The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-09-30
CHAPTER VII.

She walked with accustomed step,
parting the second growth in her way,
having; tracked me from the boat. See
ing M lodge in the raVine she paused,
her face changing as the lake changes,
and caught her breath. stood ex-
ultant and ashamed down to the
ground.
Monsieur, what are you doing
here?" Nine. de Ferrier cried out.
Living, madame" responded.
Living? Do you mean you have re-
turned to your old habits?'
81 have returned to the woods, ma
DAME"
'sYou do not intend to stay here"
"Perhaps.'
"You must not do it!'
s'What must I do?'
"Come back to the house. You have
given US much anxiety"
liked the word Gus" until I remeu-
bered it included Count de Chaumont.
ssWhy did you come out here and
hide yourself?"
Ny conduct appeared contemplate. l
looked mutely at her.
"Wh> offended you?"
"Nothsag, madame" -
"Did you want DR.. Chantry to fame
himself hobpi;ng around in search OF
YOU, and tn ..uunt ts~send people out
in every d:-ect:on?"
'tNo, madame"
what explanation will you make to
the coant?"
s.None, madame" I raised my head.
'T may go out in the woods without
asking leave of Count de Cbaumont-"
"H,a says you have forsaken your
books and gone back to be an Indian"
T showed her the Latin book in my
hand. She glanced slightly at it and
continued to make her gray eyes pass
through my marrow.
Shifting. like culprit, I Inquired:
"Eow did you know was here"
ooh, it was not hard to End you after
saw the boat. This island is not
large"
'But who rowad you across the lake,
madame?"
81 came by myself, and nobody ex-
cept Ernestihe knows it. I can row a
boat. slipped through the tunnel and
ventured."
Madame, I am a great fool. 1 am
not worth your mentioning"
'sYou are worth any danger might
encounter. But you should at least 80
back for me-"
~ will do anything for you, madame.
But why should I 60 back? You will
not long be there"
s.What does that matter? The i'm
portant thing is that you should not
lapse again into an Indian
''Is any life but the life Of an Indian
open to me, madame"
She struck her hands together with q
scream.
Louis! Sirew
Startled, I dropped the book and it
sprawled at her feet like the open
nissal. She had returned so unexpect-
edly to the spirit Of our first meeting.
"Oh, if you knew what you are! Dur
ing my whole life your name has been
cherished in my family. We believed
you would some time come to your
own. Believe In yourselfw
She took a lacquered box from the
cover Of her wrappings and moved
down the slope few steps.
s'Come here to your mother and get
you: supper"
felt tears rush to my eyes. She
sat down, spread g square Of clean
eer::nged linen upon the ground and
laid out crusty rounds Of buttered
bread that were fragrant in the
springing fragrance of the wood, firm
slices OF cold meat, and q cunning
passry which instantly maddened me.
was ashamed to be such wolf.
We sat with our forest table between
us and ate together.
Il am hungry myself, she said.
If evening had paused while that
meal was in progress it would not have
surprised me. But when she had en-
couraged- me to eat everything to the
last crumb, she shook the fringed nap
kin, gathered up the lacquered box
and said she must be gone.
Monsieur, have overstepped the
bounds Of behavior in coming after
YOU. The case was too urgent for
consideration of. myself. I must hurry
back, for the counts people would not
understand my secret errand through
the tunnel. Will you show yourself at
the house as soon as possible"
told her humbly that would.
"But let me put you in the boat,
madame
She shook her head. "You may fol-
low, after I am out Of sight. If you
fail to follow She turned in the act
Of departing and looked me through.
told her I would not fail.
When Nine. de Ferrier disap-
pearcd beyond the bushes I sat down
and waited, with my head between my
hands, still seeing upon closed eyelids
her figure, the scant frock drawn
around it, her cap Of dark hair under
O aood, her face moving from change
to change. And whether I sat a year
or a minute, clouds had descended
vixen I looked, as they often did in
that lake gorge. So I waited no longer,
but followed her.
The fog was brown and capped the
evening like a solid stone, pressing
doTn to the earth and twisting smoke
fashion around my feet. 1t threw sinu-
ou, arms in front Of me as thing
endowed with life and capable Of
mclding itself, and when I reached my
boat and pushed off on the water a
vast mass received and enveloped me.
Idore penetrating than its clammi-
ness was the thought that Nine. de
Ferrier was out in it alone.
J. tried one Of the long calls we some
tines used in hunting. She might hear
and understand that was near to help
her. But it was shouting against many