Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-08-15
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breathed quickly. II would do it this
instant. m'seur. | would help you to
escape If 1t were in any way possible.
But they are in the room at the head
of the stair. waiting. At e.
"At 6-what thenT urged Rowland.
MY God. man. what makes you look
20? What is to happen at 6P
81 have no time to lose in further
talk like this. m'seur." he said almost
harshly. .They know now that 1t was
l who fought for you and for Meleese
on the Great North trail. They know
that 1t is l who saved you at Wekusko.
Meleese can no more save me than
she can save you. and to make my
task a little harder. they have made
me their messenger. and"-
Again he stopped. choking for words.
Their executioner. m'seur."
"Great Godw Rowland gasped.
First l am to tell you story.
m'seur," continued Croisset. leveling
his reddened eyes to the engineers.
ut will not be long. and pray the
Virgin to make you understand 1t as
we people of the north understand It.
1t begins sixteen years ago"
II shall understand. Jean." whisper.
ed Howland. Go on"
ut was at one Of the company's
posts that it happened" Jean began.
"and the story has to do with lie
m'seur, the factor and his wife.
LAnge Blanc-that is what she was
called, m'seur-the white angel. Mon
Dieu. how we loved her! Not with a
wicked love. m'seur. but with some
thing very near to that which we give
our Blessed Virgin. And our love was
but q pitiful thing when compared
with the love of these two, each for
the other. She was beautiful. glori-
ously beautiful as we know women up
in the big SHOWS; like Meleese. who
was the youngest Of their children.
"Ours was the happiest post In all
this great northland. mseur." contin-
ued Croisset after moments pause.
land 1t was all because Of this woman
and the man. but mostly because of
the woman And when the little Me-
leese came-she was the first white girl
baby that any Of US had ever seen-our
love for these two became something
that | fear was almost a sacrilege to
our Dear Lady of God. Perhaps you
cannot understand such love. m'seur.
know that 1t cannot be understood
down in that world which you call CIV
ilization. for | have been there and
have seen We would have died for
the little Meleese and the other Me-
leese. her mother. And also. m'seur.
we would have killed our own brothers
had they as much as spoken a word
against them or cast ut the mother
even as much as look which was not
the purest. That Is how We loved her
sixteen years ago this winter. 'seur.
aud that Is how we love her memory
still"
"She Is dead" uttered Rowland. for
getting in these tense moments the sig
nifcance Jeans story might hold for
him.
"Yes, she is dead. m'seur. Shall
tell you how she diedT'
Croisset sprang to his feet. his eyes
flashing. his 1.-the body twitching like
a VOLTS as he stood for an instant half
leaning over the engineer.
Shall tell you how she died.
m'seur?" he repeated. Sixteen years
ago, when the little Meleese was four
wears old and the oldest Of the three
sons was fourteen. a man and his boy
came up from Churchill. He had let
ters from the factor at the bay. and
our factor and his wife opened their
doors to him and to his son and gave
them all that it was in their power to
give.
Mon Dleu. this man was from that
glorious civilization Of yours. m'seur-
from that land to the south where
they say that Christs temples stand
on every four corners. b he could not
understand the strange God and the
strange laws Of our people. For months
he had been away from the compan'
ionship Of women. and In this great
wilderness the factors wife came into
his life as the flower blossoms IN the
desert. All. m'seur, can see now how
his wicked heart strove to accomplish
the things and how he failed because
the glory of our womanhoOd up here
has come straight down from heaven.
And In failing he went mad--mad with
that passion of the race l have seen In
Montreal, and then-ah. the great God.
m'seur, do you not understand what
happened next?
Croisset lifted his head. his face
twisted In q torture that was hair
grief, half madness. and stared at
Rowland. with quivering nostrils and
heaving chest. In bis companion's face
he saw only a dead white pallor OF
waiting. of half comprehension. He
leaned over the table again. controlling
himself by a mighty effort.
"It was at that time when most Of
US were out among the trappers. just
before our big spring caribou roast.
when the forest people came In with
their furs, m'seur. The post was al
most deserted Do you understand:
The woman was alone In her cabin
with the little Meleese. and when we
came back at night she was dead
Yes. m'seur. she killed herself. leaV
Ing a few written words to the factor
telling him what had happened.
"The man and the boy escaped 90
sledge after the crime. Mon Dieu.
how the forest people leaped IN pur'
suit! 1t was the factor himself and
his youngest boy who found them far
out on the Churchill trail. And what
happened then. m'seur? Just this;
While the man fiend urged on his dogs
the son fired back with rifle. and one
Of bis bullets went straight through
the heart OF the pursuing factor. 90
that In the space Of one day and one
night the little Meleese was made both
motherless and fatherless by these two
whom the devil had sent to destroy the
most beautiful thing we have ever
known In this north. Ah. m'seur, you
turn white! Does It bring vision to
you now? Do you hear the crack OF
that rife? Can you see"-
my God!" gasped Rowland. Even
nou no understood nothing Of what