The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-08-17


leese who came and pleaded with me
to save your life before you had left
Chicago. before she had heard more
of you than your name. before she had
learned
CroisSet hestated and stopped
Before what. jean
Before she had learned Ia love you
m'seur"
God bless her" exclaimed How
land.
"You believe this. m'seur:'
"As | believe in a God.
"Then | will tell you what she did
m'Seur." be continued in d low Voice
THE plan of The brothers was 10 make
you a prisoner near Prince Albert and
bring you north. | knew what was to
happen then. 1t was 10 be beautiful
vengeance. m'seur-a slow tOrturing
dealt on the spot where the crime was
committed sixteen years ago. But Me-
leese knew nothing of this. She was
made to believe that up here. where
the mother and father died. you would
be given over TO the proper law-to
the mounted police who come this way
now and then. She is only girl.
m'seur. easily made to believe strange
things in such matters as these. else
she would have wondered why you
were not given 10 the officers in Prince
Albert.
1T was Meleeses eldest brother who
thought of her as q lure to bring you
out of the town into their hands, and
not until the last moment. when they
were ready to leave for the south. did
she Overhear words that aroused her
suspicious that they were about to kill
came to me-
And you. Jean?"
ION the day that Mariane promised
to become my wife, m'seur. promised
in our Bile. ID Lady's name to repay
my debt to .Ieleese. and the manner Of
payment came in this fashion. Jack
pine, too. was her slave. and SO we
worked together. Two hours after
Meleese and her brothers had left for
the south l was following them. shaver
of beard and so changed that | was
not recognized in the fight on the Great
North trail. Meleese thought that her
brothers would make you prisoner
that night without harming you. Her
brothers told her how to bring you to
their camp She knew nothing of the
ambush until they leaped on you from
cover.
In Efrh 10
in their rage at your escape the broth
ers told her that they had intended to
kill you. did she realize fully what she
had done That is all. m'seur. You
know what happened after that. She
dared not tell you at Wekusko who
were of her own flesh and blood and
dearer to her than life. She was be-
tween two great loves. m'seur-the
love for her brothers and
Again Jean hesitated.
'iAnd her love for me-" finished
Rowland.
Yes. her love for you. m'seur." said
Jean.
The two men rose from the table
and for moment stood with clasped
hands in the smoky light of lamp and
dawn. In that moment neither heard
a tap at the door leading to the room
beyond nor saw the door move gently
inward and Meleese. hesitating. franz
ed in the opening.
1t was Rowland who spoke first.
Il thank God that all these things
have happened. Jean" he said earnest
ly. Il am glad that for time yon
took me for that other John Rowland
and that Pierre Thoreau and his broth
ers schemed to kill me at Prince Al
bert and Wekusko. for if these things
had not occurred as they have would
never have seen Meleese. And now.
jean
His ears caught sound of movement.
and he turned in time to see Meleese
slipping quietly out.
"Meleese!' be called softly. Me
leese!"
In an instant he had darted after
her. leaving Jean beside the table.
Beyond the door there was only the
breaking gloom of the gray morning.
but it was enough for him to see faint
" the figure of the girl he loved. half
turned. half waiting for him. With
cry Of joy he sprang forward and
gathered the trembling girl close In his
arms.
"Meleese- my Meleese!" he whis-
pered.
After that there came no sound from
the dawn lit room beyond. but Jean
Croisset. still standing by the table.
murmured softly to himself. "Our
Blessed Lady be praised. for it is all
as Jean Croisset would have it--and
now l can go to my Marianew
THE END.
SYNOPSIS
Jack Rowland. engineer. sent to build
the Hudson Bay railroad. is appealed to
for help by a beautiful girl who writes
that she is mute and invites him to ac-
company her. They are followed by Jean
CroiSset, half breed.