The Tupelo journal., 1903-08-07

O' @fN> o'h >&pO " XVIII
make dat girl more happy an better
off. She not like any girl l ev' see
fore, an dere plenty handsome girl
in Canada. She be more like some
great lady dat ain proud an ain
know she been han'some-only Elise
ain educat. She one queen drop
drown in de wood by mistake an
grow up fore peoples fin out. When
| tink maybe she goin' come live
long me till we both be dead, I ain
hardly know how I breathe, it be so
wonderful.
"Den a young man come from
Montreal to see bout some reever
claim, an he hire me to show, him
how de current run dis way an dat
way an how far up de spring water
rise, an den n day we go pas de
cabin an he see Elise.
"Well, he feel bout her JUS like
me. an YER soon l see dat Elise feel
to M'sieu de IIrme an me bout dc
same. When I been go see her she
like me bes',~'cause / ain new 'fraid
not'in', an go down de reever STAN
in straight up IN a log like 40 udder
man ev' a to; but when M'sieu de
Prime go see her. den she like him
bes', cause he sof' spoke an poleesh
an educat. 1 been see how it goin'
be pref queeck. We aim both know
her but two weeks, an she like both
de same; two, tree more weeks, an
she goin' like JUS one mooch better.
an it goin' pend on which de bes'
man."
"And you proved yourself to be
that, of course?"
81 been pref steedy nerve dose
day." Raoul went on, without SEEM
ing to notice the interruption. when
| start out for ting l go straight on,
broke. 1 new stop to count dat.
When I see how things goin' I slip off
in de wood wher' 1 be by myself.
Dat my way. l ain new t'ink good
with peoples roun'. Well. frs 1 see
Elise married an me lookin' out for
her, an 1 know 1 goin' do de ver'
hes / know how; den l see M'sieu de
fIrme lookin' out for her, an I know
he goin' 90 JUS de same. 1 been
watch him pref close, an know, he
clean, straight man who goin' do jes'
what he say.
$50 dat ain settle it, an I go
queeck to Montreal, my tooth set
hard"
ITO find out something about
M'sien de IIrme?" the visitor said.
Raoul nodded. "Qui, m'sieu. Her
fader an bodder bout dat. But when
a girl get married she goin' pend a
might long time on de man mos like
ly. l been know bout myself, an /
t'ink 1 know bout M'sieu de FIrme.
But I aim goin' let Elise take some
reesk, non When l fin out if he been
good man as me, den I goin' back an
say, Here. Elise, you pick out de one
you been mos happy long with"
A slight grin twitched the corners
of Raoul's mouth.
"Seem like I might fair" he con-
tinued, ''but I feel jes' how things
comm out all de time. Her fader
like me-, and Elise t'ink whole lot
what her fader say, an she like me,
too, some-much as de udder man, l
t'ink. 1 goin' STAN close up to him
when she look, an l ten inch taller
IN fit pound bigger, an my voice
goin' drown him all out. His voice
sof' an quiet like, 'cep' once in long
time when his eyes flash, den it still
sof' but cut like knife an make de
udder man jump. Qui, l know JUS how
things comm out-till 1 go down to
Montreal. Den l know JUS de same,
only de worl' been Sniff roun'."
He was silent so long this time that
the visitor would have reminded him
of the unfinished narrative, had it
been upon any other subject. AS it
was, he waited.
II been 'quire bout M'sieu de
rIrme," Raoul said at length, in a
low voice, IAN fin he straight, true
man, JUS like I t'ink. But more, l
fin he great lawyer, with big house
an plent' servant an things like dat.
Any folk who long to him goin' have
de YER bes' de worI' got to give.
When 1 fin dat out l GO off in de
wood an fight de bigges' fight dat
man ev' live t'rou. Den 1 go buy trap
an ting an start off on de longes'
an mos far off hunt 1 ev' take. !
been gone tree year." 2
"What! And did not go back to
Elise?"
81 ain dar'. Maybe she start out
to like me bes'. an you know what
life been as trapper wife. Elise aim
meant for dat. non. She made for
de bes'."
"And-forgive me-haven't you ever
seen her since?"
"Non. / aim new feel strong 'nough
to go to Montreal since dat time. But
/ hear she been 'sist on goin' to
school an study to be like him, an
dey have a great house, an she be
like queen 'mong de peoples. Dey
have two child, and de oldes' / been
hear de name Raoul!-!-" The trap
per rose impatiently and strobe to
the pack of traps, over which he
bent, ostensibly trying to place the
one he had just cleaned with the
others. The visitor glanced toward
him, then turned abruptly and stole
softly from the cabin.
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