The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-11-06

earth into this last refuge. Before II
had grown quite dark l had barrlcaded
JacquelIne and myself within place
the size OF hall bedroom inclosed
upon three sides with rock.
And there waited for the end.
l sat beside Jacqueline. holding her
hand with one OF mine, and my re-
volver in the other. There was faint
llutter at her wrist. / fnncied that It
had grown stronger during the past
half hour.
But i wns unprepared to hear her
whisper TO me. and when she spoke |
was alert In moment.
"Paulw she said family.
"Jacquelinew
"Paul Bend down. want TO
speak to you. Do you know I have
been conscious for long time, my
dear? have been thinking. Are you
distressed because of me?"
my deari' l said; and that was all
that l could say. clasped her cold
little hand tightly In mine.
"You must leave me, Paul. because
must go TO Leroux and tell him so.
You love me, Paul?"
always, Jacquellne," | whispered
She put her arms about my neck.
81 love you, Paul" she said. at
seems so easy TO say II In the dark,
and IL used 10 he so hard. Do you
know what / admired and loved you
for, even when you thought my mind
unstable and empty? How true you
were II was that, dear. 1t was your
honor, Paul.
"'rhat was why, when remembered
everything that dreadful night In the
snow, the revulsIon was so terrible.
ran away in horror. could not believe
that 1t was true--and yet l knew II
was true.
"And Leroux wns waiting there and
found me. | did not want to leave
you, but he told me there was Pere
Antoine's cabin close by, and that you
would come to no harm. And he made
me belleve-you had stolen my money
ms well. But j never believed that.
and only taunted you with It to drive
you away for your own sake"
She drew me weakly toward her and
went on:
"Now that we are TO part forever.
and perhaps l am to die, l can speak
to you from my heart and tell you,
dear. Kiss meas though l were your
wife, Paul.
$50 you will go to Leroux," she
added presently.
as that your will. JacquelineT
"Yes, dear" she said. Because we
have fought, and now we are beaten.
Paul"
/ bowed my head. knew that she
spoke the truth. l knew at last that
| was vanquished. For, now that
Jacqueline lay there so weak, so help
less, and thinking all our past was
but dream, there was nothing hut TO
yield, ! could not fight any more.
SO left her and climbed cross the
bags and went down toward the
stream.
But before / had reached Il dark
figure slipped from among the shad-
ows OF the rocks and came toward
me; and by the faint starlight saw
the face of Pierre Cariboui
He stopped me and held me by both
shoulders. and he drew me into the
recesses of the rocks and bent his
wizened old face forward toward mine.
"Ah. monsieur. so you did not obey
old Pierre. Caribou and stay in the
cave" he said.
pierre, / did not know that you
would return" answered.
"Never mind" the Indian answered
looking at me strangely. "All finish
now. Diable take Leroux. His time
come. Diable show mew
"HowT" / answered, startled.
"All finish," said Pierre lneXorably
and, as / watched him n superstitlous
fear crept over me. He, who had
cringed, even when he gave the com
mand, now cringed no longer, and
there was q look In his old face that
l had only seen on one mans before
on my fathers the night he died.
"Pierre, where is Leroux?" l whis
pered. "Shall l surrender 10 him OF
shall fight?"
"No natter" he said once again
"M'sieur. suppose you 60 back "a
ma'm'selle. and soon Simon come. His
diable lead him TO you. His diable tell
you what TO say. All finish noww
He walked past me nolselessly, a
| tenuous shadow. and his herring was
as proud as that of his race had been
In the long ago, when they were lords
where now their white masters ruled.
| (ro BE CoNTINUED.l