Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-10
81 l. x z AR p E ES
By CAIHERwooD
BOOK III.
rIIA psrfrn VII I-ICnntinnedN
By tho BObbs-Merrm company


CHAPTER vII-CContinued).
TPLACED Eagle by the FIRE and she sat
i there obediently, while / talked to
Madame Ursule apart.
was her mind in this state when she
came to your"
"she was even a little wilder than she
Is now. The girls have been beneht TO
her"
"They were not afraid of herr"
''who could be afraid of the dear
child? She is n lady-thats plain. An,
M's'r Williams. what she must have
gone through
Yet see how happy she looks
She always seemed happy enough. She
would come to this house. So when the
Jordans went to Canada, Pierre and
both said, Let her stay"
Who were the JordansT'
The only family that escaped with
their lives from the massacre when she
lost her family. Madame Jordan told me
the whole story. They had friends among
the Winnebagoes who protected them
mo, the people in La Baye did that.
We knew she had another name. But |
think 1t very likely her title was not used
in the settlement where they lived. Titles
are no help in pioneering
did they call her Madeline?'
"She calls herself Madeline"
How long has she been with your
family7"
Nearly a year"
Ibid the Jordans tell you when this
change came over herr"
Yes II was during the attack when
her child was taken from her. She saw
| other children killed. The Indians were
afraid OF her. They respect demented
people, not a bit Of harm was done to
her. They let her alone, and the Jor-
dams took care q her"
The daughter and adopted daughter OF
| the house came in with a rush of outdoor
air, and seeing Eagle first, ran to kiss
| her on the cheek one after the other
| Madeline has come down." said Marie.
| "I thought we should coax her in here
some time," said Katarina.
| Between them, standing slim and tall,
their equal in height, she was yet like
a little sister. Though their faces were
| unlined, hers held q divine youth
To see her stricken with mind-sickness
! and the two girls who had done neither
good nor evil existing like plants in sun
shine, healthy and sound, seemed an In
iquitous contrast.
Paul has come" Eagle told Katarina
and Marie. Holding their hands, she
| walked between them toward me, and
bade them notice my height, II am his
| Cloud Mother" she said. ''How droll II
| is that parents grow down little, while
their children grow up big!'
Madame Ursule shook her head pitiful-
ly. But the girls really saw the droll
side and laughted with my Cloud-M Mother
Separated from me by an impossible
barrier, she touched me more deeply than
when l sued her most The undulating
ripple which was her peculiar expression
of Joy was more than I could bear.
N~EN rfw.hr ali
from the house to walk In the chill wind
but she caught me.
IT will be goodr pleaded my Cloud.
Mother, her face in my breast.
Her son who had grown up big, while
she grew down little. went back to thc
family room with her.
My Cloud-Mother sat beside me al
table, and insisted on cutting up my food
for me. While I tried to eat, she asked
| Marie and Katarina and Pierre GrignoT
and Madame Ursule to notice how wei
/ behaved. The tender-hearted hos
wiped his eyes.
The river piled hillocks of water in /
strong north wind, and no officer crossed
from the stockade. Neither did any neigh
Dor leave his own fire. 1t seldom hap
| pened that the Grignons were left will
inmates alone. Eagle sat by me anC
watched the blaze streaming up the chin
ney.
lished in the house, where hospitalit!
made room and apology for all human
weakness.
believed If her delusions were humor
ed they would unwind from her like tn
cloud which she felt them to be. Th'
family had long fallen into the habit o
treating her as a child, playing some i'm
aginary character.
She seemed less demented than walkini
in dream. Her faculties asleep. l
was somnambulism rather than mad
ness She had not the expression of in
sane people. the shifty eyes, the cunninl
and perverseness, the animal and torpi
| presence.
II called her Madame de Ferrier in
stead OF my Cloud Mother, a strained an
puzzled look replaced her usual satisfac
ton. did not often use the name, no
did try to make her repeat my own. I
was my daily effort to fall In with he
happiness. for IL she saw any anxiety sh
was quick to plead:
Don't you like me any more, Paul
Are you tired of me, because l am
Cloud -MotherY"
mo" / would answer. "Lazarre vii
never be tired of you"
"Do you think / am growing smaller
Will you love me IL shrink to baby?
81 will love you"
81 used to love you when you were 8
tiny, Paul, before you knew how TO low
me back. II forget how'-she clutche
the lapels of my coat-"will you leav
me then?'
Eagle. say this: Lazarre canno
| leave me-"
"Lazarre cannot leave me-"
/ heard her repeating this at her sew
ing. She boasted to Marie Grignon-
''Lazarre cannot leave mel-Paul taugh
me that"
MY Cloud Mother asked me to tell he
the stories she used to tell me. She ha
forgotten them.
81 am the child now" she would say
, "Tell me the stories"
1 repeated mythical tribe legends, gath
cred from Skenedonk on our long rides
making them as eloquent as / could
She listened, holding her breath, or sigh
ing with contentment.
Eagle watched me with maternal care
II a hair dropped on my collar sh
brushed II away, and smoothed and set
tied my cravat. The touch OF my Cloud
Mother, familiar and tender. like tn
touch OF a wife. charged through me wit
torture. because she was herself SO uu
conscious OF IT,
Before l had been In the house a wee
she made a little pair OF trousers a spa
long, and gave them to me. Marie an
Katarina turned their faces to laugh. NJ
Cloud Mother held the garment up fo
their inspection. and was not at all sens