Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-08-08
Jacqueline Of Golden River
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| 1 sat beside Jacqueline, holding her
hand with one of mine, and my re-
volver in the other. There was faint
| flutter at her wrist. I fancied that 1t
had grown stronger during the past
| half hour.
But l was unprepared to hear her
| whisper to me, and when she spoke
was alert in a moment
"Paul!" she said family.
"Jacqueline
"Paul! Bend down. I want to
speak to you. Do you know 1 have
been conscious for long time, my
dear? I have been thinking. Are you
distressed because of me?"
"My dear!" / said; and that was all
that I could say. 1 clasped her cold
little hand tightly in mine.
"You must leave me, Paul, because
because Of what is between US. You
must go to Leroux and tell him so.
You love me, Paul?"
always, Jacqueline," I whispered
She put her arms about my neck.
81 love you, Paul." she said. 'It
seems so easy to say 1t in the dark,
and it used to be SO hard. Do you
know what admired and loved you
for, even when you thought my mind
unstable and empty? How true you
were! 1t was that, dear. 1t was your
honor, Paul.
"That was why, when remembered
everything that dreadful night in the
snow, the revulsion was so terrible. l
ran away in horror. could not believe
: that it was true-and yet I knew it
was true.
"And Leroux was waiting there and
found me. I 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 believe-you had stolen my money
as well. But I 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:
snow that we are to part forever
and perhaps I am to die, I can speak
to you from my heart and tell you
dear. Kiss meas though were youa
wife, Paul.
$50 you will go to Leroux," she
added presently.
as that your will, Jacqueline"
Eyes, DEAR" she said. Because we
have fought, and now we are beaten
Paul"
I bowed my head. I knew that she
| yn hn fr1Jfh or To- ost hQi
was vanquished. For, now thai
Jacqueline lay there so weak, so help
less, and thinking all our past was
but a dream, there was nothing but tt
yield. could not fight any more.
So left her and climbed cross thu
bags and went down toward thu
stream.
But before I had reached 1t darl
figure slipped from among the shad
ows Of the rocks and came towart
me; and by the faint starlight 1 sav
the face of Pierre Cariboul
He stopped me and held me by botl
shoulders. and he drew me into tn
recesses of the rocks and bent hi
wizened old face forward toward mine
4 ~
old Pierre Caribou and stay, in tn
cave" he said.
/. "Pierre, did not know that yo
would return answered.
"Never mind" the Indian answered
> looking at me strangely. "All f1nis
now. Diable take Leroux. His tim
e come. Diable show mel"
q "How?" 1 answered, startled.
"All finish,'' said Pierre inexorably
Il and, as / watched him superstition
" fear crept over me. He, who ha
cringed, even when he gave the con
n mand, now cringed no longer, an
e there was a look in his old face tina
had only seen on one mans before
a on my fathers the night he died.
d, "Pierre, where is Leroux?" I whi'
re pered. "Shall I surrender to him G
Il shall I fight?"
j. mo matter" he said once agail
"M'sieur, suppose you go back
@ ma'mselLe, and soon Simon come. hi
i'd diable lead him to you. His diable te
IF you what to say. All finish now!"
it He walked past me noiselessly,
ID tenuous shadow, and his bearing We
ce as proud as that of his race had bee
I'd in the long ago, when they were lore
where now their white masters rule
(TO BE CONTINUED)