The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-12
CHAPTER Nv.
A Ball and a BETRAYAL

i A Ball and a Betrayal
/ had made my first venture in
to the deep swamp. Laure took
me in her green canoe. The deep
swamp of Isle Bonnie was appall-
ing; I saw Laure smiling at the
darkness of my look when /
had drunk 1t all in.
| Are you coming, m'sieu," she
said airily, ito my pawty?"
"Party?" l cried incredulously.
Where on earth?"
She pointed dripping blade In
to the sunless depths. "At Papa
Prosper's. They all coming =
from Africa, and Free Camp, and
Bassa Bassa and Old Cheniere and
John-the-Fool." .sf.
| t'Who?" -. 40
| ooh, everybody. The music was
broke at the last ball at La Che
Mere, but now Sim, he fixed 1t.
He put two nails in it. Dear Doc
tor, the baron is not so growly at
all you Yankees as formerly. He
says let us have pawty,i and
serve sherbet anisette and gumbo
file."
Very WELL" answered, well
go to your pawty." - - I
| went down to the dredge at
, dusk, when the lean-faced and
weary crew was coming off. Clell
/ came down from the crane where
, he had doggedly mastered the
; shovel through the weeks. I got
curious new impression of him,
, his easy SLOUGH and ease and as
, sertion. Silently they had watched
) him, Virgil and the big engineer,
) for the break that never came.
5 But they had not bridged the
j gulf.
: Virgil was harassed by other
things as we'll. The men he had
: hoped for from the city for his
night shift had not come. He
brought down black men for his
fire room and the dynamite crew
and saw them desert, one after
{ another.
D June first" he was murmur-
t ing to me, well be through the
4 last Of the dead tmbeh-through
a to salt water. I'm going to win
V Doctor Dick. I see 1t now = but
4 last week! Well, l feel like cele-
t bratin'." I
Come to the pawty," said
Saturday night. You're all in
vitel."
Allesjandro came to the dredge
3 the next day with many amiable
{ oscillations to extend a formal
invitation. He would have the
I Good Child at the end of the can
, al to take us around the lake to
5 Isle Bonne's front door. There
would be a famous breeze sure
, ly this time of year; and there
: was Mr.. Williams launch, IL not
: SO. All, this time surely, mes
: sieur, every one would lay aside
these chickering's and COME to the
: ball. What was all this squabble
In the courts-certafnly Papa
Prosper did not care, and as for
the baron = we'll, Allesjandro
waved his hand with superb con-
, fidence.
Tell the old tom-cat," MUIR
INJURED Virgil, that the mob will
be there. NANCY and the new
man can hold down the dredge
Saturday night. Some ones got
| to stay"
The night Of the ball we reach
, ed Isle Bonnie late. There had
, been some trouble with the mo-
. tor, and when the launch at
length drew out of VirgiIsf tpal
, into the tidal lakes, the moo -
high. t3
There came the scraping of a
: violin somewhere from the shad-
ows beyond Isle Bonne's shell
! white shores; then a dim light on
} Papa Prosper's gallerie, and down
the plank wharf the guests
, streamed to meet us. On the
J beach many pirogues were drawn,
In the offing rode half dozen
, luggers, their sails limp; and as
many tubby little gas boats were
grouped about the wharf-head.
l did not know the lonely che
: nieres held so many folk. But
: from all the lakes and shriHlp
camps and swamp bayousa icy
: had come to Laure's party. Our
, wood saint was all gaiety in a
white gown-white, indeed, from
} her slipper toes to the wild black
, berry bloom in her hair. She led
! the procession that escorted us
. Yanke fel-los.
Other guests were arriving,
} mainly lean-hipped market hunt
ers from the deep swamp who
: beached their pirogues and came
up IN their very tight trousers and
! well washed denims. Softly they
greeted US, and bright-eyed they
, Ipeered within the hall. To each
Iup rose Papa Prosper and the