Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-05-15

to me sister, Wnlle Sne pdSSeu Iof LILY
wife, So my secret was safe. Only she
told her father when he was on his death
bed, and thus he was led to absolve me
from my promise to remain with them"
CHAPTER XIII.
Louise went on and told her startling
story, and as she did so, more than one
bright look of holy gratitude was cast
upon the beautiful Coqualla.
'And now," said she, in conclusion, 81
am able to give you some clue to the great
mystery which underlies the whole.
When Stung Serpent was upon his death
bed, he sent for me, and he told me all,
and he gave me this paper in token of
his truth. Read it, father, and know
what a villain you have kept beneath
your room"
As Louise handed her father the paper,
Simon Lobois started to his feet.
"Back!' shouted Louis, sprin2ing for
ward and pushing him back into his
| chair. "Tony, watch this man, and see
that he does not leave the room."
Old Tony, who had stood by and heard
all, now moved to Simon's side, and as
the villain gazed upon the huge bulk of
| the negro, he uttered a stifed groan, and
settled back.
The marquis read the paper aloud. 1t
| was as follows:
'This is my bond, that | will pay to
Stung Serpent one hundred large pieces
of gold, in French coin, when he shall
| have removed Louis and Louise st. Ju-
lien from their home. And he, on his
| part, promises that said Louis shall he
! killed, and that Louise shall be sent safe
ly to the middle trail on Lake Pontchar-
| train. SIMON LOBOlS.
That was enough. Simon denied it all,
then swore, then drew his sword, and
| then-Tony knocked him down; and ere
| long afterwards he was taken from the
room.
Before noon, Louise had contrived,
| with Coqualla's assistance, to remove the
last stain from her skin, and when she
stood, all white and pure, she saw a tear
on Coqualla's dark cheek.
"What is it?" she asked.
Nothing" was the reply.
"Ah, tell me the truth. Coqualla viii
not deceive her sister,
"No-no," murmured the noble girl,
throwing her arms about Louise's neck,
and pillowing her head upon her bosom.
But you will forgive me. Coqualla has
left her people forever, but she has not
left her skin"
"But tell me all, my sister,"
"Codualla loved the White Hand, and
she was only sister. Now Coqualla has
seen another with the same beautiful
face. But she does not murmur. She is
content; only"
go on, my sister. Tell me ALL"
"If Coquaila was white, she could love;
o, my sister does not know how she
could have been loved had she not been
Coqualla's sister,
Louise had read the girls secret, and
as she gazed into those soft, mild fea-
lures, she uttered, with all the truth of
her soul:
"Coqualla does not need a whittier skin.
She is beautiful enough. / know Co
qualla's heart, and her face is as pure as
that"
The maiden princess blessed her sister,
some one coming.
On the next morning the room where
Simon Lobois had been put was found
empty, and the slave Peter was also
found to be missing; but no search was
made for them, for the one was worth
less and the other carried guilt enough
to punish him with its shame and bur-
den.
And now joy was once more in St. Ju-
liens household. Goupart and Louise
wandered about together, and for while
Louis was left alone, for the only other
young person with whom he could asso-
ciate seemed to shun him.. One day
Louise drew her brother one side, and
whispered with him, for she had that
morning found Coqualla in tears, and the
poor princess had murmured the thought
Of going back to the homes of her fathers
to lie down by their graves. But what
Louise said to her brother may not be
known-only, an hour later, Louis and
Coqualla walked away down in the gar
den.
At length the old cure, Father Languet.
made his visit to the chateau, and there
was work for him to do. Goupart and
Louise were made one for life, and this
| time the blushing girl was fastened.
But the work ended not here. Louis
St. Julien had spent many hours with
| Coqualla, for he had become her teacher,
and he had opened to her mind the
| riches Of the Great Book. And while
| she had studied that, he had studied her.
| At first he was surprised at the Won
drous depth of her mind, but he was no
less awed by its sublime purity and gram
| deur Of conception. And thus he probed
her heart to it's inmost depths, and he
| found 1t as noble and pure as it was gen.
erous and loving. Ere he knew it, he
had loved her, and almost unconsciously.
the story of his love dropped from his
| lips.
"Coqualla," he whispered "thou didst
love my sister for her face. Mine is like
it. Love me, then. and be mine for life.
love thee, for thou art all lo7e and
| purity to ma"
| And Coqualla placed one of her soft