlr fO hn a n Indian
1 showed her the Latin book in my
hand. She glanced slightly at it, and
continued 10 make her gray eyes pass
through my marrow.
Shifting like a culprit, inquired:
How did you know l was here?"
'Oh. it was not hard to ind you after
/ saw the boat. This island IS not large.
But who rowed you acloss the lake.
madame?"
81 came by myself, and nobody except
Ernestine knows II. can row boat.
slipped through the tunnel and ventured. >"
Madame, l am a great fool. l am not
worth your venturing."
You are worth any danger l might
encounter. But you should at least go
back for me-"
Il will do anything for you. madame.
But why should go back?-you will
not long be there
what does that matter? The import
ant thing is that you should not lapse
again into the Indian"
as any life but the life of an Indian
open TO me, madameT/
She struck her hands together with
scream
Louis! Sirer'
Startled. / dropped the book and it
sprawled at her feet like an open missal.
she had returned so Unexpectedly to the
spirit OF our first meeting.
80. If you knew what you are! During
my whole life your name has been cher
ished by my family. We believed you
would sometime come to your own. Be
lieve in YOURSELF"
/ seemed almost to remember and per-
ceive what / was--as you see in mirage
one inverted boat poised on another and
are not quite sure, and the strange thing
is gone.
Perhaps / was less sure of the past be-
cause 1 was so sure of the present. A
wisp of brown mist settling among the
trees spread cloud behind her. What
wanted was this woman to hide in the
woods for my own. ] could feed and
clothe her. deck her with necklaces or
garnets from the rocks, and wreaths of
the delicate sand-wort flower. She said
she would rather make Paul wood
chopper than a suppliant. taking the con-
stitutional oath / could make him
hunter and a fisherman. Game, bass,
trout. pickerel. grew for us in abundance.
l saw this vision with single eye; 1t
looked so possible! All the crude mag
inings of youth colored the spring woods
with vivid beauty. My face betrayed
me. and she spoke to me colby.
lis that your house, monsieur"
] said it was.
And you slept there last night?'
81 can build a much better one"
what did you have for dinner%
Nothing"
'Nhat did you have for breakfast"
Nothing"
Evidently the lift l proposed to myself
to offer her would not suit my lady.
She took a lacqucIed blk from The cover
OF her wrappings and moved down the
slope a few steps.
Come here to your mother and get
your supper"