The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-04-17


many words, had been more sullen and
morose than ever of late.
During the past week Marie had
been terrified at the way her father
| looked at her. He had never meant
| very much to her and now, when he
| was about to pass out of her life, she
felt no regret.
Her mind went travelling back to her
earliest memory. She was on the sea-
shore with her mother, watching for
the return of the fishing fleet, and her
| fathers boat, and ON the shingle lay
the sailing boat of young student
from Quebec whom she had seen often
at their cottage during her fathers
absence. The young man was laugh
ingly inviting her mother to go for
sail. At last the girl consented.
The sail was a very long one. Little
Marie, who had fallen asleep, was
awakened by the sound of her moth
er's screaming and the young students
laughing protestationS that it was too
late in the day to return now. She
did not understand all that was said,
and her next memory was OF squalid
lodging in Quebec, and her mothers
tear-stained face, and sense of I'M
happiness.
Then she was back in the cottage,
standing beside the bed on which her
dying mother lay, and the sick woman,
gripping her hand fast in her burning
ones. was repeating a name over and
over. "Say it again, child! she was
whispering.
She reiterated this demand over and
over again.
"Say ]" she muttered. "Say it, and
never forget. And carry it with thee
through life, saying it in moments of
temptation, that thou mayest remem-
Der thy mother and understand. Now
swear by the Virgin to say it morning
and night, and never forget"
The frightened girl had sworn,
catching the words from her mothers
lips. She had said the name morn and
night until it had become engraved
upon her memory forever. But it was
long before she understood its mean
ing.
Then she remembered her father
shaking her by the arms. 'The name
thy mother told thee-speak it, Ma
rie!"
mo" answered the little girl OBJ
stinately.
He threatened her, but the child Of
five years pressed her lips together
and would not utter word.
Listen, Marie! If you tell me thou
shalt have everything in the world. A
new dress, and thou shalt sail with me
upon my ship, and will buy thee the
big doll that opens and shuts her eyes.
The name, Marie!"
Marie remained perfectly silent.
And for years size resisted her fathers
threats and promises and pleadings,
not understanding that it was mental
inhibition which she could not break.
The sight Of her dying mother had
inflicted q wound In the child's soul
that never healed. And every week at
first, every month later, the scene with
her father was renewed.
She never pretended to have forgot
ten, as she might well have done. AS
she grew older her fathers outbursts
became less frequent. But the insane
rage which agitated him grew rather
than lessened as the years went by.
Sixteen had passed; she was now
twenty-one, and she looked back on
childhood that had been torture.
Her estrahgement from her father
was as complete as from the village
life. At first the scandal had been
against her, and later her aloofness
had set the tongues of the st. Boniface
women to wagging. Like mother, like
daughter''-so runs the hard proverb
in every country. Marie Dupont grew
up friendless and utterly alone. The
girl had never had a friend, nor had
she ever even had a sweetheart until
six months before.
Pierre, in the course of his peregri-
nations along the coast. at that time
as assistant on a smuggling craft, had
come to know the solitary figure that
paced the beach. In those days the
girls heart, cut Off from natural COM
munication with the young people OF
st. Boniface, had turned, with the
vague yearning of youth, to dreams OF
the world outside. The repressed
spirit seeks its adventures in devious
ways; If not In action, then in magma
ton. Marie Dupont longed for release
from her imprisonment, and dreamed
of the prince who was some day to
come and take her away.
When Baptiste began to show an In
terest in her she hated him. She had
never thought Of him as lover. and
hardly as man; he was part of st.
Boniface, of the hateful life that en-
comprised her. clutched at her and
would not let her 60 free. She came
to invest Baptiste with the qualities of
all that she loathed.
Pierre scraped acquaintance with
her. He had the intuition of the base
man who must perforce win his vic
tins by guile. He listened to her con-
fidences, shyly given to one who. by
his wandering life and through the
tales that he told, seemed the exact
opposite of all those whom she had
rpo,rr No cont Nopofto to see Marie