Charlevoix county herald., 1919-06-13

accept your statements. / believe now
that madame has suffered no wrong
from you. But I am a priest. and my
care Is only that of souls. Madame Is.
married. I married her"
ITO whomr I cried.
ITO M. Louis d'Epernay, nephew OF
n. Charles Duchaine by marriage. less
than two weeks agoin the chateau
here"
The addition Of the last word singu-
larry revived my hopes. 1t had slipped
from his lips unconsciously. but 1t
gave me reason to believe that the
chateau was near by.
Father Antoine sat down upon the
chair beside me.
IN. Duchaine has been a recluse for
many years." he said, "and Of late his
mind has become affected. 1t is said
that he was implicated In the troubles
Of 1857. and that, fearing arrest, he
fed here and built this chateau I'm this
desolate region, where he would be
safe from pursuit. Solitude has made
a hermit Of him and taken him out of
touch with the world of today.
II believe that LerOuxs has discov-
cred coal on his property, and by
threatening him with. arrest has
gained complete ascendency over
the weak-minded old man. However,
the fact remains that his daughter
was married by me to M. d'Epernay
some ten or twelve days ago at the
chateau.
my duties took me to Quebec.
There I learned that Nine. d'Epernay
had fed on the night Of her marriage,
and that her husband was In pursuit
Of her. Again II was told me that she
was living at the Chateau Frontenac
with another man. 1t was not for me
to question whether she loved her hus-
band but to do my duty.
II appealed to you. You refused to
listen to my appeal. You threatened
me, monsieur. And you denied my
priesthood. / shall not help you In
the pursuit Of her, M. Hewlett. for you
are actuated solely by love for the
wife Of another man. Is that not so?"
he ended, bending over me with pen
etrating look in his blue eyes.
Eyes, 1t Is so. But shall go to
the chateau" l answered.
Pere Antoine rose up.
"You will find food here" he said,
"and II you wish to take exercise
there are snowshoes. Try to find the
chateau-do what you please; but re-
member that If you lose your way
shall not be here to save you. shall
return from my mission In week and
be ready to conduct you to st. Boni-
face. And now, monsieur, since we
| understand each other. / shall prepare
the supper"
l swallowed few mouthfuls Of food
and fell asleep soon afterward. In
the morning when l awOke the cabin
was empty.
I spent the next two days recover
Ing my strength, and on the third
found myself able to leave the hut for
q short tramp.
1 found one of the pistols In the hut,
and In the pocket Of my fur coat were
couple of cartridges which had
overlooked. The rest l had fired away
In my delirium.
The cabin was situated In valley.
around which high hills clustered.
Swapping on the snowshoes l set to
work to climb lofty peak which
stood at no great distance.
/ must have turned off at a slight
angle which took me some distance
out of my course, for my progress was
suddenly arrested by mighty wall Of
rock, a sheer precipice that seemed to
descend perpendicularly into the val
ley underneath. Somewhere torrent
was roaring like miniature Niagara.
l stopped to stare In admiration.
Far below me the narrow valley had
widened into a smooth, snow-coated
surface Of lake.
And on q point of land projecting
from the bottom Of that mighty wall l
saw the chateau
1t could have been nothing else. 1t
was a splendid building-not larger
than the house Of country gentle
man, perhaps and made of hewn logs
but the rude splendOr or II against
that icy. rocky background transfxed
me with wonder.
On each side Of the chateau cata-
ract plunged, yelling itself In an opac-
fly of mist, tinted with all the spec
trail hues by the rays Of the westering
sun.
Why. that position was impreg-
nablel Behind 1t the sheer precipice,
up which not even bird could walk !;
the impossible lake before 1t, and the
torrent on either side
But-how had M. Charles Duchaine
gained entrance theref
There seemed to be no entrance.
And yet the chateau stood before my