Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-11-19

Mon Dieu-it ees you-Mee-sair
Philip" ..
Philip held out his hand to jacques
and shot a quick glance about him.
There had been change in the
cabin since he had visited 1t last
One OF Pierrot's hands was done up
In sling, his face was thin and
lusterless. In the little wilderness
home there was an air of desertion
and neglect, and Philip wondered
where Pierrot's rosy-cheeked, black
haired wife and his half dozen child.
rem had gone.
Mon Dieu-it ees you, Nee -sair
Philip" cried Pierrot again. his face
| lighting up with pleasure. you
come late. You are hongree?"
i've had supper" replied Philip.
1--WE Just come from Lac Balm. But
what's up, old man-?" He pointed
to Pierrots hand, and looked ques-
tionably about the cabin again.
"Eh-Iowla-my wife-she is at
Churchill, over on the bay" groaned
Jacques. And 90 are the children.
What! You did not hear at Lac
Balm? Iowla is taken seek-ver' seek
with a strange thing which-ugh!
has to be fixed with knife, Mee--
sair Philip. An so take her to the
doctor over at Churchill, an he fix
| her-an' she is growing well now, an
| will soon come home. She keep the
children with her. She say they maxi
her think of Jacques, on his trap
line. Eh-it ees lonely-dam'-d
lonely, and l have been gone from
my Iowla but two weeks tomorrow.
"You have been with her at Fort
Churchill?" asked Philip, taking off
his pack and coat.
"Oui, M'sieur," said Jacques, fall
ing into his French. 81 have been
there since November. What! They
did not tell you at Lac Bain?"
"No-they did not tell me. But
was there but few hours, Jacques.
Listen"
He pulled out his pipe and began
filling it. with his back to the stove.
"You saw people-strangers-
Fort Churchill, Jacques? They came
over on the London ship, and among
them there was a woman"
Pierrot's face flushed up with sud
den animation.
"Ah-zee angel" he cried. THAT
is what my Iowla called her, M'sieur.
See!" He pointed to his bandaged
hand. WAN day that Indian dog of
mine did that, an wen l jumped
up from the snow in front of the
company's store. the blood running
from me, l see her standing there,
white an scared. An then she
run to me with a little scream,
an tear something from her neck,
an tie it round my hand. Then she
go with me to my cabin, and every
day after that she come to see my
Iowla an the children. She wash
little Pierre, an cut his hair She
wash Jean an Mabelle She laugh
an sing an hol' the baby, an my
Iowla laugh an sing; an she takes
down my Iowla's hair, which is so
long that it falls to her knees, an
does it up in wonderful way an
says she would give everything she
got If she could have that hair. An
my Iowla laugh at her. because her
hair is like an angels-like fire wen
the sun is on it,; an my Iowla TAX
hers down, all red an gold. an do it
up in the Cree way. And wen she
brings the man with her he laughs
an plays with the kids, an says he
knows the doctor and that there will
be nothing to pay for all that he is
done. Ah-she ees wan be-e-eauti-
full angel. An this-this Is wat
she tied around my hand"
With new life Pierrot went to
covered box nailed against one of the
log walls and a moment later placed
in Philips hands long white, silken
neckscarf. Once more there rose to
his nostrils the sweet, faint scent of
hyacinth, and with a sudden low cry
Philip crushed the dainty fabric in a
mass to his face. In that moment
1t seemed as though the sweetness of
the woman herself was with him,
stirring him at last to confess the
truth--the thing which he had fought
against so fiercely in those few hours
at LaLc Balm; and the knowledge
that he had surrendered to himself,
that in going from Lac Balm he was
leaving all that the world held for
him in the way of woman and love,
drew his breath from him in another
broken, stitied cry.
When he lowered the scarf his
face was white. Pierrot was staring
at him.
"It makes me think-of home," he
explained lamely. "Som> times l get
lonely, too. There's a girl-down
there-who wears a scarf like this,
and what she wears smells like a
flower, just as this does"
"Oui, understand" said Pierrot
softly. ut is the way l feel when
To- 4.