The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1906-04-27
CHAPTER xxIII..-CoNrrNuEp

CHAPTER xXIIZ..-CoNTINuEp
Tbs past two years had worked .
great change in Tout. He was no
longer the gay soldier of fortune, seek
ing In the battlefield the means Of live
lihood and material advancement, un-
settled in purpose, selling the service
of his sword for a sum Of gold and O
promotion, realizing that his life was
probably a short, and hence prefer
ably, a merry one. The harsh strug-
, gle with the rugged forces of nature,
the primeval freshness Of a new coun-
try. the close companionship through
many dangers with a SOU such as La
;Salle's, untarnished with the common.
or littlenesses OF the mankind he had
hitherto known, and vibrating with
the devotion Of a noble life to a high
purpose, the association day by day
with Renee, whose being unconscious
ly revealed its manifold complexity
and beauty to his wondering eyes-all
had served to bring about an inner
mctamorphosis that he knew not of,
one that II he had studied himself
carefully he would not have been able
to anaiyze. Its only revelation was in
the change Of thought and purpose Of
which he was dimly conscious. The
coarse and gross qualities OF the camp,
the hlighting communications of the
court, all that tended to the rearing Of
standards unworthy Of the best in man
tthat tiny kernel Of the divine i'm
planted first within their hearts, the
sitting or cherishing of which consti-
tutes the sum of human responsible.
tty) had slipped from him as an old
garment New y~earnings, new ends,
new ideals, had arisen to take the place
ct the old. He realized that a field Of
glorious opportunity was his; that his
would be the task of winning a new
land, fairer, richer than the old; a
task whose far-reaching consequences
for good or i'll were immeasurable. On
the proper, loyal, high-minded achieve
ment Of his labor might depend the fu-
ture greatness of a nation. The ex.
alted passion felt for Renee that, I'M
known to him, had been the main
source of the great changes wrought
within, hopeless as 1t was as to Its de-
sired procurement, did not harden him
with despair. 1t rather spurred him
on In he invincible resolve to live his
life, whatever 1t might be, 60 that he
might remain worthy Of her esteem.
This 1t was that helped him to resist
the temptation to be d~isloyal; to thrust
from his thirsty lips tho draught he
could not taste without dishonor.
At length the propitious winds that
carried them along so peacefully
brought their little craft within sight
of the distant p~romontory of st. Ig-
mace OF Michilimackinac. Here they
disembarked and found a hearty well
come. The smallpox epidemic had sub
sided, but there were numerous sick
and wretched ones among the Indians
for Renee and her companion to as
sist In tending.
The day after their arrival Tonti
busied himself In making certain ar
rangements for the storing and for
warding Of any furs that might be sent
by him or La Sale from the country
of the Him.
While Tonti was thus engaged, an
indian boy came to him from Renee
begging that he follow him to the hut
OF an aged dying Ottawa. Tonti soon
entered the sQualid lodge and found
there a priest. Renee. and one Of ths
uuns
II have sent for you" whispered
Renee, because the sick man has
called necessarily, ever since he was
told of your arrival, for the French
captain, saying that he had a message
Cor YOU"
T0nti approached the heap OF skins
that tery ed for the sufferers bed. He
lay in q stupor. occasionally arousing
himself 30 far q to utter o moan or
mutter q few inarticuiate words. The
sound 81 Touti's voice seemed to re-
call him to consequences, for he
grouped his hand and spoke in a weak
YET clear tcue.
"rhs French brother and the Blace
Gowns have been my friends, I Will
tau the French captain what I see"
Then Closlng hin eyes. he WA silent a
Vopaesk bsgcse eontinnipx = - the