The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-12-26

that he held her in ms arms and thlt
She was crushing her face tn his hreaSt
and sobDing things to him which hp
could not understand Once or twice
in his life he had wondered If realities
might not be dreams aud the thnnght
came to him now when he fe.t ,h-
warmth of her hands. her face, her
hair and then the nj sSinrarp preS~,lr,
OF her lips on his own He lifted h,s
eyes. and in the doorway ne Saw lear
Croisset and behind him d wild. beard
ed face-the face that had been over
him when life was almost checked frola
him on the great north trail. And be-
yond these two be saw still others.
shining ghOstly and indistinct in the
deeper gloom of the outer darkness.
He strained Meeese to him. and when
he looked down into her face he saw
her beautiful eyes flooded with tears
and yet shining with great joy. Her
lips trembled as she struggled to speak.
Then suddenly she broke from his
arms and ran to the door. and Jean
Croisset came between them. with the
Wild. bearded man still staring over
his shoulder
'M'seur. will you come with us?"
said Jean.
The bearded man dropped back into
the thick gloom, and without speak
ing Rowland followed CroSset. his
eyes on the shadowy form Of Me-
leese The ghostly faces turned from
the light. and the tread Of their re-
treating feet marked the passage
through the blacknpss. Jean fell back
beside Howland. the huge bulk of the
bearded man three PAGES ahead. A
dozen steps more and they came to a
stair. down which light shone. The
Frenchman's hand fell detainingly on
HOwland's arm. and when a mpment
later they reached the top Of the stairs
all had disappeared hut Jean and the
bearded man. Dawn was breaking.
and pale light fell through the two
windows of the room they had enter
ed On table burned lamp. and
near the table were several chairs.
To one of these Croisset motioned the
engineer. and as Howiand sat down
the bearded man turned slowly and
passed through door Jean shrug.
ged his shoulders as the other disap-
peared
mon Dieu. that means that he
leaves 1t all to me-" he exclaimed. i
don't wonder that it is hard for him to
talk. m'seur Perhaps you have begun
to understand"
"Yes. a little" replied Rowland His
heart was throbbing as if he had Just
finished climbing long hill THAT
was the man who tried to kill me- But
Mqleese- the He could 20 no fur
ther Scarce breathing. be waited for
Jean to speak.
ut is Pierre Thoreau." he said. ''eld-
est brother 10 Meleese II is he who
should say what am about TO tell
you. m'seur. But be is % full Of grief
to speak You wonder at that: And
yet tell you that man with better
soul than Pierre Thoreau never lived
though three times he has tried to kill
you. Do you remember what you
asked me short time ago. m'seur-- il
/ thought that you were the John
Rowland who murdered the father OF
MeleeSe sixteen years ago! Gods
saints. and did until hardly more
than half an hour ago. when some one
came from the south and exploded q
mine under our feet II was the young
est Of the three brothers NJ Seur, we
have made great mistake, and we
ask your forgiveness
in the silence the eyes of the two
men met acraSS the table To How
land it was not the Thought that his
life was saved that came with the
greatest force. hut the thought of Me
leeSe. he knowledge that in that hour
when all seemed to he lost she was
nearer to him than ever, He leaned
half over the table. his hands cIincbed
his eyes blazing lean did not under
stand. for he went on quickly.
Il know il is hard m'seilr Perhaps
1t will be impossible for you to for
give thing like this. We have tried
to kill you kill you by slow torture
as we thought you deserved But
think for moment. m'spur. of what
happened up here sixteen years age
this winter. | have told you how
choked life from the man tiend SO
would nave ch0ked life from you If i
had nOi been for MeieeSe too. an
guilty. Only six years ago we knew
that the right John Howland the sor
of the man ! slew was in Montreal
and we sent to seek him this yOunges
brother. for he mad been !, long time a
school with Meleese and knew til,
ways Of the south better than the 9th
ers But he failed to find him at tha
time. and it was only II short while agt
that this brother located you
LAS our Blessed Lady is my wit
ness. N seur. ii is no, straii.p that h
should have taken you for the man w
sought. for il is singular that yon bea
bim out like brother in looks. as
remember The hoy 1t il true lha
Francois made Il great error when n,
sent word. to his brothers suggeStin.
that it either tiregson or rhorne wa
put out of inc way yon would pr0ba
bly, be- sent into the north ! swea
by the Virgin that MeIeeSt. knew moth
ing of this. m seur She knew nothing
Of the schemes by which her brother
drove GregSon and Thorne back int
the south They did not wish to kil
them. and vet it was necessary to d
something that you might replace on
of them. m seur. They did MOI max
a move alone hut that something mar
pened Gregson lost a finger. Thorn
Was badly hurt. as you know. Bullet
came through their window ut nighl
With lacknine in their ennIOy il VIA