, 1911-09-28

for both OF u.s.
From under the table he drew forth
a second stool and sat down opposite
Rowland. The two men stared at
each other over the sputtering rem
nant of the candle. Before the engi-
neer had recovered from his aston
ishment at the sudden appearance of
the man whom he believed to be safe
ly imprisoned in the old cabin Crois-
sets shifting eyes fell on the mass of
torn wood under the aperture.
.'Too late. m'seur." he said mean
ingly. "They are waiting up there
now. 1t is impossible for you to es-
cape"
''That is what / thought about you"
replied Rowland, forcing himself to
speak coolly. "Howdid you manage it?'
''They came up to free me soon aft
err they got you. m'seur. | am CRATE
full to you for thinking of me, for II
you had not told them l might have
stayed there and tarved like a beast
in a trap"
at was Meleese." said Rowland. 81
told her.
Jean dropped his head in his hands.
81 have just come from Meleese."
he whispered softly. "She sends you
her love, m'seur, and tells you not to
give up hope. The great God, If h
only knew-if she only knew what is
about to happen! No one has told her.
She is a prisoner in her room, and aft
er that-after hat out on the plain
when she came to you and fought like
one % mad to save you-they will
not give her freedom until all is over.
What time is it. m'seur?"
A clammy chill passed over How
land as he e the time.
Half past T."
1.-THE Virgin bear me witness that l
wish l might strike ten years of my
life and give you freedom" Jean
breathed quickly. II would do 1t this
instant, m'seur. | would help you to
escape IL it were in any way possible.
But they are in the roo at the head
of the stair. waiting. At g.
AT 6-what them" urged Rowland.
"My God, man. what makes you look
so? What is to happen at 6|
81 have no time to lose in further
talk like this, m'seur," he said almost
harshly. ''They know now that 1t was
i who fought for o and for Meleese
on the Great North trail. They know
that it 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.
ssTheir pypcutionpr. m'senr,"
"Great Cod" Rowland gasped.
First l am to tell you n story,
m'seur," continued Croisset, leveling
his Redeemed eyes 10 the engineers.
cit will not be long. and | pray the
Virgin to make you understand it as
we people of the north understand 1t.
1t begins sixteen years ago"
81 shall understand, Jean" whisper
ed Rowland. Go on"
ut was ut 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,
L'Ange 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
LuluE NtlN ttl " that "hi'h We e'''
our Blessed Virgin. And u love was
but a 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, m'seur," contin-
ued Croisset after a moments pause.
land ii 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 en-ou
love for these two became something
that / fear was almost II sacrilege to
our Dear Lady of God Perhaps you
cannot understand uch n love. m'seur.
/ know that it cannot be understood
down in that world which Won call civ