Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-08-24


throat. and before ] knew the slguin-
Inc Of the action. my hand clasped
his. l felt the grip Of his fingers, and
saw his face turn toward me In the
dusk. Barbeau got to his feet gun
in hand. and stood shading his eyes
Il would like a closer view Of that
village yonder." he said. "and will go
down the bank a hundred yards or
So"
Twill do no HARM" returned
D'Artigny. still clasping my hand.
There Is time yet before we make
our venture"
He disappeared in the shadows,
leaving US alone, and l glanced aside
at D'Artigny's face. my heart beating
fiercely.
you did not like to hear me speak
as / did," he questioned quietly.
"No," l answered honestly, 'the
thought startled me. Tiff anything
happened to you, II should be all
alone"
He bent lower, still grasping my
fingers, and seeking to compel my eyes
to meet his.
adele" he whispered, why is 1t
necessary for us to keep up this mas
querade?"
What masquerade, monsieur
This pretense at mere friendship"
he insisted, when we could serve
each other better by a frank confess
sion of the truth. You love me-"
Monsieur" and l tried to draw my
hand away. 81 am the wife of Fran
co.'s Cassion."
81 care nothing for that unholy al
lance. You are his only by form.
Do you know what that marriage has
cost me? Insults, ever since we left
Quebec. The coward knew l dare not
lay hand upon him, because he vas
your husband. We would have crossed
steel a hundred times but for my
memory of you. l could not kill the
cur, for to do so would separate US
forever. So l bore his taunts, his re-
villngs. his curses, his orders that
were insults. You think 1t was easyf
| am a woodsman, a lieutenant Of La
Sale, and 1t has never before been
my way to receive insult without a
blow. We are not of that breed. Yet
1 bore it for your sake-why? Be
cause l loved you"
"Oh, monsieur
otis naught to the shame Of either
of U.S." he continued. now speaking
with a calmness which held me silent.
"And l wish you to know the truth.
so far as | can make it clear. This
has been in my mind for weeks, and
l say 1t to you now as solemnly as
though l knelt before a father confess
sor. You have been to me a memory
Of inspiration eve since we first met
years ago at that convent in Quebec.
l dreamed of you in the wilderness, In
the canoe or the great river, and here
at st. Louis. Never did voyageur &c
eastward but l asked him to bring me
word from you, and each n bore
from me a message of greeting"
II received none, monsieur"
II know that; even Sieur de la Sale
} failed to learn your dwelling place
I Yet when he finally chose me as his
comrade on this last journey, while
would have followed him gladly ever
to death, the n hope which held me
| to the hardshlps of the trail was the
chance thus given of seeking you my
/, self.
"You know the rest. l have mad'
the whole journey; | have borne in
: suit, the charge Of crime, merely tina
d l might remain, and serve you. VIII.
do / say thls2 Because tonight
we succeed in getting through the In
!, dian lines-I shall be again among m.
old comrades. and shall be no longe
| a servant to Francois Cassion. l shal
{ stand before him a man, an equal
5 ready to prove myself with tn
steel"
: "No, monsieur" l burst forth, "tha
i must not be; for my sake you will no
!, quarrel"
! "For your sake? You would hav
:. me spare himT
1 "Oh, why do you put it thus, NOR
sieur! 1t is so hard for me to ez
. plain. You say you love me, and
> and the words bring me Joy. Ay, l COZ
fess that. But do you not see that
, blow from your hand struck at FraI
e co.'s Cassion would separate us 70,
ever? Surely that is not the end 70
u seek. 1 would not have you bear a
p front longer, yet no open quarrel wi
Il serve to better our affairs. Certainl