Putnam patriot., 1911-11-17

reese came she was the urst wnte c1rr baby that any of US bad ever seeu-our love for these two became something that fear was almost sacrilere to our Dear Lady of God Perhaps you cannot understand such love. m 'seur. l Know that 1t cannot be understood down in that world which you call civ. iazation. fer have been there and nave seen We would have died for the little Meleese and the other Me leeSe. her mother. And also. ID seur. We would have killed our own brothers mad they as much as spoken word against them or cast at the mother even as much as look which was not the purest. That is how we loved her sixteen years ago this winter nj seur. and that is how we love her memory still"
 "She is dead" uttered Rowland. for. getting in these tense moments the sig nifcanee Jeans story might hold for him.
 Yes, she is dead. m'seur. Shall tell you how she died:"
 Croisset sprang to his feet, his eyes flashing. his 1.-the body twitching like wolfS as he stood for an instant half leaning over the engineer.
 Shall l tell you how she died. m'seur?" he repeated Sixteen years ago, when the little Meleese was four years 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 bis wife opened their doors to him and to his son and gave them all that 1t was in their power to give.
 Mon Dieu. this man was from that glorious civilization of yours, ID seur- from that land to the south where they say that Christ's temples stand on every four corners. but he could not understand the strange God and the strange la ws 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 An. 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 tn Montreal. and then-ah. the great God, m'seur. do you not understand what happened next?
 Croisset lifted h:s head. his face twisted in torture that was half grief, half madness and stared at Rowland. with quivering nostrils ana heaving chest. In his companions face he saw only dead white pallor of waiting. of half comprehension. He leaned over the table again. controlling himself by mighty effort
 Tt 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 hirtle Meleese. and when we came baek at night she was dead Yes. m'sesar. she killed herself. leaV ing few mritten words to the factor telling him what had happened
 "The man and the boy escaped ou sledge after the crime. Mon Dlen' how the forest people leaped ID pur sniff If was nhe factor himself and ais youngest boy who found them Tar ,nt on the Churchill trail. And what happened thea. m;seur? Just thls' While rhe man fend urged on his dogs inc son fired back with rife. and one If his bullets weRt straight through the heart of the pursuing factor. so ,tbat in the space of one day ana one night the little Meleese was made ooth motberless and fafherleSs by these tNo whom the devil had sent to destroy tue most beautiful thing we have ever snawn in this north An, m-Senr you ,urn white. Does 1t bring Vlsioh to yon now? Do you hear the cfacK oi that rife? Can you see
 .Afv God" gasped Howiand. Even now he understood nothing of what rbis tragedy might mean 10 him-for got everything but that he was listen inr 10 the terrible tragedy that hau come te the woman who "as the moth CT of the girl he loved
 .sThev escaped. m'seur.
 O-ifh deep Dreatu iioWiano sAhA hack In q moment he leaned asaln towsrd Jesn as he saw come ihto lhe tenaaobman,s eyes slumbering hre -ha. few seconds later blazed into #rsneeful malignity when he drew slow . from an inside pocket of bis coat r,na, narcel wrapped and tied in SOIL buckskin
 .rbev have seat you this. m seur. be said ~.At the very last they toiu me let him read this
 with his eyes on the parcel. scarce lv hreathing. HowlADd waited ni.e win exasperating slowDess Croisse' hrown fingers united the cord that se cured if. ho,
 .First you must understand "na. this meant 10 us in the north' u seui' said Ie,n. his hands covering the pa, sai s af,ar he had finished with the coru ..we are different who live up nere .,-o.ant from those who live Tn Mont u'" 's' "a hevond With us lifetime ,s ,s ns 100 long to spend in avensine . crueI wrong. It is our honor oi s .ns nor,b was fifteen then anu n4o ,'aan fostered by the factor anu uis peen se s,ncs rbe day my mother died oi "iie s 5 I dragged myself