Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-10-15

some information of the child. She
hurried her old father, so eager was
she to hear the news.
Curran bade her enter, assuming
a sad and friendly expression that
befttted the occasion. He offered
Ameou a chair and placed tobacco
within reach of the old man.
"1 am afraid that all this seeking
has been for nothing" he said, shak-
ing his head sorrowfully. "You are
all going away agsinst my advice for
the winters hunting. I want to say
that Ameou should take anything
she wants that belonged to Lorimer.
"Any Of his things that she may
want to keep, yet not take away with
her, she cah place In empty boxes
from the storeroom. They shall be
kept safely for her. / am sure that
there is nothing here which the peo-
pie who really own this property
could object to her taking. They
would not want them to be taken
over the great water"
He spoke in Montagnais slowly,
watching the two Indians as lynx
might watch the fledgling brood Of
a partridge.
"The men of the brigade who have
gone away" said Chief Nimissuts,
"told us that they had made paper
which states that everything that be-
longed to Yellow Hair is now my
daughters"
The old man was looking at Cur
ran keenly. He had been quick to
discern some strange meaning in the
mans words. But the young woman
had sunk duly in her chair. Such
matters were of no import to one
who had met with her losses.
"Ah, the paperW exclaimed Cur
ran. "True, there is such paper.
have it here. Ameou can take it If
she wishes, but l fear such a paper
is not of any good. 1t must be worth
less, because it is the custom of the
white people that there can be but
one wife to a man. When there are
two the second can have nothing
when the man dies, for the second is
not really WIFE"
Ameou sprang up, with eyes flash
ing and limbs trembling with ex-
citement. She walked close to the
agent. ..--
"I am Ameou," she said. ~ am
the one who was the wife Of Yellow
Hair-and the only one. I am the
mother of the child that was his. He
never told me any tale of another
woman of his, and many times told
me was the only one he ever
loved"
Curran looked at her, shaking his
head in pitying fashion. =.
"Alas! men will say such things"
he said. "The last love Of a man is
ever the only one. 1t is tale that
has been told times in greater num-
ber than the stars in the sky. He
should not have said such things to
an innocent maiden. But you, too,
look as if you did not believe me-"
The young woman was dazed and
haggard, as if the last great treas
ure had been torn away from her
faith in her husbands goodness,
| truth, and honesty-and all that
made him the only man in the world
to her.
The very teaching he had impaired
to her on those long, happy evenings
spent together had been directed to
showing her, simply and in few
words, the higher ideals that move
the conduct of decent men. And
now all this was nothing but moc,;
cry, spoken with the forked tongue
of a deceiver. She had been made a
plaything while she had hung upon
his lips!
81 won't believe itw she suddenly
cried. There are none but thy own
words to show these things, and they
sound false"
She was standing before him like
some wild creature at bay, with
flashing eyes his own could scarcely
meet.
"Did Lorimer ever show thee
the papers in that little box ?"
asked Curran cautiously.
"No," answered Ameou. "He said
they were things that did not mat
ter"
"Didst thou never seek to read
them after he went away?"
81 am the daughter of chief,
she answered proudly. II 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 mex kTaSSJ aiiu hdA AFeASo al
her spirit,
He would surely marry her and
tame that proud beauty. Her pictur-
esaue comeliness would be his at nc
distant date, he swore to himself.
Here is a letter." he answered
after a moment. "Of course thou
didst MT seek to pry. Thou art 8
true woman, and it was an evil day
when one who was not a real mar
took thee to wife. But look now al
these written words that have come
from another land where woman
waits. Tnou hast learned to read
| know, and l would have thee sec
for thyself. 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 anc
spelled out the words slowly:
Please come back soon from
those dreadful places. You
would be happier here. The
baby sends you a thousand