Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-06-30

| hand, the sun touching his tanned
| cheeks, and flecking the long, light
| colored hair.
''Mademoiselle," he said gently,
| pardon me, but is not this the home
Of Hugo Chevet, the fur trader?'
I looked up into his face and bowed
as he swept the earth with his hat,
seeing at a glance that he had no re-
| membrance of me.
EYES," I answered. eff you seek
| him, rap on the door beyond"
otis not so much Chevet I seek, -
he said, showing no inclination to pass
| me, "but one whom / understood to be
| his guest-Monsieur Francois Cas-
sion."
1.-THE man is here" l answered
quickly, yet unable to conceal my sur
prise, "but you will find him no friend
to Sieur de la Salle.'
"Ahr' and he stared at me intently.
'In the name of the saints, what is
the meaning of this? You know me
then"
/ 1 bowed, yet my eyes remained hid
den.
Il knew you once as monsieur's
friend" l said, almost regretting my
| tndiscretion, "and have been told you
travel in his company"
you knew me once!" he laughed.
"Surely that cannot be, for never
would I be likely to forget. l chal-
lenge you, mademoiselle, to speak my
name"
'"The sieur Rene d'Artigny, mon
sieur."
by my faith, the witch is right, and
yet in all this New France | know
scarce a maid. Nay look up; there is
naught to fear from me, and / would
see if memory be not new born. Saint
Giles! surely it's true; I have seen
those eyes before; why, the name is
on my tongue, yet fails me, lost in
the wilderness. l pray you mercy,
! mademoiselle"'
"You have memory of the face you
say?
cay! the witchery of it; it's like q
haunting spirit"
(Which did not haunt long, I war
rant. I ara Adele la Chesnayne, mon
sieur."
He stepped back, his eyes on mine,
questioningly. For an instant l be-
lieved the name even brought no IA
miliar sound; then his face frightened
and his eyes smiled as his lips echoed
the words.
adele la Chesnaynei All! now :.
know. Why it's no less than a mira
Gle. 1t was child thought of under
that name-a slender brown-eyed girl,
as blithesome as a bird. No, l had
not forgotten; only the magic Of three
years has made of you a woman.
Again and again have I questioned in
Montreal and Quebec, but no one
seemed to know. At the convent they
said your father fell in Indian Skin
mish"
Yes; ever since then l have lived
here, with my uncle, Hugo Chevet."
"Herer' he looked about as though
the dreariness of it was first noticed.
"Alone? Is there no other woman?"
| shook my head, but no longer
looked at him, for fear he might see
the tears in my eyes.
Il am the housekeeper, monsieur.
There was nothing else for me. In
France, l am told, my fathers people
were we'll born, but this is not France,
and there was no choice. Besides /
was but child Of 14''
"And II, now, mademoiselle," and
he took my hand CALAMITY. Pardon
if have asked questions which bring
pain. | can understand much, for in
Montreal l heard tales of this Hugo
Chevet"
''He is rough a wOodsman," I de-
Tended, "yet not unkind to me. You
will speak him fair?"
He laughed, his eyes sparkling with
merriment.
"No fear of my neglecting all cour-
tesy for come beseeching a favor. l
have learned the lesson Of when the soft
speech wins more than the iron hand.
And this other, the Commissaire Cas-
sion-is he a bird Of the Same plum
age?"
I made little gesture, and glanced
back at the closed door.
"Oh no; he is the court courier, to
stab with words, not deeds. Chevet
is rough of speech, and hard Of hand,
but he fights in the open; Cassion has
a double tongue, and one never knows
him." I glanced up into his sobered
face. "He is a friend of La Barre"
$50 it's said and has been chosen
by the governor to bear message to
De Baugis in the Illinois country.
seek passage in Iva company"
you! I thought you were of the
party of Sieur de la Salle?"
II am" he answered honestly, 'yet
Cassion will need a guide, and there
is none save myself in all New France
who has ever made that journey.