The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-09-28

Wohu0t hoNo yOa oCi WV
long? My father was an officer
In that command-Captain la
Chesnayne."
The expression of the mans
face changed magically.
You the daughter of Captain
Ia Chesnsyne." he exclaimed. "and
married to Cassion! how can this
be?"
You knew him then-my ia
ther?"
"Ay, Madame; l was with him
at the Richelius when he died"
yet what do you mean by thus
expressing surprise at my mar
riage?"
He hesitated. evidently regret
ting his impulsive speech, and
glancing from my face into the
stern eyes of De Artigny.
Monsieur, Madame, l spoke
hastily; 1t was not my place"
THAT may be true, Barbeau,"
replied the Sieur grimly. "yet the
words have been said, and the
lady has a right to have them ex-
planned. Was there quarrel be-
tween her father and this Francois
, Cassion?"
"Ay, there was, and bitter, al
though I know nothing of the
cause. Cassion and La Barre
were alike opposed to Captain la
Chesnayne, and but for reports
they made he would have been the
colonel. He struck Cassion in the
mess tent, and they were to fight
the very morning the Iroquois
met us at Bots lie Blanc. Twas
the talk of the men that the cap
tain was shot from behind"
"By Cassion?"
THAT l cannot say; yet he had
no other enemy in the Regiment
Carignay-Salliers. The feeling
against M. Cassion was so strong
that he resigned in a few months.
You never heard this?"
could not answer, but stood
silent with bowed head. | felt De
Artigny place his hand on my
shoulder.
THE lady did not know" he
said gravely, as though he felt
the necessity of an explanation.
she can trust you as her fathers
friend and comrade. May l tell
him the truth, Madame? The man
may have other information of
vaue."
YES" I answered, sit can do
no harm"
De Artigny's hand was still on
my shoulder as he related in de-
tail the story of my hurried and
forced marriage.
II see," commented Barbeau
shrewdly. "Such marriage would
place the property in their control
by law. Had Cassion sought mar
riage previously"
His eyes were upon me as he
asked the question, and l an
swered him frankly.
"Your uncle knew of your for
tuner"
No; he supposed me penni-
less; he thought 1t great honor
done me by the favorite of the
governors. Twas my belief he
expected some reward for per-
suading me to accept his offer. !"
And this Chevet-what be-
came of him."
He accompanied us on the
journey, upon order of Monsieur
la Barre. He was murdered at
st. Ignace."
"Murdered?"
"Ay, struck down from behind
with a knife. No one knows who
did it, but Cassion has charged
the crime against Sieur de Ar
tigny."
BAH" the soldier exclaimed at
last, 1.-THE riddle is not SO hard to
read, although no doubt the trick
has been well played. May l tell
you what, in my judgment, seems
best for you to do?"
glanced at De Artigny, and
his eyes gave me courage.
Monsieur, you are a French
soldier" | answered, land my fla
Tiers friend. l will listen glad
ly."
His eyes smiled, and he swept
the earth with his cap.
Then my plan Is this-leave
Monsieur Cassion to go his way,
and let me be your guide south
ward. M. de la Durantaye is.
camped at the portage of the Des
PLANES. He is a gallant officer,
and no enemy to La Sale, al
though he serves the governor. He
will see Justice done, and give you
both safe convoy to Fort st. Louis
where De Tonty knows how to
protect his officers"
And so II was settled.
It was late in the afternoon of
the second day when we arrived
at the forks of the Chicago river.
A hut of logs stood on a slight
eminence, but IL was unoccupied.
the door ajar, Barbeau, In adj
vance, stared at it in surprise,
and ran forward to peer within.
If this miserable place had been
the headquarters of M. de la
Durantaye, evidently it was SO no
longer. Not a vestige of occu-
pancy remained, save a broken
bench in one corner and table
hewed from log. On this was
a paper pinned to the wood by a
broken knife blade. Barbeau
grasped it, and read the writing,
handing 1t back to me. 1t was
scrawl of a few words, yet told
the whole story.