Middletown transcript., 1916-07-29

here"
''Pere lie Guard is chaplain Of my
household"
"And servant to your will, monsieur.
'Tis known in all New France he is
more diplomat than priest. Nay! I
take back my word, and will make
trial of his priesthood. Father, do
not love this man, nor marry him Of
my own free will. 1 appeal to you,
to the church, to refuse the sanction"
The priest stood with fingers inter-
locked, and head bowed, nor did his
eyes meet mine.
81 am but the humble instrument
Of those in authority, daughter" he re-
piled gently, "and must perform the
sacred duties of my office. IT'S your
own confession that your hand has
been pledged to Monsieur Cassion."
"By Hugo Chevet, not myself"
Enough of this" broke in La Barre
sternly, and he gripped my arm. "The
girl hath lost her head, and such con-
troversy is unseemly in my presence.
Pere lie Guard, let the ceremony pro-
ceed."
otis your order, monsleur?"
cay! do l not speak my will plainly
enough? Come, the hour is late, and
our kings business Is Of more import
than the whim Of a girl"
never moved, never lifted my eyes.
was conscious of nothing, but help
less, impotent anger, of veiceless
shame. They might force me to go
through the form, but never would
they make me the wife Of this man.
My heart throbbed with rebellion, my
mind hardened into revolt. knew all
that occurred. realized the significance
of every word and act, yet it was as If
they appertained to someone else. L
felt the clammy touch of Cassion's
hand on my nerveless fingers, and l
must have answered the interrogation
les of the priest, for his voice droned
on, meaningless to the end. 1t was
only In the silence which followed that
1 seemed to regain consciousness, and
a new grip on my numbed faculties.
Indeed 1 was still cropping in the fog,
bewildered, inert, when La Barre gave
utterance to a coarse laugh.
Congratulations. Francois" he
cried. "a fair wife, and not so un-
willing after all. And now your first
kiss"
The sneer of these words was like
slap in the face, and all the hat
red, and Indignation l felt seethed to
the surface. A heavy paper knife lay
on the desk, and 1 gripped it in my
fingers, and stepped back, facing them.
The mist seemed to roll away, and l
saw their faces, and there must have
been that in mine to startle them, for
even La Barre gave back a step, and
the grin faded from the thin lips of
the commissaire.
"'Tis ended then" I said. and my
voice did not falter. 'T am this mans
wife. Very we'll, you have had your
way! now l will have mine. Listen
to what l shall say, Monsieur lie Gou-
verneur, and you also, Francois Cas-
sion. By rite Of church you call me
wife, but that is your only claim. l
know your law, and that this cere-
mony has sealed my lips. am your
captive, nothing more; you can rob me
now-but, mark you! all that you will
ever get is money. Monsieur CaSsiOn, II
you dare lay so much as a finger on
me, l will kill you as would snake.
1 know what say, and mean it You
kiss me! Try it, monsieur, If you
doubt how my race repays insult l
will 90 with you; will bear your
name; this the law cOmpels, but l am
still mistress Of my soul. and of my
body. You hear me, messieurs? You
understand"
Cassion stood leaning forward, Just
where my first words had held him
motionless. AS paused his eyes were
on my face, and he lifted hand to
wipe away drops of perspiration. La
Barre crumpled the paper he held
savagely.
49," he exclaimed, Eve have IN
chained a tiger cat Well, all this is
naught to me; and Francois, l leave
you and the wilderness to do the tam
ing. In faith, it's time already you
were off. You agree to accompany
the party without resistance, ma
dame?"
"As we'll there, as here" answered
contemptuously.
And you, Hugo Chevet?"
The giant growled something mar
ticulate through his beard, not alto
gether, l thought, to La Barres liking,
for his face darkened.
by St Anne! it's a happy family
amid which you start your honey
moon, Monsieur Cassion," he ejacu-
lated at length, 'but 60 you must
though 1 send a file of soldiers with
you to the boats. Now leave me, and
l would hear no more until word
comes of your arrival at st. Louis
We left the room together, the three
of us, and no one spoke, as we trav-
ersed the great assembly hall, in which
dancers still fingered, and gained the
outer hall. CassiOn secured my cloak
and l wrapped it about my shoulders
for the night air without was already
chill, and then, yet in unbroken 81
lence, we passed down the steps into
the darkness of the street walked
beside Chevet, who was growing tC
himself, scarce sober enough to clearly
realize what had occurred, and so we
; followed the commissaire down the