The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-08
ARRIVING.
Chapter VII

ARRIVING.
Chapter Vil.-ContInued.
The river piled hllocks of water in a |
strong north wind. and no officer crossed
from the stockade. Neither did any
neighbor leave his own fire. 1t seldom
happened that the Grignons were left
with inmates alone. Eagle sat by me and
watched the blaze streaming up the CHM
ney.
II she was not unit in the family group
and had no part there, they were most
Kind to her.
Take care!" the grandmother cried
with swift forethought when Marie and
Katarina marshaled in q hopping object
from the kitchen. 1T might brighten
Madeleine
Pierre Grlgnon stopped in the middle of
a bear hunt. Eagle was not frightened.
She Clapped her hands.
This is pouched turkey" Marie an
nounced, leaning against the wall, while
Katarina chased the fowl. 1t the
little negro, his arms and feet thrust into
the legs Of a pair Of Pierre Grignon's
trousers and the capacious open top fast
ened upon his back Doubled over, he
waddled and hoped as we'll as he could.
A feather buster was stuck in for tail,
and his wOlly head gave him the uncanny
look of a black harpy TO see him was to
shed tears of laughter. The pouched tur-
key enjoyed being a pouched turkey. He
strutted and gObbled, and ran at the
girls; tried to pick up corn from the floor
with his thick lips, tumbling down and
rolling over In the effort: for pouched
turkey has no wings with which to bal
ance himself. SO much hilarty in the
family room drew the Pawnee servants.
I their small dark eyes in a mere line
OF open door, gazing solemnly.
When the turkey was relieved from his
pouching and sent to bed, Pierre Grignon
ia erir wi
jigs that ended a reel. when couples left
the general figure to Jig it off.
When Eagel had watched them while
she started up spread her skirts in a
sweeping courtesy, and began to dance a
gavotte The fiddler changed his tune,
and the girls rested and watched her.
Alternately swift and languid. with the
changes of the movement. she saluted
backward to the floor, spun the tips
Of rapid feet. had seen her dance many
times, but never with such abandon of
JOY.
Our singular relationship was estab-
Nshed in the house, where hospitality
made room and apology for all human
weakness
Nobody Of that region except the in
firm, stayed indoors to shver by fire.
Eagle and the girls In their warm capotes
breasted with me the coolest winter days.
She was as happy as they were her
times L thought her eyes must answer me
with her old selfcommand; their bright
grayness was so natural
l believed If her decisions were hu-
mored, they would unwind from her like
the cloud which she felt them to be- The
habit of treating her as child
playing some imaginary character
She seemed less demented than
walking In a dream, her faculties asleep
1t was somnanlbulism rather than mad
ness. She had not the expression Of in
sane people. the shifty eyes, the cunning
and perverseness, the animal and torpit
presence.
If l called her Madame de Terrier in
stead Of my Cloud-Mother, a strained ant
puzzled look replaced her usual satisfac
ton. L did not often use the name, no
did try to make her repeat my own.
was my daily effort to fall In with he
happiness, for if she saw my anxiety sh
was quick to plead:
Don't you like me any more Paul
Are you tired Of me, because l am
Cloud MUther?'
mo" 1 would answer. 'Iazarre vii
never be tired Of YOU"
do you think I am growing smaller
VIII you love me If I shrink to baby?''
Il will love YOU"
Il used to love you when you were s
tiny. Paul, before you knew how to low
me back. If L forget how"-she clutche
the lapels of my coat-"will you leave m
them"
Eagle, say this: Lazarre cannot leav
me- "
"Lazarre cannot leave me-
L heard her repeating this at her sew
Ing. She bOasted to Marie Grignon-"I a
zarre cannot leave!-Paul taught m
that"
My Cloud Mother asked me to tell he
no 70 tall cSl,~
forgotten them.
Il am the child now" she would sa,
Tell me the stOres."
l repested mythical tribe legends gath
cred from Skenedonk on our long ride:
making them as eloquent as T could Sh
listened, holding her breath, or sighin
with contentment.
III any one In the household smile
when she led me about by the hant
there was a tear behind the smile
She kept herself in perfection bestow
Ing unceasing care upon her dress, whic
was always gray.
Il have to wear gray; am in q c1O1d
she had said to the family
we nave used fine gray stuff brougt
from Holland, and woods that Mother JT1
sule got from Montreal" Katarine toll
me. The Pawnees dye with vegetabl
colors. But they cannot make the pal
gray she loves"
II hair dropped on mycollar she brushe
1t away, and smoothed and settled m
cravat The touch of my Cloud Mothc
familiar, and tender like the touch of
wife, charged through me with tortur
because she was herself so unconscior
of it.
Before I had been in the house a wee
she made little pair of trousers a spa
long, and gave them to me. Marie an
katarine turned their faces to laugh. M
Cloud Mother held the garment IN f.
their inspection. and was not at ali ser
sitive to the. gigges it provoked
Il made over an old pair of h
fathers.' she said.
The discarded brooches used bv r.
pouched turkey had been devoted to h,
whim Every stitch was neatly set
praised her beautiful neellework, and 81
said she would make me a coat
Skenedonk was not often ir the hous
He took to the winter hunting and snow
shoeing with vigor. Whenever he can
indoors 1 used to see him watching Mn
de Terrier with saturnine wistfulnes
She paid no attention to him. He wou
stand gazing at her while she sewed; b
intr ri,yi1a