Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-31
CHAPTER XIX

ITO BE alone, even after the painful
L parting with Pierre, was in one
way a relief to Philip. for with the
disappearance of the lonely half.breed
over the mountain there had gone
from him the last physical association
that bound him to Jeanne and her
people. With Pierre at his side,
Jeanne was still with him; but now
. that Pierre was gone there came a
change in him--one of those unac.
countable transmutations of the mind
which make the passing Of yester.
days more like a short dream than
a long and full reality. lie walked
slowly over the plain, and when he
came TO the trail beaten by the hoOfs
of his own teams he followed ii me.
chanically. In his measurement OF
things now, it seemed only a few
hours since he had travelled over this
trail on his way TO Fort Churchill; it
might have been that morning, or the
morning before. The weeks Of his ab.
sence had passed with marvellous
swiftness, now that he looked back
upon them. They seemed short and
trivial. And yet he knew that in
those weeks he had lived more of his
life than he had ever lived before, or
would over live again.
For brief spell life had been filled
with joy and hope-a promise Of hap
piness which "A single moment in the
shadow of the sun Rock had destroyed
forever. He had seen Jeanne in an,
other mans arms; he had read the
confirmation Of his fears in Pierre's
grief-distorted face, in tho strange
tremble Of his voice in the words
that he had spoken. lie was sorry for
Pierre. He would have been glad IL
that other man had been the lovable
half.breed; II Jeanne, in the poetry of
life and love, had given herself to
the one who had saved the spark of
life in her chilled little body years
and years ago. And yet in his own
grief he unconsciously rejoiced that
It was a man like Pierre who suffered
with him.
This thought of Pierre strengthened
him, and he walked faster, and
breathed more deeply of the clear
night air. He had lost in tho fight for
Jeanne as he had lost in many other
fights; but, after all, there was another
and bigger fight ahead Of him, which
he would begin tomorrow. Thought-
of his men, of his camps, and Of this
struggle through which he must pass
10 achieve success raised him above
his depression, and stirred his blood
with a growing eXhilaration. And
Jeanne was she hopelcsSly lost 10
him? He dared 70 ask himself the
question half an hour after he had
separated from Pierre, and his mind
few back TO the portrait.room whore
he had told Jeanne Of his love, and
where for a moment no had seen I'm
her eyes and face the sweet surrender
that had given him a glimpse OF his
paradise. But what did tho sudden
change mean? And after that-the
scene IN tho starlight?
A quickening Of his pulse was the
answer W llltSo IutSAADllss JEANNE
had told him there were only two
men at Fort o. God, Pierre and her I
father. Then who could he this third?
He shivered, and began loading his /
pipe as he walked. He was certain
that the master OF Fort o. God did not |
know OF the tryst beyond the rock, /
and he was equally certain that the .
girl was unaware of Pierre's kuowl- .
edge of the meeting. Pierre had re-
mained hidden, like himself, and he
had given Philip TO understand that
It was not the first time he had
looked upon the meetings OF Jeanne
and the man they had seen from the
shadow of the rock. And yet, in spite
OF all evidence, he could not lose faith
in Jeanne.
suddenly he saw something ahead OF
z