Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-08-15

some wild creature at bay, with
flashing eyes his own could scarcely
meet.
"Did Lorimer ever show thee
the papers in that little box 2"
asked Curran cautiously.
mo" answered Ameou. He said
they were things that did not mat
ter"
"Didst thou never seek to read
them after he went away?"
II am the daughter of chief"
she answered proudly. Il am the
woman who belonged to what she
thought was a man. Would | have
pried into things of his that he did
not bid me look at?
The young woman, erect and with
head thrown back, was a model of
wounded dignity. Curran looked,
admired he grace, and marveled at
her spirit.
He would surely marry her and
tame that proud beauty. Her pictur-
esuue comeliness would be his at no
distant date, he swore to himself.
"Here is a letter." he answered
didst MT seek to pry. Thou art
III,
when one who was not a real man
too; thee to wife. But look now at
these written words that have come
from another land where a woman
waits. Thou hast learned to read,
| know, and | would have thee see
for myself. Sit down here again
in the light. The words, telling all,
begin here.
With shaking hands she took the
paper he had placed before her and
spelled out the words slowly:
Please come back soon from
those dreadful places. You
would be happier here. The
baby sends you a thousand
kisses.
YOUR LOVING AGNES.
Slowly the paper fiuttered to the
floor and Ameou's head sank to her
folded arms.
She had received the news of her
husbands death with few tears, for
her hurt had been too great for the
grief to have been expended in
weeping. The loss of the baby had
also left her staring and dry-eyed,
Iihc Otlt unueT lHe spell VI SOIile
baneful drug. But this was the
fiercest blow, SCATTERING all that she
had held of love and belief.
Finally she lifted up her head and
dashed her hand across her stream
ing eyes. Her face was calm but for
the occasional quivering of her lips.
Had he only asked me for my
love | would have given it to him.
she said, speaking slowly in low
tones. what did know of men and
women but that they mated when
the price was paid? What did /
know of husbands and wives accord
ing to the custom of the white peo-
pie? What would / have cared for
their ways in this country, where
none come except those who are ever
eager for pelts?
"Had he told me the truth it
would not have mattered, for ! knew
Lothing and deemed that man was
master of the country he would live
in and the woman he would love.
But why did he tell me these other
things and show me another world,
and teach me that which he called
goodness, only to let me find that he
had none of it and deemed me a
thing to laugh at and mock ?"
"Other white men are not as he"
said Cilrran loftily. 81 could have
loved thee truly. Nay, love thee
now, as | have done for long time.
! would that thou couldst become my
wife and learn VIII. true man is"
Ameou looked at him, but the
words he spoke made no impression
on her. She hardly seemed to un-
derstand them, and looked neither
offended nor pleased.
81 am but an Indian woman now"
she said, "as | was before-a thing
to be sold to the one who will give
most blankets and guns for her and
for the land that was her mothers. /
no longer care anything for that
which may befall me. | will work as
our women do, and. like them, soon
grow very old with toll and eat after
the men have had their fill of food,
and set snares for rabbits and work
at shoepacks and the stringing of
snow-shOes. What care ] for men,
for the goodness that is a lie, the
love that is but jest, or the child
that was sired byla liar"
"She was about to leave the room,
a quiet, stately, dignified picture of
outraged womanhood; but her old
father, who had been silent during
all this talk, grimly bade her stop a
moment.
GAS to the child" he said, "the
whole of a day has not passed yet
since he was taken avg and he
may be living yet This man, Cur
ran, says that he is willing to take
thee for a wife and care for the
child, if it is found, and for thee and
thy people"
81 said to him that if any one
should bring it back to me all that
could give would belong to the
finder" she answered duly. LET
him bring me back the child and I
will be his woman if he wants me.
"Yet / care no longer whether it
be dead or living, for it was part
of a happiness that is all gone-a
happiness which a woman could only |
purchase with suffering. | have paid
too great price for the days that
have gone.
al am thy daughter, for thee to
barter away if thou hast a mind. l |
would / knew / might be a curse on