The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-11


eclipse around us and the changing light |
overhead We're very weird. |
Madame de Terriers hands chilled mine, |
and she shook in her thin cape and hood.
Our garments We're saturated. l felt
moisture trickling down my hair and
dropping on my shoulders. -.r
She felt full Of vital courage, resisting
the deadly chill. This was not summer
fog lightly to be traversed. 1t went dank
through the bones. When I had helped
her to a bench. remembering there was
nothing dry to wrap around her, slipped
off my coat and forcibly added it's thick
ness to her shoulders.
DO you think 1 will let you do that.
monsieur"
My teeth chartered and shocked to-
gether so it was impossible to keep from
laughing. SO told her I always preferred
to be coatless when I rowed a boat.
We could see each other by the high
light that sometimes gilded the face, and
sometimes was furnished almost to
eclipse. Madame de Terrier crept for
ward and before I knew her intention,
cast my garment again around me.
helped the boat shift Its balance so she
would have to grasp at me for support,
the chilled round shape of her arm in my
hand sent waves of fire through me. With
brazen cunning, moreover that surprised
myself instead of pleading, dictated.
sit beside me on the rowers bench,
madame, and the coat will stretch around
both Of us
Like child she obeyed. We were in
deed reduced to saving the warmth Of our
bodies. l shipped my oars and took one
for paddle. bidding Madame de Terrier
to hold the covering in place while l felt
for the shore. She did so, her arm cross
| ing my breast, her soft body touching
mine. She was cold and still as the
cloud in which we moved; but 1 was a
god. riding triumphantly high above the
world, satisfied to float through celestial
regions forever, bearing in my breast an
Enquencha bic coal Of fire.
The moon played tricks, for now she
was astern. and now straight ahead, in
that confusing wilderness Of Yapor.
Madame" l said to my companion,
why have you been persuaded to go
back to France?"
She drew a deep breath.
II have not been persuaded I have
been forced by circumstances. Pauls fu-
ture is everything"
"You said you would rather make him
a wood-chopper. than suppliant to the
! Bonapartes."
II would. But his rights are to be
considered first. He has some small
chance Of regaining his Inheritance
through the influence of Count de Chau-
mont now Hereafter there may be no
chance. You know the fortunes and
! lands of all emiges were forfeited to
the state. Ours have finally reached the
hands of one Of Napoleon's officers. I
do not know what will be done. I only
know that Paul must never have cause to
| reproach me- ..
| 1 was obliged to do my duty in my place
as she was doing her duty in hers; but T
wished the boat would sink. and so. end
all journeys to France. Il It touched shore,
on the contrary, and l. grasped a rock
! which juted toward U.s.. 1t might be the
point of an island, it might be the eastern
land, as I was inclined to believe, for the
moon was over our right shoulders.
Probing along with the oar I found a
cove and a shallow bottom, and there I
beached our craft with a great shove.
| How good the earth feels underfoot!"
said Madame de Terrier. We were both
stiff. I drew the boats where they could
not be foated away, and we turned our
faces to the unknown. took her unre-
!. sisting arm to guide her, and she depend
} ed upon me.
, This day 1 look back at those young
figures cropping through cloud as at dis
embodied and blessed spirits. The mans
intensest tenderness, restrained by his
/ virginhood and his awe Of the supple
t delicate shape at his side, was put forth
only In her service. They walked against
bushes. He broke stick, and with II
probed every yard Of the ascent which
they were obliged to make. Helping his
companion from bush to log, from seam
to seam of the river slope, from ledge t.
ledge, he brought her to a level Of hgl
S forest where the fog was thinner. anc
branches interlaced across their faces
The climb made Madame de Ferrie,
draw her breath quickly. She laughed
when we ended it. Though knew tn,
O shores as well as a hunter, it was impos
9 sible to recognize any landmark. TIL,
tho
our feet. the very rocks, were changed b,
e that weird medium. And when the TO,
opened and we walked as through an end
t less tunnel of gray revolving stone, i
was into world that never existed befor
v and would never exist again.
d There was no path. Creeping unde
Z and climbing over obsta c1es, sometime
enclosed by the wilderness of steam some
times walking briskly across lighte
the lake smoked in the chill of the earl
mornings. Vapor played all it's freak
on that brink The edge had been sharp
: ly defined. But the fog shut around u
S like curtain, and we dared not stir.
Y Below. medallion shaped rift widene
s out, and showed us a scene as have sine
I beheld such things appear upon the stag,
Within the round changing frame ~
y wispy vapor two men sat by a fire of log
and branches. We could smell WOO
smoke, and hear the branches crackl
convincing us the vision was real. Be
hind them stood a cabin almost as rud
as my shelter on the island L. -
One man was grand fellow, not at a
of the common order, though he was MOI
plainly clothed than De Chaumont H
face was SO familiar that almost graspe
recognition-but missed it. The who
cast was full and aquiline, and the LOT
of his ear, as I noticed when light fell c
40 ca 70 \;
mine. 81 ="
The other man worked his feet upt
the treadle Of small wheel. which +
volved like circular, table in front
him, and on this he deftly touched som
thing which appeared to be an earthe
ware vessel. His thin fingers moved wi
spider swiftness, and shaped; it with
kind Of magic. He was q mad lookil
person, with an air Of being tremendous
driven by inner force. He wore mu
: taches the like Of which had new
seen carried back lover his ears; al
these hairy devices seemed to split /
countenance in two crosswise.
Some broken pottery lay on the sroun
and few, vessels, colored and 1ustro
so they shone in the freight, stood
- q stump near him. .
=, The hollow was not q. deep one, but
the men had been talking, their voic
70 did not reach us until the curtain parte
le You are a great fool or a great rasc
I, or both, Bellenger,' the superior nj
= said.
a Most people are, your riighness'' i