American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1920-04-17

''r'St III ner Sne nuteu MIN. she nAu
never thought of him as a lover, and
hardly as man; he was part Of st.
Boniface. of the hateful life that en-
coinpassed her, clutched at her and
would not let her go free. She came
to invest Baptiste with the qualities Of
all that she loathed.
Pierre scraped acquaintance with
her. lie had the intuition OF the base
man who must perforce win his vic
tins by guile. lie listened to her cons
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
known. He sent Nanette to see Marie,
choosing the time when Dupont was
away.
Nanette was not bad; like most Of
her kind she was below normal men,
tality. When her lover, who had
brought her to Ste. Marie. abandoned
her, she worked In large and cheap
iumbermen's summer clearinghouse.
Pierre promised her that the man
would return to her II she obeyed him.
She met Marie upon the beach. and
insinuated herself into her confidence
At last she took her to Simeon's dance
hall.
The lights. the dancing and the
music were revelation TO her. On
the first night she cried from happi-
ness. Wholly ignorant OF life, her In
nocence protected her and sealed her
consciousness. And Simeon's place
was better In the early summer
Of that year than afterward, and some
OF the lumbermen would bring their
sweethearts there.
The girls innocence found an ally
In the lumbermcn, who protected her,
and she was. In fact, as safe there as
in her home. Pierre was angry at
first. but afterward he was glad, for
he saw her dancing In Simeon's place
and began to conceive an infatuation
for her He renewed his advances,
telling her of Quebec, of the free life
Of the world beyond. When her mag
nation was enkindled and her cheeks
flushed and her eyes sparkled at the
picture, he asked her to accompany
Nanette with him on board his vessel,
come to Quebec, and marry him.
That was three days before. and II
was of this that the girl was think
ing as her father walked back toward
the cottage after his meeting with
Hilary. On the same day Dupont,
running small load along the shore,
had learned the gossip about his
daughter from a Cabling woman al
Ste. Therese. twenty-five miles away
so far the news had travelled. She
had gone to Ste. Marie In his absence
to dance with Hilary, who assuredly
had wife In his own country; II he
had not, he was not likely to seek one
among the habltants.
The story burned into the captains
brain. II was the solvent Of his sun
ity. the swapping Of the only bond thai
had linked him to the common life
For Marie's sake he had hidden his
heart this score Of years. and silenced
those impetuous voices calling to him
J to leave all and go out into the world
and seek the sign which was to be
found branded upon some strangers
| forehead.
| lie stood mt the cottage door, look.
ing at his daughter, who had risen
and faced him. Jean Baptiste re.
manned outside.
| II sail for Quebec tonight" said
! Dupont. "Jean waits two days to
complete his cargo"
/! She nodded; her thoughts were far
away. But II came across her mind
with momentary compassion, that she
would never see her father again.
"Perhaps shall not see thee again, y
said Dupont somberly; and the words,
echolng her own thoughts. frightened
her. She shrank away, and Dupont
put out his hands and grasped her by
the wrists. "The name I" he said.
She shook her head; she never spoke
when he made this demand.
"The name! have been very pa
tient with thee. Now thy reason for
Withholding 1t is gone. The name"
"What do you meant" she STAN
mered.
The name" he raved; and for the
first time since her childhood he