Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-08
CHAPTER XIV
ALL that night the storm came I

ALL that night the storm came ou
- OF the north and east. Hour
after Jeanne ana her father had Iok|
him Philip went quietly from hi
room, passed down the hall, and opor||
ed the outer door. He could hear th@
gale whistling over the top Of thu
great rock, and moaning in the spruo1
and cedar forest, and he closed tho
door after him, and buried himself n
the darkness and wind. He bowed
his Head to the stinging snow, which
came like blasts Of steeled shot, and
hurried into the shelter Of the Sun
Rock, and stood there after that NetI
ening to the wildness of the storm and
the strange whistling Of the wind cut
ting itself to pieces far over his headI
Since man had first beheld that -roGl1
such storms as this had come anQ
gone for countless generations. Twd
hundred years and more had pasnn0
since Grosellier first looked out UpO|
wonderous world from its summitM
And yet this storm-tonight-wh
Ting and moaning about him, filing all
space with its grief, its triumph, and
its madness. seemed to be for him
and for him alone. His heart auI
swered to 1t. HIS soul trembled q
the marvellous meaning Of Il. Tonigh0
IL.
part Of a world which he would nevel
leave. Here, beside the great Sun
Rock of the Crees, he had found home
life, happiness, his God. Here, henooX
forth through all time, he would live
with his beloved Jeanne, dreaming nD
dreams that went beyond the peaciX
OF the mountains and the forests. nd
lifted his face to where the storm
swept above him, and for an instan1
he fancied that high UP on the ragged
edge of the rock there might hav<
stood Pierre, with his great, gaping
hungry heart. filled with pain and
yearning, staring off into the face %
the Almighty. And he fancied, too
that beside him there lowered the wtf>
and mother. And then he looked n
Fort o. God. The lights were out
Quiet, II not sleep, had fallen upol,
all life within. And 1t seemed N
Philip, as he went back again through
the storm, that III the moaning tumu1t
of the night there was music instead
OF sadness.
He did not sleep until nearly morn
ing. And when he awoke he found
that the storm had passed, and tina
over q world of spotless white there
had risen a brilliant sun.
Trembling with the joy of this
door down the hall, and where thu
light of the sun blazed through
window near to the great room where
he expected to find the master OF
Fort o. God, there stood Jeanne. And
as she heard him coming, and turned
toward him, all the glory and beauty
Of the wondrous day was in her fac(
and hair. Like an angel she stood
waiting for him, pale and yet flushing
little, her eyes shining and yearnin1
for him, her soul in the tremble Of
the single word on her sweet lips.
phillip" t}
Jeanne"
No more-and yet against each
other their hearts told what it wal
futile for their lips to attempt. They
looked out through the window. BqN
yond that window, as far as the visiof|
could reach. swept the barrens, ovoi
which Pierre had brought the littl4
Jeanne. Something sobbing rose ii
the girls throat. She lifted her eyes|
swimming with love and tears, I'd
hilip, and from the breast she reached
up both hands gently to his face.
"They will bring Pierre-today-J
she whispered.
"Yes-today"
I'VE will bury him out yonder," snd
said, stroking his face. and he knew
that she meant out in the barrenII
where the mother lay.
He bowed his face close down
against hers to hide the woman'd
weakness that was bringing a misty
film into his eyes.
"You love me-" she whispered. "You
love me-love me-and you will neve1 |
take me away, but will stay with md |
always. You will stay here-dear-ljX
in my beautiful world-we two-ta
alone"
"For ever and for ever" he murl
INJURED.
They heard a step. firm and vibramv
with the strength of a new life, and
they knew that it was the master Of
Fort o. God.
"Always-we two--forever," whls7
pered Philip again.
THE END.