Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-09-10


a day comes when their own places
call to them. Then they go away,
promising to return, and are never
seen again, taking other women of
their own people. 1t shall not be so
with Ameou," said the old man firm
ly.
"Men go away" observed the wo-
man, land others are taken away in
blizzards or by the high floods
Some are overcome by the cold or
crushed by falling trees. Always a
woman may chance to remain alone.
Yet if this should ever befall Ameou
she would be left with more than if
she had taken one of our own peo-
pie, and perhaps could marry again.
Also, she may help us greatly"
Nimissuts nodded again, feeling
that there was much wisdom in the
woman's speech, but he made no
further answer, as it is not befitting
an Indian to take too much heed Of
woman's chatter.
Lorimer, unconscious that his af-
fairs were already being discussed
far and wide, continued his atten-
tions, which gradually turned to
wooing.
He followed the girl into the
dent. Little by little his words, at
first subdued and tentative, became
stronger and ardent. The young
woman uplifted eyes that seemed to
search his soul--and she would
smile before looking down again at
her little moccasins.
One day, in the deep woods, when
the glow of the setting sun fired the
tops of the trees with lambent flames
of yellow and red and purple, Lori
mer spoke again. He slipped an
arm about the girl. Her forehead
nestled on his shoulder, and he heard
the softly spoken words:
"Tshe shatshiitin." 1t means, ~
love thee"
Lorimer took her in his arms,
crushing her to him for brief in
stant. When he released her she
fled like deer to the tents of her
people.
For many days Lorimer had to
possess his soul in patience while he
bargained with the young woman's
family For three years he had
spent practically none of his salary,
and he would have consented at once
to all demands had Ameou not
shrewdly counseled him, for his in
| tereStS were now her own.
Things were nearly settled when
one day Father Gregoire, the travel
ing missionary, landed at the post
with his two Indian acolytes.
"Now the time has come," said
Anishku to the old man. "The an
cient bearded one is the Manitou
people. The weddings he makes can
ha nd L.,
daughter Ameou will be very safe.
| Thou hast heard him say in our
| tents that his medicine is such that
the people joined together by his
words are bound to one another for
life. Seek thou young Yellow Hair
and say tho1 hast decided to give
in about that red blanket, but that he
must cause the Manitou limo of the
whites to say those words over
them"
The old Nascaup.e hastened to
follow such excellent advice, and on
the following morning Father Gre
goire pronounced his benedfction,
boarded his canoe, and padded away
to the south with his men, for there
were many tents to visit.
The summer was a delightful one,
and when the cold weather finally
came all the Indians scattered to
their hunting grounds, leaving the
two alone, except for the presence
of CyDrien, a lame old Montagnais
who did odd jobs around the post,
and his wife Anne, who could cook
and wash.
A couple of dogs represented the
remainder of the population. Their
company, I.orimer once thought, was
all that stood between him and in
sanity during the previous long win
| ter.
He anticipated the coming winter,
| however, with perfect eqaunimity.
His wife had transformed the place
by her mere presence. He never
tired of looking on her beauty or
watching her at her household work.
He had hardly dared to hope for
anything more than a quiet, submis-
sive woman, who would do his bid
ding pleasantly while showing some
appreciation for the comfort of a
life far easier than that spent in the
trapping camns.
But now he often maveled that
Amcous had beco,rr deep, genuine
love. 1t was delight when he left
the house for few hours to see the
Frightening OF her eyes on his re-
turn.
The long evenings were no longer
stupid and irksome. Ameou was
teaching him the Mantagnais Ian
guage, and he made rapid progress
She knew little French, but he
taught her English. She was learn
ing also to read and write, and he
wondered at her intelligence and
memory. .
1t seemed as if her shapely head
had been full of little spaces, hith-
erto untitled, in which she now
stored new things.
Lorimer often went hunting with
the dogs and killed caribou on the
harrens beyond the valley. The
meat, which was carefully preserved
with the whitefish that had beer
netted and salted in the fall, was ar
invaluable addition to the stock OF
food.
A little trapping near the pos
brought in some fur. Ameou woult
go with him often. She showed hin
mysteries of which he had never