Charlevoix county herald., 1920-02-20


deck. and her voice rang out above
the gale and the sea
II give you the name" she cried.
1T Is Edouard BrOusseau. IL Is he,
and | give you my secret which / have
borne all my life. Take it,
She fell back into Baptiste's aims.
And IL seemed as if. with the breaking
of the inhibition. her past life. with
its fears and terrors, was melted into
the life of happiness that was to be.
Dupont had heard her. For a mo-
Inent they could see the tall figure of
the old man. with his wind-tossed hair
and beard. standing as If petrified
upon his blazing deck. Then he cried
out like screaming sea-bird, and his
arms closed about the man at his side.
AS Baptiste turned and tackled it
could be seen that the old man was
holding Brousseau with one arm, as
easily as If he held child, while his
free hand controlled the wheel again.
What reservoir of strength he drew
could never be known. But, as If ma
ture were aiding him, veering gust
caught the sails and with q backward
movement the schooner began to glide
through the entrance of the ice field
into open water.
The fire was all about them. Screams
came from the doomed ship, but they
came from Brousseau, struggling in
Dupont's arms. Not a sound came
from the captains lips.
The vessel gained her freedom, she
turned and began TO drive eastward,
toward the Gulf and its open water.
Faster and faster she went as the wind
compelled her The Mortified watchers
upon the deck of Baptiste's schooner
saw the blazing vessel glide into the
distance, blazing comet, and Dupont,
black against the heart of the fire, and
Brousseau in his arms.
Little was afterward remembered
concerning the rescue. But from that
night legends began to spread along
both shores: OF Baptiste's seamanship,
and of Hilary, who, single-handed,
saved the heiress Of the seignOry from
Brousseau and the two outlaws.
But none of the principals in these
events care overmuch TO dwell upon
them, even in memory. And, though
memories live long in silence, gossip
soon dies. All this is becoming a local
legend, such as mothers tell to their
babies.
But the ST. Boniface mill now huns
from dawn till dark, and the asbestos
mine has brought in its workers and
made st. Boniface quite a flourishing
village in the north country.
Twice a month, when he pays his
pastoral visit, you may see Father
Lucien, still hale and strong, patrolling
Ste Marie with q curious hazel stick,
fashioned with knob at each end;
and 1t is said that Ste. Marie is one of
the best parishes on the north shore.
On Sundays, seated in the parish
church, may be seen Simeon Duval.
nodding his head approvingly as, point
by point, the cure takes up his de-
nunciation of liquor selling. For Fa-
Their Lucien really reached Simeon's
soul with his hazel stick.
Marie has the best house In the viii
lage, for Baptiste does a thriving trade
carrying the st. Boniface lumber.
Here is Clarice, who looks. somehow,
just as one might have expected from
Lafe's descriptions.
"He wouldn't come home" she says
to Hilary, $50 / had to come after him.
But he's coming home next October, to
see his children and the new house"
Bought and paid for" said Lafe.
"Yes, / guess that's correct, Mr.. AS
kew Though I'll be back some day to
see you all. 1t amt so bad, this coun-
try-except for that pink and black
porch Baptiste's put on his house.
Darn him, what did he want to do that |
for2 I tell you how it is: These peo-
pie can't help breaking out somewhere
and somehow; it's in their blood, that's |
what it is"
But in his heart he knows that the |
winter will see him back in st. Boni-
face.
Madeleine smiles, and puts her arm
through Hilary's.