The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-07-24

| expect TO gain several hours during
the four days journey, for I know
| the Claire we'll, and she cannot keep
pace with my Sainte-Vierge You
must bring your lady aboard the
| Sa1nte-Vierge by nine tonight
I shall telegraph to my friend Dan
ton at st. BOniface to have a sleigh
and dogs at your disposal when YOU
arrive, and a tent, food and sleeping
bags" continued Captain Dubois, "for
1t must be a hundred and fifty miles
from ST BOniface to the Chateau Du-
| chaine. And so, with half q DAVIS
start. you will have nothing to fear
from LerOux-only remember that he
has no scruples. Still 1 do not think
he will catch you and Mile Jacqueline
before you reach Chateau Duchaine,"
he ended, chuckling at his sagacity.
"Ah, we'll, monsieur, who else could
your lady beg" he asked, smiling at nv
surprise. 81 knew well that some day
she must leave those wilds. Besides.
did 1 not convey her here from st.
Boniface on my return, less than a
week ago. when she pleaded for Sc
crecy? 1 suspected something agitat-
ed her then So it was TO find a hus-
band that she departed thuS?''
So Jacqueline had left her home not
more than a week beforei And the
captain had no suspicion that she was
married then! Yet Pere Antoine
claimed to have performed the cere-
mony.
To whom? And where was the man
who should hovo CT n
and shielded her against LerOux?
I made Dubois understand, not with
out difficulty, that we were still nm
married. His face fell when he re-
allied that was in earnest, but after
a little he made the best of the stu
alton, though it was evident that some
of the glamour was scratched from
the romance, in his opinion
By now we had arrived at the wharf.
Wedged in among the foes lay the
Claire and the Sainte-Vierge respec-
lively. The latter vessel lay upon our
right as we approached the end of the
wharf
There was small cabin for Jacque-
line and another for myself adjoining.
l was very well satisfied and inquired
the terms
''Diab1e! If it were not for the chill
dren there should be no terms y" ex-
claimed the captain. But it is hard,
monsieur, with prices rising and the
hungry mouths always open, like little
birds"
He was overjoyed at the sight of
the fifty dollars which rendered him. |
by the way" said, do you know
a priest named Pere AntofneP'
IAN old man? A strong old man? |
Why, assuredly, monsieur" answered |
the captain. Everybody knows him. |
He has the parish of the Riyiere dor |
district, and the largest in Quebec A |
saint, mOnsieurI You will do we'll to /
make his acquaintance"
The captain parted from me on the !
wharf on his way to the telegraph
office, repeating his instructions to the
effect that we were to be aboard the
boat by nine
1t had grown dark long before and
looking at my watch, was surprised
to see that it was already past six
o'clock. 1 had no time to lose in re-
turning to the Chateau.
But though 1 could see it outlined
upon the cliff soon found myself lost
among the maze of narrow streets in
which 1 was wandering. A man was
coming up the street behind me, and
[ turned to question him, but as 1 de-
my pace he diminished his
also, and when I quickened mine he
went faster as well. began to have
an uneasy sense that he might be fol-
lowing me, and accordingly FASTENED
onward until I came to a road which
seemed to lead up the hill toward the