Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-27

told him did.
IF you want my candid opinion" his
eyes twinl6led. and he linked his hands
around his white satin knees. II think my
brother rules his family with rod OF
iron"
What will you do" 1 continued, when
your family Is turned out?"
NY faithr' said Annabel, this in
house favorable to the empire"
"A very natural question, said Jerome.
Il have often asked myself the same
thing"
The king of France" argued, land
all the Bourbons were turned out. Why
shouldn't the Bonapartes be?"
why shouldn't they, indeed?" respond
cd jerome. My mother insists they VIII
be. But I wouldn't be the man who under
takes to turn out the emperor"
What is he like?'
Impossible to describe him."
rs he no larger than you?"
Annabel gurgled aloud.
He is not as large"
yet he is a great soldier?"
"a great soldier, and he is adored by
the French
THE French" I quoted. ARE all fire
and tow"
Thank you" said Annabel. pulling out
her light frizZes.
You seem interested in the political sit
uation," remarked Prince Jerome.
1 did not know what he meant by the
poIitical situation but told him / had just
heard about the Bonapartes.
Where have you lived?" he laughed.
I told him II didn't matter where people
lived; it eli depended on whether they
understood or not
'g0-hat a sage!-I think I'm one of the
people who will never lie able to under
stan6,'' said Jerome.
l said he did not look rs IL he had been
idiotic. and both he and Msdemoiselle de
Chaumont laughed.
Monsieur
Il azzarre Williams" supplemented An
mabel.
..Monsteur. Lazarre Williams. whatever
your lot in life. you viii have one advan-
tage over ne; you will be an American cit
Haven't I that dolefui advantage my
self?" mourned Annabel. "A Baltimore
convent an English governess-a father
that may never go back to France!"
''Mo6emciselle, all advantages of nation
atty, Of person. of mind. Of heart. are
yours!'
So tipping the interview with a compli-
ment lie rose up. and Annabel rose also,
making him deep courtesy, and giving
him her hand to be led back to the floor
He kissed her white foringcr and bowed
to me.
you have suggested some interesting
thouehts. Monsieur Prince of the Woods
Perhaps you may yet take your turn on
the throne CT France. What would you do
in that case?'
Il would make the people behave them
selves if I had to grind them to powder. T"
Nov there spoke old Louis XIV"
laughed young Jerome Bonaparte. We
both bowed. and he passed down with An
naLel into the hall.
rf,,k do
Fcrrie- watch me ION her distant place
with widened eyes.
Miss Chantry spoke shrilly to her broth
er behind me.
You win never be able % do anything
with a lad who thrusts himself forward
like that. He has ma sense of fitness!-
standing there and facing down the broth
er Of q crowned head!-bad as the head is.
OF course Mademoiselle Annabel set him
on: she loves tc make people ridiculous!"
walked down1tairs after Prince Jerome,
threaded way among gazing dancers,
and left the hall. stung in my pride.
We do strangely expand and contract
in vital force and reach of vision. 1
wanted 10 put the lake-the world itself
between me and that glittering company.
The edge of a ballroom and the society
Of men in silks and satins. and of be-
witching women were not intended for
me.
Homesickness like physical pain came
over me for my old haunts. They were
newly recognized as beloved. had ragged
against them when comparing myself to
Crcghan. But now 1 thought of the even
ing campfire, and hunting stories, of the
very dogs that licked my hand; of st.
Regis and my loft bed, of snOwshoes and
the blue northern river, longing for them
as the young Mohawks said should long.
Torn betwixt two natures, the white man s
-
the water and started to go home faster
than 1 had come away. The slowness of
a boats progress, pushed by the silly mo-
ton Of oars, which have not the nice dis
elimination of a paddle, impressed me as
l put the miles behind.
When the camp light shone through the
trees it must have been close to midnight.
and my people had finished their celebra-
ton of the corn dance. An odor Of SWEEP
roasted ears dragged out of hot ashes
reached the poor outsider. Even the dogs
were too busy to nose me out. / skunk as
close as ! dared and drew myself up a
tree, lying stretched with arms and legs
around a limb.
They would have admitted me to the
feast, but as guest. 1 had no longer a
place of my own, either here or there. 1t
was like coming back after death, to
realize that you were unmissed. The camp
was full Of happiness and laughter. Young
man chased the young maids. who ran
squealing with merriment. My father,
Thomas Williams, and my mother, Ma
rianne. sat among the elders tranquil and
satisfied. They were ignorant Indians; but
I had no other parents. Skenedonk could
be seen, laughing at the young Mohawl5s.
If there was an oval-faced mother in my
past. who had read to me from the missal,
/ wanted her. r. as Madame Tank said,
outranked De Chaumonts daughter.
wanted my rank. 1t was necessary for me
70 have something of my own; to have
love from somebody
Collapsed and detected, crept down
the tree and back to the life that was
now forced upon me whether wished to
continue IL or not. Belonging nowhere.
remembered my refuge in the new world
of books.
Lying stretched in the boat with oars
shipped. drifting and turning on the
crooked lake, l took exact stock OF my
position in the world and marked out my
future
These things were known:
was not an Indian.
I had been adopted into the family of
Chief Williams.
Money was sent through an agent in