Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-08-25


Was That In His Eyes Which
Frightened Me.
and the warmth is welcome. You
had no glimpse Of the boats?''
NO." | admitted. "Do you really
lelieve they sErvived2"
There was no reason why they
should not, if properly handled. I
have controlled canoes In far worse
storms. They are doubtless safely
ashore beyond the point yonder. You
are not afraid to be left aloneT
mo" in surprise. "Where are you
going?'
ITO learn more of our surroundings
and arrange some traps for wild game.
/ will not be away long, but someone
should remain here to signal any
canoe returning in search"
1 watched him disappear among
the trees without regret or slightest
sense of fear at thus being left alone.
The fire burned brightly and [ rested
where the grateful warmth put new
life into my body. The silence was
profound, depressing, and sense Of
intense loneliness stole over me-. l
felt a desire to get, away from the
gloom of the woods, and climbed the
bank to where / could look out once
more across the waters.
The view outspread before me re-
vealed nothing new; the same dread
waste Of water extended to the hori-
zon, while down the shore no move
ment was visible AS / rested there,
oppressed by the loneliness, felt little
hope that the others Of our party had
escaped without disaster.
D'Artigny did not believe his own
words; l even suspected that he had
gone now alone to explore the shore
line; seeking to discover the truth and
the real fate of our companions. At
first this conception of our situation
startled me, and yet, strange as 1t may
seem, my realization brought no deep
regret I was conscious of feeling
of freedom, of liberty, such as had not
! been mine since we departed from
| Quebec. / was no longer watched,
|
dered, my speech criticized. More, l
was delivered from the hated presence
Of CassiOn, ever reminding me that
was his wife, and continually threaten
ing to exercise his authority. Ay, and
I was with D'Artigny, alone with him,
and the joy of this was so deep that
I came to a sudden realization Of the
TRUTH loved him.
In way 1 must have known this
before yet, not until that moment
did the fact dawn upon me in full
acknowledgment. l sank my head on
my hands, my breath quickened by
surprise, by shame, and felt my cheeks
| burn. | loyed him, and believed he
I loved me. l knew then that all the
happiness of life conferred in this one
| fact; while between us arose the
shadow Of Cassion, my husband. True
| I loved him not; true / was to him
wife only in name; true our marriage
was a thing of shame. yet no less
fact, no less barrier. / was La
| Chesnayne to whom honor was a re-
| ligion; a Catholic bowling humbly to
| the VOW of Holy church; a French
woman taught that marriage was
| sacred rite.
The knowledge of my love for D'Ar-
| tigny brought me more fear than
pleasure. I dare not dream, or hope;
l must escape his presence while I
retained moral strength to resist temp
tation. / got to my feet, not knowing
what | could do, yet with wild con-
ception of returning to the beach, and
seeking to find a passage southwark.
would go now along the shore before
D'Artigny came back, and meet those
returning canoes. In such action lay
my only safety-he would find me
gone would trace me along the sand,
yet before I could be caught would
have met the others, and thus escape
the peril of being alone with him
again.
Even as I reached this decision,
something arose In my throat and
choked me, for my eyes saw just out
side the curve Of the shore line
canoe emerge from the shadows of the
bluff. 1 cannot picture the reaction,
the sudden shrinking fear which, in
that instant, mastered me. They were
coming, seeking me; coming to drag
me back into slavery; coming to de-
nounce D'Artigny Of crime and de-
mand his life.
l sank down out of sight yet my de-
cisiOn was made in an instant It did
not seem to me then as though another
course could be taken That D'Artigny
was innocent had no doubt. I loved
him, this no longer denied to myself;
and l could not possibly betray the
man to the mad vengeance of Cassion
| peered, forth across the ridge OF
earth concealing me from observation,