The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-09-04

SHE Sdlu SCUIHlully, SNCH NhSh ''AO
is no longer a necessity BAN i
despise this play acting! 1t is unWor-
thy a soldier. SO you would have me I
tell over what you already know; you
would make me stand here and sui
fer"
"Mademoiselfe," l interrupted swift
Iy,...T ask nothing. All / seek: is the
opportunity of service. There is no |
truth I am going to deny. To prove
it | will say this-you have remained
in my memory sinceathe first hour we
met. / desire your trust, your friend
ship: whatever. You maN.teli me VIII
be held sacred, inviolate,. will serve
you though you speak no word, rglVe
no explanation. beg the privilege.
thought she would never speak
standing there before me in the dim
light, swaying slightly, her bosom rls-
ing and falling with quick breathing. A
great sympathy welled up inmy heart .
and all unconsciously, | extended my
hands. She must have seen. them, but
she made no. response, but: the glitter
of unshed tears was in her eyes,
What is the use of our talking like
this?" she said impetuously. 1T is as
though we exchanged compliments in
Montreal. Instead we are in the will
derness, with danger all about us. You
are what you are, monsieur, and am
a woman of the WyandOts. Let all
| else. pass; l care nothing whether your
thoughts of me be good or evil. | am
what am; what birth and conditions
have made me. All appeal to in you
is whatever of manhood you may still
retain. | tell you my story, because
you swear you know it not; then lis
ten, and you shall. No, do not move,
but hear me; | would not do this with
out reason"
She glanced aside at Schultz, and
then into the red embers OF the fire,
her eyes coming slowly back to rest
on my face.
81 am Rene D'Auvray, and my father
lies dead there In the next room. He
was all had in the world, yet knew
little enough of him. He spoke seldom
of his past life even to me. Still, |
have much reason to believe that in
his younger days he was intimate at
, the French court know he was a
soldier, an officer of the kings guard,
decorated for bravery. He never told
me why he was exiled to this land.
; buried in the far wilderness, made a
companion of savages. never asked
although my heart ached to do SO, for
he was not man to be questioned
lightly, and ! early learned that the
very thought brought him pain. But
know this, for | saw letter once, q
yellow, creased letter, which think
he purposely mislaid hoping | would
I see He wanted me to know, yet haC
j not the heart to tell me. 1t was from
a. French comrade in arms, and there
was a crest on the paper, and great
name signed. | wept as / read, fol
the writer loved the man to whom he
told the story, and the words came
warm from his heart. Whatever else
you may know of us, Monsieur 10
seph Hayward, you have never known
this. 1t was because of a lady my ia
Their loved, a relative of the king. Fo
\ her sake he fought the Prince de Mil
VI lier, and killed him in the royal gar
= den. 1t was a fair fight, but the kim
I, saw it not so, for it disarranged hi
y plans. and my father had to tie
5 France to save his own life. Then wa
A he prescribed, a price set upon hi
head"
She paused, and sank into chair
4 bowling her face upon the table.
z stood silent, unable to speak, tn
sound of her voice still in my ears
She looked up again, dashing her han
| across her eyes.
81 must be far more French tina
Indian to become so weak" she e.
planned, ashamed of the emotion. +"
is the memory of him lying yonde,
monsieur, with no word-no last wor
for me. So it was he came to Anne
lea, but they would not let him res
in either Quebec or Montreal. The
drove him forth into the woods, int
. the camps of Indians. He told m
once about those days. of how h
n. trayersed the black waters of the OFT;
ut wa and met hardships on the gret
d lakes, his companions voyageurs an
TO couriefs des bois, his only means {
re support the furs he could send bac
n. to Montreal. But he might not ve
| ture there himself, but was doome
nr forever to a life beyond civilization
70 His associations would have brutaliZe
at him. made him fit denizen of thos
| wilds. turned him also into savag
ne but for one thing-he was ferVel
or Catholic. 1t was this which kept hi
W ever gentle. sweet and strong. f
IN possessed the passion to save soul!
no he became an evangel to the Indian
IN among whom he lived. He was
az Mackinac and Green Bay; he told Il
Pottawattomies of Christ, but the
or cast him out; he travelled to the v
he lagos of the Illinois, but the Jesui
were already there, and gave him ]
q welcome. At last he found a hon
- with the Wyandots, At first the Ia,