The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-07-27

ana IN 7aiiing he went mad-mad with
that passion OF the race have seen IN:
Montreal, and then-ah, the great God,
In,seur, do you not understand what
happened next2
Crofsset lifted his head. his fiice
twisted in a torture thnt WAS h:tif
grief. half madness, and stared at
Rowland. with Quivering nostrils md
heaving chest. In his 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.
at was ut that time when most y:
US were out among the trappers. jtist
before our big spring carbon roast
when the forest people came In with
their furs. m'seur. The post was ~
most deserted. Do you understand:
The woman was alone IN her cabin
with the little MeIeese. and when We
came back at night she was dead.
Yes, m'seur. she killed herself, Ieav-
ing n few written words to the factor
telling him what had happened.
'.The man and the boy escaped on a
sledge after the crime. Mon Dieu,
suit. 1t was the factor himself aud
his youngest boy who found them Far
out on the Churchill trail And what
happened then. m'seur? Just this:
While the man hend urged on his dogs
the son fred back with a rif1e. and one
of his bullets went straigllt through
the heart OF the pursuing factor. 30
that in the space of one dny and one
night the little NIeleese was made both
motherless and fatherless by these two
whom the devil had sent to destroy the
most beautiful thing we have. eyer
known In this north. All. m'seur. you
turn white! Does 1t bring n vision to
you now? Do you hear the crack OF
that rifle? Can you see
MY Godr' Easped Howland. 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 wns the moth
er of the girl ne loved.
''They escaped. m'seur."
With deep breath Rowland sank
back. In n moment he leaned again
toward Jean as he saw come into the
Frenchman's eyes a slumbeEing Ore
that few seconds later bInzed into
vengeful malignity when he drew slow.
~ from an inside pocket OF his cont n
small parcel wrapped and tied in soft
buckskin.
They have sent you this. n'seur.''
he said. "'At the very last they told
me, let him read thls.'"
With his eyes on the parcel. scarce
y breathing. Howlnnd waited while.
with cooperating slowness Croisset'S
brown fingers united the cord that st.-
cured it.
"First you must understand what
this meant to us in the north. n'seur''
said Jean. his hands covering the par
eel after he had finished with the cord
we nre different who live mp hero-
1inerent from those who live in Mont
zeal and beyond. With US a lifetime.
8 not too long to spend In HvenginE i
'ruel wrong 1t is our honor of tII..
north. l was dfteen then and hail
been fostered by the factor and his
wife since the day my mother died OH
he smallpox and dragged myself
nto the post. almost dead OF starvn
ion. So 1t happened that I was like
brother to MeIeese and the other
hree. The years passed, and the de-
Ire feB Vengeance grew In us as Sre
ecame 6/r until It was the Ope
bling tha/ we most desired in life.
Cen filling the gentle heart OF Me.
sese. whom we sent to school in
Iontreal when she was eleven.
l.seur. It wns three years later.
rhile she was still In Montreal. thnt
went on one OF my wandering
enrches TO post at the head of the
treat Slave. and there, m'seur-
here
Croisset had risen. His long arms
'ere stretched high. his head thrown
acH. his upturned face aGame with u
lssion that was almost that OF
rayer.