The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-12-19

wish ! might strike ten years off my
life and give you freedom Jean
breathed quickly. Il would do it this
instant. m'seur l would help you to
escape If it were in any way possible.
But they are in the room at the head
Of the stair. waiting. At g.
"At 6-what them urged Howland.
my God. man, what makes you look
so? What is to happen at 6?'
II have NO time to lose in further
talk like this. m'seur," he said almost
harshly. They know now that it was
who fought for you and for Meleese
on the Great North trail. They know
that it is who saved you at Wekusko.
Meleese can no more save me than
she can save you. and to make my
task little harder. they have made
me their messenger. and
Again he stopped, choking for words.
Their executioner. m'seur."
Great Cod" Howland gasped.
First am to tell you Il story,
m'seur." continued Crosset, leveling
his REDEEMED eyes to the engineers.
ut 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"
Il shall understand. JEAN" whisper
ed Howland. Go on
ut was at 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. Men
Dieu. how we loved her. Not with a
| wicked love. m'seur. but with some
thing very near to that which we give
our Blessed Virgin. And our love was
but 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 al
this great northland. m'seur.' contin
ued Croisset after moments pause
"and it 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 CIR
baby that any Of US had ever seen-oul
love for these two became something
that | fear was almost sacrilege II
our Dear Lady of God. Perhaps 70,
cannot understand such love, m'seur
ktrk htl nd
down in that world which you call civ
ilizatiOn, for l have been there ant
have seen. We would have died TO
the little Meleese and the other Me
leese. her mother And also. niseuI
we would have killed our own brother
had they as much as spoken a wor
against them or cast ut the mOthe
even as much rs look which was no
the purest That is how we loved he
sixteen years ago this winter. III sau'
and that is how we love her memOr
STILL"
!, "She is dead" uttered Howiand. fo
getting in these tense moments the 81:
nificance Jeans story might hold fl
him.
"Yes, she is dead. m'seur Shall
!, tell you how she died:
= Croisset sprang to his feet his eye
, flashing. his 1.-the body twitching liz
q VOLTS as he stood for an instant hl
leaning over the engineer.
"Shall tell you how she die
!, m'seur?" he repeated. Sixteen yeal
: ago. when the little Meleese was fol
years old and the oldest Of the thrt
:. sons was fourteen. Il man and his Dt
came no from Churchill. He had le
ters from the factor at the bay. al
our factor and his wife opened the
doors to him and to his son and ga'
them all that it was in their power
f. give.
+ mon Dier. this man was from tn
=. glorious civilization Of yours. ni'senf
from that land to the south whe
they say that ChriSt's temples stai
!, on every four corners. but he could Il
;. understand the strange God and Z
;. strange laws of our people. Fer mont
be had been away from The conipa
:, ionship of women and III this gre
wilderness the factors wife came In
: his life as the flower bioSsariS IN
!. desert Ali. m'senr. | can see now ht
:. his wicked heart strove tu :trcompil
the things and how he failed becau
\. the glory of our wonaIihnd UP ht
= has come straight down from heav'
: And in falling he went mad mad "
). that passion Of the race | havs seen
Montreal. and thena the great u
I. m'seur do you no, understand WI
-. happened next?
Cruisset lifted his head. his I;
twisted in Il torture that was y
:. grief. half maaness. ana s;ared
Howland with a,iivarin. nostriis
heaving chest In his comEinioi:s =