The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1909-06-10
In the North Woods.
Py Helen M. Palmer.



The short summer was Fastening on
in the breathless fashion of the north:
1t was still early in August and there
had been no rain for weeks in Ange-
La-Baie. The sun burned red like
ball Of fire; the green woods and fields
had taken on a livid sickly hue I'M
der the smoke-tinged light, and faint
acrid smell was in the air. From
dawn till dark the people toiled fever
ishly, gathering the premature harvest
and fighting the forest fires that crept
stealthily toward the village and
the north and west.
Old men, women and girls-all
turned into the fields to lend a hand.
Grandpere Labelle swung his scythe
bravely TT the head of a line of now
ers, Boosting that he would show cette
jeunesse how to lay a swath. while
the young men laughed and applauded.
yet each kept jealous eye on the
sweep of his neighbours scythe; aud
tie girls watched Jean or Pierre or
MaXime-as the case might be-from
under their lowered eyelids.
As TO Roger Crewe, there was but
comte could do a bigger days work
than the young American who found
time in the midst of his own labors
to help save the threatened crops.
Il t'ink me-" piped the impish little
Elmire, resting upon her rake and fol-
owing with her eyes the tall young
man who pitched the hay so easily
upon the towering load, Il think me.
III sieu' Roger is mos bes'-loolxin'
young Teller the is in Angel a-Baie."
"Chut!' whispered the other girls,
reprovingly. you don LAX to have
heem hear you, s'pOse."
'Ba oui! He's a man, now-lak' the
res, amt it?" persisted Elmire, mis-
chievously; don't max not'in' if he's
surveyor for the beeg railroad, an if
heem carry hees head so high, he can
not TO see always who's pass heem
by. Toinette he can see hevery tam.
Ba Oui! But what will you? Toinette
rs very tall. How can one help to see
Toinette?"
Quite unmoved apparently by the
laughter that greeted this sally, the
tall girl upon whom all eyes had
work. A little in advance of the 9th
ers she moved rapidly across the mead.
ow, tossing the grass lightly from
her fork and spreading it with a free
sweep of her strong young arms. Yet
the color rose in her pale, clear cheeks
she knew even better than Elmire. If
it could have been otherwisei But
what would you? The father was a
good father, but he was very strict and
hard to turn, and his talk was all OF
foreigners and heretiques Made no
difference that the mother tried to hep
her, telling-not once, but many times
how rAmericain had brought lie petit
Jean home safe when he was lost IN
the big snow storm and no one else
could find him; how he had saved
Adele and her children when the river
rose and washed their house away.
ITEMS les femmes!" was all that she
could win, Il don say M'sieu' Roger
he ain hall right. But a coed Cana
yen, he's good enough for me. LAmer-
icain, he can't come here on ma house.
An he can't court ma girl!"-
The forest fire that was eating its
way lhiOuSu lue great HOItn WOODS
drew daily little nearer to the set
Element; il was like wild beast
prowling on the outskirts on which
one must keep vigilant eye. Watch
ing the smoke from his tiny porch as
night began to fall, Roger saw it shift
to the southwark and suddenly recall
ed that that way lay the little Lac
Garou where old Manon, the half
crazy ward of the village, lived per-
versely alone in a little cabin two or
three miles from Ange-La-Baie. Grasp
ing his stick, he set off at rapid pace,
reproaching himself that he had not
thought of her sooner Jean Bourchier
her special protector had gone down
the river for the day; and Toinette.
whose tender care for the forlCrn old
had not escaped him, would
be anxious, he knew
AS he entered the path that gave
he shortest cut 10 the pond, he saw
hat the fire was racing with him. In
he gloom Of the forest IL showed
'lainly. a thread OF rosy light from
Which sprang at intervals sharp, sword
Ike tongues of flame that leaped for.
'ard before the wind. He FASTENED |
is pace to a run, rejoicing In his
'rength, and in shorter time than