The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-04-12
[Concluded1

wise, and he had wondered at some
deep, searching things she had said.
He would have gone far to serve her,
for the gossip, now almost legend,
that he had cared for Marie's mother
before she married Marie's father had
foundation. The cure had stepped in,
for Medallion was a Protestant, and
that ended it, hut Medallion had never
married, and, strange to say, the cure
and himself and Maries father were
the best of friends. Medallion was also
busy watching M. Camille, for he felt
that here was something wherein a
friend might serve Marie, though how
he did not know. He liked the young
mans face, for it had that touch Of
loneliness and native solitary thought
which the present gayety of eye voice
and manner made almost pathetic He
even saw something more-a reckless
ness, not natural to the youths charac-
ter, which sat on him like touch Of
doom-and as he thought Marie's al
legory - her wonderful, beautiful,
dreadful chose were her worlds tale
of love-kept showing in vivid pictures
in his eye.
But if he could have read the young
mans mind, could have seen the strug-
gle going on there, the despair, the
wild hope, the daring, the revolt, the
breaking up of all the settled courses
of life, he would have been as star
tied as apprehensive, for while Camille
Debarres was urging on this mirth and
revel with a nervous eagerness he kept
saying to himself over and over again:
81 can't give her up! God forgive me!
Marie! Mariev'
The words beat in and out of the
music. Youth, humanity, energies of
the active world, were crying out, fight
ing for mastery in the breast of one
soon to be given to the separateness Of
the church. wherein the love of man
and maid must be viewed with a dis
tant paternal eye. A hundred forces
had been at work to put him and keep
him in the church, and when, as a
student, Marie came into his life these
forces, with loving yet severe appre-
hension, closed on him and on the girl
and had separated them, as it seemed,
forever.
He was older now, but as he neared
the final act that should set him apart
from the world and close up for always
the springs of youth and desire the old
feeling had leaped up, had filed him;
he had somehow got a few days Of
respite. and this was the result, this
mad escapade, this dangerous play
time!
The night wore on. At last he was
able to catch Marie's eyes. She could
not resist that pleading the ineXpress-
ible hunger in that look. She came
and sat down beside him, and again
Medallion called off the figures of the
dance.
They spoke in very low tones, trying
with what desperate anxiety to pre-
vent their hearts showing in their
Saces.
what do you want to say% she
asked, her breath catching.
81 want to know, Marie, if you still
love me?" his voice whispered through
the music.
"What does it matter?" she said.
"And is it right to ask"
1--WE come all the way from Quebec
to ask it," he said.
"You came to ask that? What did
you come to say?" she flashed out. her
lips quivering little.
He understood. Forgive me.
thought you knew | couldn't ask you
if you cared unless T.
He paused, for if he spoke the words
the die would be cast forever; he would
never return to those quiet walls
where incense and not the breath o;
woman-a breath like this, soft, sweet
instinct with youth and delight-woult
touch his senses. Yet what had he
come for? To rack a girls heart anC
soul and then return to his masses
and prayers, leaving an injured life be
hind him? When he started from Que
bee he scarcely knew what he was go
ing to do, save that he must see thi
girls face Once-Once again. He ha(
had no thought beyond that. That Gle
sire was hot within him. He did no
know-she might be married or deaC
or the betrothed of another, but h
would see her, then return to his sa
cred duties and forget. In coming a
all he had committed a sin for whic
hS WOulu nave " UlllSIly w llc
he returned, if he returned, but the la
ter thought had not presented itself t
him definitely. though it had flashed i
and out of the vapors of emotion like
flying fame.
But now here was Marie. and her
was he in the garb of the workada
world. and frivolity and irresponsible
gayety around them, and he, all on
sudden, with his faraway boyish reel
lessness again alive in him, the mastt
Of the revels.
"Unless?' Marie asked. Eyes. III
less?" There were two little lines
the corners of her mouth-lines whic
never come to a girls face unless 81
has suffered and lost. Marie had n,
only heart, but sense of honor, tic