The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-04-22

| udQ as ever surely. TINS Increased
gauntnsss vas but the result Of long
yours al the paddle. the hollow cheeks
out betokened hard fare and the de-
dining winds Of the outdoor air. II
the eye were a trace more dim. that
could be due but to the refectiveness
induced by the quiet scene and hour
ret why should John Law, young ana
refreshed. drop chin in hand and sit
there mOodily looking ahead of him
compreher ding not at all that which
he beheld?
Indeed there appeared now to the
! eye of this young man not the white
shores and black crowned bluffs and
| distant islands, not the sweep of broad
winged birds circliDg near the waters.
cor the shadow of the high-poised
eagle drifting Ear above He felt not
he soft wind upon his cheek, nor noted
he warmth of the on-coming sun. In
truth, even fere. on the very threshold
Of a new world and a new life. he was
going back, pausing uncertainty at the
IGOR of that life and of that world
which he had left behind There aD-
eeared TO him not the rolling undula-
ions of the blach-topped forest. moi
he tossing surface of the inland sea.
nor the white-pebbled beach laved by
ts pulsing waters He saw instead a
white and dusty road. lined by green |
English hedge-rows. Back, over there. !
beyond these rolling blue waves. back .
Of the long water trail over which Re I
had come, there were chapel and bell
and robed priest, and the word which
made all fast forever. But back of
the wilderness mission, back of the
struggling settlements Of Montreal and
Quebec, back of the blue waters of the
ocean, there. too, were church and
minister; and there dwelt a woman,
whose figure stood now before his
eyes, part of this mental picture of the
white road lined with the hedges OF
green.
A hand was laid ON his shoulder, and
he half started up in sudden surprise
Before him, the sun shining through
her hair, her eyes dark in the shadow,
stood Mary Connynge. A fair woman
indeed, comedy, round of form, soft
GU, ebhd iiSAi VI lOuOhS ohO tAiiSht
none the less have been very savage
as she stood there, clad no longer in
he dress Of civilization but in the
soft native garb of skins, ornamented
With. theIsstained quilts of the porcu-
pine and the bizarre adornments OF
he native bead work; in her hair dull
METAL bands, like any Indian woman,
hnr litt1a haodoJ Gins !
the very moccasin, it might have
,een, which Law had first seen in an
ient London town and which had
played so strange a part in his life
ince then.
You startled me-" said Law, simply.
i was thinking" =
A sudden jealous wave of woman's
ivining intuition came upon the wom-
n at his side. 81 doubt not" said
he, bitterly, that | could name the
ubject of your thought. Why? Why q
it here and dream of her, when here
m l, who deserve everything that you
an give?" \
She stood erect, her eyes flashing,
er arms outstretched, her bosom
anting under the fringed garments,
err voice ringing as it might have
cen with the very essence of truth
nd passion. Law looked at her stead
" But the shadow did not lift from
is brow, though he looked long and
ordered.
None the less we are as we are. In
very game we take our chances, and
/ every game we pay our debts. Let
8 go back to the camp" -
AS they turned back down the beach !,
aw saw standing at little distance
Is lieutenant, Du Mesre, who hest -
tied as though he would speak. w
What is it, Du Mesne?" asked Law,
himself with a gesture and 49,
lining the voyageur where he stood. ~
"Why, Monsieur Las said Du a.,
esne, Il am making bold to mention Ia,
but in good truth there was some III
lestion in my mino as to what might ~
!, our plans. The spring, as you :, ;
low, is now well advanced. 1t was ~
,ur first design to go far into the -,
est, and there to set up your station q
r the trading in furs. Now there a..
I've come these little incidents which
I've occasioned us some delay. While wa
have not doubted your enterprise, str
onsieur, | bethought me perhaps il kio
light be within your plans now to go /
it little farther on-perhaps, indeed, err
turn back" age
ITO go back?" said Law. lis
We'll, yes; that is to say, Monsieur -
as. back again down the great lakes" -
Have you then known me so i'll as IN
is, Du Mesne?" said Law. 1T has
t been my custom to set backward MI
ot on any sort of trail"
"Oh, well, to be sure, monsieur, that 1ol
know quite WELL" replied Du Mesne
II would only say that, 81
you do go forward, you will do more low
an most men accomplish OH their Ma
st voyage All large in the wilder ;es
SIS. There comes to many certain the