The Detroit times., 1913-07-16
CHAPT I.
(ContInuedt

and frlit way OF gahuci w CIV wy
PLACES she ain't ever seen. FIRST We u
pole.the ole john-boat down 10 Grand
Isle 40 shell see the ocean. lheu
wei drift on Atchafalaya way anu
shell see the big woods Then "e ii
drift on north and west and every
way and she'll see all the states and
countries. What names Is them
done told You, Aurelie--tne music
namrs?"
"caiiforny." she said simply
And next one"
"Arizony'
And Montany.. and lovay and Ten
nessee and Ohiol All them Wei see
and more. Lead us TO the land O
Joy"
And all her. strange aiter,iiie OF
laughter and of tears the Attle ell
remembered the old soldier wsvine MS
hand TO the undiscovered countries
And always she knew lie wss at hear
the poet. The adventurer, the lover'
whatever else he might BE-, noihins
could change that
So the next day they piled o.d
trans and boxes and blankets ana
hound pups and the i've wooden iess
of Captain Tinkletoes~ IA keepsakes'
into the john.boat ana set on TO ma
the land of Joy with music names.
South and east through brilliant VII
dernesses, polling through NY Jams
sailing swamp lakes. padding sdI'
marshes. Shrimp camps oyster piat-
forms, terrapin hunters OF Grand Isle
--they wandered and worked. anc
Anfefie came TO know other children
OF a1f-hues and races. and at the ISL
I and balls learned 10 dance with orange
blossoms In her hair. The murnur OF
the sea was In her ears. the moon
light on the oaks In her eyes. ana
with the droning Creole yiolns she
awakened TO gaiety. losing the droll
seriousness Of a savage Also, for the
first time she had her face washed
cleanly-by the storekeepers VIE
who knew then she was not or the
undeclpherahie ChinoSpanishFflipino
breed of the shrimp platform villages.
But when the balls were over, shit
ty.footed and suspicious savage wo-
man took Aurehe and led her of 10
their ragged tent Always, through
the blur of queer faces-black brown,
yellow. .white-Aurelie remembered
the watchful love in the eyes OF the
basket-maker and OF Uncle Michigan.
Always. for these were what she knew
of love-
From the Gulf-coast islands they
went west and north, and in the years
the child became girl, slender, lithe.
swjft-keeu of eye on deer trail
trapping the mink and raccoons, fol-
lowing the wild bees fight, weaving
baskets with strong brown fingers 70
lure the shrimp from under the lilies,
balancing herself 10 shoot in tick
lish running pirogue" that would
steal through the swamps where a
heavier hunter dared not follow. Thus
she grew, with never a qualm Tor the
blood OF the hunted nor doubt OF
the Makers intent. But al twelve she
was a woman. blthe and minimizing
and kindhearted without fear, with
out guile.
Perhaps,
At any rate, one day. censured by
the Indian woman she stole from
camp. swan Grand River With her
gaudy little gown tucked in a knot on
her head, dressed in the woods ahd
appeared at Cajun ball--with wild
hyacinth In her hair. She danced and
laughed and bewildered the woods
men, pretending 10 know no English
when the Yankees addressed her. ana
no French when spoken 10 In that
tongue. But standing in the heated
ballroom, she sang a barbaric song
the Indian woman had taught her,
posed with an odd theatric fancy. and
then ran away leaving them gaping.
When she swan 10 the John-boat az
dawn and put her hand upon Nichi-
gans as he fshed, he started. tried TO
swear helplessly and stopped
but amt | growed up now she
laughed. -.
'Damme, How We goin' 10 do II
you act hathaway"
''Which-a-way?" And she drew up
her naked little body poised on the
boat, pressed her hands over her
swelling breasts and stared TO the
north Michigan, when air We goin
TO see all the states and lands with
} the music names you tell OF"
..Aurelie. you air gettin' 70 be such
a big girl and such a pretty girl !
dunno as We ought 10 let YOU see all
them countries"
Tnen Ill run on anu see en- NY
se;f,r
But az last they came out on tho
mighty river that Michigan had not
seeu since he left his leg AZ Weeks
burg. and another year found them
at Memphis among the shauty-ooa'
folk. Then a government dredge tow
ed them mp r,ver, the Bia woman
cooking for the crew. The men used
to watch a child who. from her boat
house deck, would put bit Of tinse
or flower In her hair and stare down
IN me water TO admire the picture
or would smooth her gypsy dress ove'
her hips, unnoticing her audience. j
,kev. hailed her she pretended not u
h.ar them. They would not believe
she MAS but thirteen. so tropically pri
nal was her womanhood, so tantaliz
in9ly wise her reserve.
So. up the great river OF her dreams
thev went for months and months
Then. one night on the Minnesota
shore. .he dredge burned. and Uncle
Michigan cut the houseboet hose. I
b,fmped on down the river again q
come aimlesely adrift in pocket o
the Iowa hills. There is stuck. ant
aly the dreamy summer the weeds an,
sands fhlckened about until II coul'
drift no more.
And one day the exiles climbed
nearby hill TO look down on towl
buried IN September naples. decen
church spire here and there, the clocl
- n. l.. a. ..