The Crittenden press., 1920-02-13


ones. was repeating name over and
over. "Say 1t again, child" she was
whispering.
She reiterated this demand over and
over again.
Say &" she muttercd "Say II, and
never forget. And carry 1t with thee
through life, saying II In moments Of
temptation, that thou muyest remem-
her 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 II had become engraved
upon her memory forever. But II was
long before she understood its mean
Ing.
Then she remembered her father
shaking her by the arms "'rhe name
thy mother told thee-speak It. Ma
rle."
NO answered the little girl OBJ
stlnntely.
lie threatened her, but the child Of
five years pressed her lips together
and would not utter word.
Listen, Marie! II 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 she resisted her fathers
threats and promises and plendlngs,
not understanding that II was n mental
Inhibition which she could not break.
The sight Of her dying mother had
inflicted n wound In the chlld's soul
that never healed. And every week at
first. every north later, the scene with
her father was renewed.
She never pretended to have forgot
ten, ms she might well have done. As
she grew older her fathers outhursts
became less frequent But the insane
rage which ngitatcd him grew rather
than lcsscncd as the years went by.
Sixteen had passed; she was now
twenty-onc. and she looked back on a
childhood that had been torture.
Her estrangement from her father
was as complete ms from the village
life At first the scandal had been
against her, and later her aloofncss
had set the tongues Of the ST. Bonifncc
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 friend nor had
she ever even had sweetheart until
six months before.
Pierre, IN the course Of his peregri-
nations along the coast. at that time
as assistant on smuggling craft, had
come 10 know the solitary figure that
paced the beach. In those days the
girls heart. cut OF from natural COM
munlcatlon with the young people Of
st. Boniface. had turned, with the
vague yearning Of youth. to dreams of
the world outside. The repreSscd
spirit seeks It's adventures In devious
ways; II not In action then In lmaglna-
tion. Marie Dupont longcd for release
from her imprisonment. and dreamed
of the prince who was some day to
come and take her away.
When BaptiStc began 10 show nm in
tcrcst in her she hated him. She had
never thought Of him us n lover and
hardly MS II man; he was part of st.
Bonracc, Of the hateful life that en-.
compnsscd her. clutched at her aud
would not let her go free. She came
to Invest BNptis,e with the qualities Of
all that she lonthed,
Pierre scrapcd acquaintance with
her, lie had the intuition of the base
man who must perforce win his VIE
Tins by guile. lie listened to her con-
iidenccs. shyly given tn one who, by
his wandering life and through the
tales that he told, seemed the exact
opposite Of nll those whom she had
known. He sent Nane,te To see Marie,
choosing the time when Dupont was
away.
Nnncttc was not bad; like most OF
her kind she was below normal men.
tallty. When her lover. who hnd
brought her to Ste. Marie, abandoned
her, she worked In lurge and cheap
lumhcrmcn's summer hoardinghouSe.
Pierre promised her that the man
would return to her II she oheycd him.
She met Marie upon the beach. aud
inSlnuated herself into her confidence.
Al last she TOOK her to Simcons dance
hall.
The lights. the dancing and the
music We're n revelation IN her. On
the first night she cried from hnppI.
ness Wholly Ignorant of life, her In.
noccncc protected her aud sealed her
was better In the early summer
u that year than aftcrward, and some
of the lumhermen would bring their
SwcethenrtS there.
The girls innocence found nm ally
In the lunhcrmcn, who protected her.
and she was, In fact, MS safe there ns
In her home. Pierre WIS nngry at
first, hut nftcrward he was glad, Cor
he saw her dancing In Slmcon's place
and began to conceive an lnfntuntlon
for her lie renewed his advances.
telling her of Quebec, of the free life
NJ ,hc world beyond. When her mOL.
nation was cnklndlcd and her cheeks
flushed aud her eyes spurklcd at the
picture. he asked her to accompany
Nnncttc with him on hoard his vessel.
come 10 Quebec, and marry him.
That was three days before. aud II
was of this that the girl wns think.