Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-06-08
CHAPTER {.
At the Home Of Hugo chevet.
i

tiers of grapes above me were already
purple, and the forest leaves were
tlnged with red. And yet the air was
soft, aad the golden bars Of sun flick
cred down on the work in my lap
through the laced branches of the
trellis. The work was but a pretense,
for | had fed the house to escape the
voice Of Monsieur Cassion who was
still urging my uncle to accompany
him on his Journey into the wilder
ness. They sat Ga the great room be-
fore the fireplace, drinking, and | had
heard enough already to tell me there
was treachery on foot against the Sieur
lie la Sale, 10 be sure it was moth
ing to me, q girl knowing naught of
such intrigue, yet had not forgotten
the day, three years before, when this
La Sale. with others of his company,
had halted before the Ursuline con-
vent, and the sisters babe them well
come for the night. Twas my part
10 help serve, and he had strOked my
hair Ia tenderness. I had sung TO
them. 9nd watched his face In the fire
light as he listened Never would I
forget that face. nor believe evil Of
such q nan MOI not from the lips of
Cassion nor eyen from the governor,
La Barre,
recalled it all now, as | sat there
in the silence, pretending to work, how
yva Watphad fhnu, np,bo vi in Jhoir nO-
noes and disappear, the Indian pad
oilers bending to their task, and Mon
Sieur IN Sadie, standing, bareheaded
rs he waved farewell. Beyond him
was the dark face of one they called
lie Touty, aud in the first boat n mere
boy lifted his ragged hat. | know not
why, but the nenory of that lad was
clearer than ali those others. for he
had met me in the hall and we had
talked long in the great window ere
the sister came, and took me away. So
| remembered him, and his name.
Rene d'Artigny. Aud in aii those
years T heard no more. Into the black
wilderness they swept and were lost
to those OF us ut home in New France.
No doubt there were those who
knew-FronfoTfac. BigOt, those who
ruled over Us at Quebec-hut twas
not . matter supposed to interest a
giri, aad so NJ word came to NE. Once
7 asked my Uncle Cl1eYet, and he re-
piled IA anger with only a few SEN
fpnRa9 Kidding Ft1n hOII ,,u tOpx1rNs
yet he said enough so that I knew the
Sieur dc Ia Sale lived and had built
a fort far away. and was buying furs
Of the indians. 1t was this that
brought jealousy aad hatred. Once
Monsieur Cassfon came and stopped
with ua, aud as [ waited on him and
Uncle Olevet, [ caught words which
told nlc that Fr0utenac was La Sales
friend. and would listen to no charges
brought against him. They talked of
a new governor; yet I learned but lit
tie, for Cassion attempted to kiss me,
and I would walt on him no more.
Then Frontenac was recalled to
France, and Ia Barre was governor.
How pleased nay Uncle Cheyet was
wheu The news came, and he raped
the taitte with his glass and exclaimed:
''Ah! hut now we will pluck out the
claws Of this 'Sieur de la Sale, and
send him where he belongs" But he
would explain nothing, until a week
later, Cassion came up the river in
hie oaraao xu,4h FpIIa- nn1IIor, md
stopped to hold conference. The man
treated me witt, much gaIlantry, so
that ( questioned him, and he seemed
happy 10 answer that La Barre had al
ready dispatched a party under Che
valiec de Baugis, of the Kings ORA
goons to take command OF La Sales
Fort Rt. Louis in the Illinois country.
La SoIIe had returned. and was al
ready at Quebec, but Caisson grlnned
MS he boosted that the new governor
would not even give him audience.
Bah! { desplsed the man, yet I lin
gered beside him, AID thus learned
that IA Sales party consisted of but
two y0yageura and the young Sieur
d'Arbgny. I was glad enough when
he went away, though I gave him my
hand 10 kiss, and waved to him brave
~ at the landing. And now he was
back again, bearing a message from
Ia Barre, and seeking volunteers for
some western voyage Of profit. Twas
of no interest to me unless my uncle
Joined In the enterprise, yet I was
kind cdough, for he. brought with him
word OF the governors ball at Quebec,
and dgd won the pledge of Chevet to
take me there with him. / could be
gracious to him for chat and it was
IN mg gown I worked, as the two
planned and talked I'm secret. What
they did was nothing to me now-aIl
my thought was on the bah. What
would your I was II.
The grape trellis ran down toward
the river landing, and from where |
sat 10 the cool shadow, I could see the
broad water cleaning in the SUM-. Sud
denly, as my eyes uplifted, the dark
outline Of q canoe swept into the vista,
and the s~plashing paddles turned the
PROV inward toward our landing. |
did not move, although I watched with
interest, for II was not The time of
year for indian traders, and these
were Write men I could see those at
the Dnddles, voyageurs, with gay
cloths about their heads; but the one
In the stern wore a hat. the brim con,
cealing his face, and a blue coat.
knew not who II could be until the
PROV touched the bank, and he stepped
ashore Then I knew, and bent low
over my sewing, as though | had seen
nothing, although my heart beat fast.
Through lowered iashes | saw him
give brief order to the men, and then
advance toward the house alone. Ali
but this was not the slender, laughing
eyed boy Of three years before. The
wilderness had made Of him d man.
-L Z.