The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-08-17
CHAPTER XII. (contlnued).

CHAPTER xl. (Continueo).
n will 70 and cook you some break
sast while you get yourself ready II
ycu have not washed, you'll ind
bucket Of water and basin and towel
outside the door,"
He went through the inner door as
suddenly as he had come through the
outer one. He was man of few words,
and whatever social grace he might
once have possessed, and in more "a
yorable circumstances exhibited, was
nat noticeable now. The tenderness
With which he had caressed her the
night before had also vanished.
His bearing had been cool, almost
harsh and forbidding, and his manner
! was Us grim as his appearance. Inc
conversation had been brief one, and
her opportunity for inspection OF him
consequently limited. Yet she had
taken him In. He was q tall, splendid
man. No longer young, perhaps, but In
The prime OF life and vigor. His COM
plexion was dark and burned browner
By long exposure to sun and wind, win
I TOR and summer. In spite Of the brown,
there was d certain 1or, q hue Of
Ills eyes were
sometimes brown, sometimes
gray, and sometimes blue, she after
ward learned. A short thick closely
cut beard and mustache covered the
lower part Of his face disguised but
rot hiding the squareness Of his jaw
and the frmness of his lips.
He had worn his cap when he enter
ID, and when he took 1t Off she no
ticed that his dark hair was tinged
With white. He was dressed in leath-
sr hunting suit, somewhat the worse
for wear, but fitting him in way to
give free play to all his muscles. His
movements were swift, energetic and
graceful. She did not wonder that he
bad 80 easily hurled the bear to one
slde and had managed to carry her-no
light weight, indeed!-over what she
d1mly recognized must have been a
horrible trail, which, burdened as he
was, would have been impossible to a
y man Of less splendid vigor than he.
me cabin was low ceiled, and as
fhe sat looking up at him, he had tow
cred above her until he seemed to
~ IT. Naturally, she had scrutinized
hls every action, as she had hung on
DIS every word. His swift and some
shat startled movement, his frowning
y he'had seized the picture on which
Z she mad gazed with such interest,
aroused the liveliest surprise and GU
slosity In her heart.
VINO was this woman? Why was he
70 quick to remove the picture from
aer gaze? Thoughts rushed tumultu-
sasly through her brain, but she real
aed at once that she lacked time to
indulge them. She could hear him
loving about In the other room. She
safew aside the blanket with which
sae mad draped herself, changed the
saaaage on her foot, drew ON the
aeasy Woolen stocking which, of
eourse. was miles too big for her. but
Hnicn easily took in her foot and
slSle eneumbered as they were by
my faae, heavy but effective wrapping.
hereafter she hobbled to the door
~ stood for moment almost aghast
y me splendor and reagnihcence be-
fore her. -'si-o enee pe
az mad built his cabin on a level
sa " I q rock perhaps fifty by hundred
ssia area. 1t was backed up against an
y, esNsftowering cliff. otherwise the rock
II, - away IN every direction. She di-
.suso that the descent from the shelf
aso sne pocket or valley spread before
,,as. was sheer. except off to the
ILL., sa.' Where somewhat gentler ac-
saw Of huge and broken boulders
s ~ practicable ascent sort ~
Il = ,' !, stalrs-to the place uerched
sss W mountain side. The shelf was
~ s0la.ely bare save for the cabin
s.s lew huge boulders. There were
H. I, sparse, stunted trees further nm
.he mountain side above. faw
ss snafea feet beyond them, however
ibas s me timber line, after which
O.. ss was nothing but the naked
clsa s'oN several hundred feet Law q
s. aoss AZ, -. emerald pool, whose edges were
ss,e.-s' gu ey pines, where il was nor
sea ~ high cliffs. Already the