Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-09-01


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 at the mother
even as much as look which was not
the purest. That Is bow we loved her
sixteen years ago this winter. m'seur.
and that is how we love her memory
STILL"
"She is dead" uttered Rowland. for
getting in these tense moments the sig.
nificance Jeans story might hold for
him.
"Yes. she is dead. m'seur. Shall I
tell you how she died?"
Croisset sprang to his feet. bis eyes
flashing. his 1.-the body twitching like
q VOLTS as be 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
years old and the oldest Of the three
SONS was fourteen. man and his boy
came up from Churchill. He had let
tiers 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 Dieu. this man was from that
glorious civilization Of yours. m'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 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 Ealing he went mad-mad with
that passion Of the race have seen In
Montreal. and then-ah. the great God.
m'seur, do you not understand what
happened next?
Croisset lifted his head. bis face
grief. half madness. and stared at
Rowland. with quivering nostrils>and
heaving chest. In his companion's face
he saw only dead white pallor OF
waiting. Of half comprehension. He
leaned over the table again. controlling
himself by a mighty effort.
1T was ut 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 Gend urged on his dogs
the son fired back with rife. and one
Of his bullets went straight through
the heart Of the pursuing factor. %
that in the space Of one day and one
night the little Meleese was made both
motherless and fntherless by these two
whom the devil had sent to destroy the
most beautiful thing we have ever
known In this north. Alb. m'seur. you
turn white! Does 1t bring a vision to
you now? Do you hear the crack OF
that rife? Can you see"-
my Gody gasped Rowland. Even
now he understood nothing Of what
this tragedy might mean to him-for'
got everything but that he was listen.
ing to the terrible tragedy that had
come to the woman who was the moth.
er of the girl he loved.
"They escaped. m'seur."
With a deep breath Rowland sank
back. In q moment he leaned again
toward Jean as he saw come into the
Frenchman's eyes a slumbering Ore
that a few seconds later blazed into
vengeful malignity when he drew slow
" from an inside pocket Of bis coat
small parcel wrapped and tied In soft
buckskin.
..They have sent you this. m'seur."
he said. "'At the very last they told
me, let him read this"
With his eyes on the parcel. scarce
" breathing. Rowland waited while
with exasperating sl0wness Croisset's
brown fingers united the cord that Sc
cured it.
"First you must understand what
this meant TO us in the north. m'seur."
said Jean. his hands covering the par.
eel after he had finished with the cord
I'VE are different who live up here
different from those who live In Mont
real aud beyond. With rs lifetime
is not too long to spend In avengtng
cruel wrong. 1t is our honor OF the
north. was fifteen then and had
been fostered by the factor and bis
wife since the day my mother died OF
the smallpox and dragged myself
into the post. almost dead Of starva-
ton. So it happened that l was ike
brother to Meleese and the other
three. The years passed. and the de-
sire for vengeance grew in % 40 we
became older until 1t was the one
thing that we most desired In life.
even fllling the gentle heart OF Me-
leese, whom we sent to school In
Montreal when she was eleven.