Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-02-17


iage Charley rescued a man and hIG
frightened horse from death. The man
proved to be John Brown, now BECOME
quack doctor and advertising his
nQstrums by singing comic songs
Charley, hiding Behind some trees,
I'hefad him telling the story of his old
friend Champagne Charley" All day.
he had been fighting a fierce battle
with a raging thirst and questioning
himself about Rosalle. Could he mar
~ while his wife was still livlng7
Should he tell her all and let the law
separate him from Kathleen? But
Rosalie was Catholic and the
Church opposed divorce.
Just then a bottle Of whisky fell
from the pocket Of a drunken "habi-
liant" at his very feet. With an I'M
comfortable impulse he seized it and
Grained it, 10 Portugais followed him
as he staggered home and Charley in
bis delirum recognized him as the
murderer he had pleaded for. He
took 10 by the throat, then fell to
the floor For five days 10 struggled
to save his life and then carried him
back to Vadrome Mountain. Rosalle
came to warn him that he was sus-
pected Of stealing the gold vessels from
the Cathedral in Quebec and trying to
blow up Government House. She had
hardly finished Speaking when the
cure, the selgneur and the Able ROs-
signol entered with two cOnstables.
The able charged Charley with the
theft, which he stOutly denied. 10
called the able aside and confessed
his crime in order to save his friend,
promising to give himself up at the
endyO year. Meantime Charley took
a vial of laudanum from his pocket,
/ but as he was about TO uncOrk it, Rosa
lie sprang from behind curtain cry
ing, IF you go, go also" Footsteps
We're heard and he promised not to
take the poison. The able came to
announce that he believed Charley's
denial. His great temptation still re-
manned but he found help in ROsalIe's
eyes. 1t was the first. time he had
yielded to a power outside himself.
The cure was planning to give the
Passion Play at the Indian Reserva-
ton of -Four Mountains at Easter and
j asked Charley to translate the Ger
man text and TO make some drawings
for the costumes. He did so, About
this time Resale took her crippled
father to the hospital at Montreal and
was gone some months, which were
months of misery for Charley. What
could he do? He felt that it'had been
dastardly of him to win her love, when
he could give her only the empty hand,
the hopeless hour, the secret sorrow
in return. He fought his old enemy
with desperate resolve.
The week before Easter he went to
Montreal with JOS dogs and sled. In
the dead of night he entered the white
house on the hill where Kathleen was
living, made his way to a secret cup
board and removed two packets; one
contained his mothers pearls worth
ten thousand dollars and the other a
thousand dollars in notes. AS he turned
after restoring the panel Kathleen
stOod before him in her nightgown.
She was asleep. Charley followed her
as she walked out of the house, across
the lawn towards the river where the
gate was open. Her life was in his
hands. For a moment he hesitated:
then ROiselesSly stole between her and
the gate, closed and locked it. Her
husband, not fifty feet away, called to
him.
Hush She's asleep" Charley whis-
pered and disappeared, unrecognized.
ROsalie's father died soon after this
and she was i'll for weeks. The Pas
sion Play brought unwelc0me crowds
to ChaAdIere; the last three days
strangers were prohibited. At the
final performance ROsalie chose to
take the part Of Marie Magdalen. ut
was an act OF expiation. After the
play ended she received absolutiOn.)
Far away under the trees sat man
in misery unreasonable 1t was
Charley. That night he wrote for a
long time; then put the paper with |
the pearls and the money in the safe |
That same night John Brown lay !
drunk in the church. He lighted
match and threw 1t on a surpllce. Soon
cries Of Fire" were heard. Charley |
and 10 saved the sacred treasures. |
RosaIie went back for the little cross |
and Charley dashed in and rescued
her.
BY his elOquence the people We're in
duced to give one fOrtieth of their
possessions fer a new edifce.A The
money collected was placed in his
charge and locked in his safe under
the parish seal. While he and 10
were keeping guard over it. Billy
Vantage, John Brown and three ether
rOgues having learned where the
money was, entered the tailOr's house
to steal it. Billy shot Charley, 10
killed John Brown, two of the other
men fired at 10 and killed him. The
seal was found intact Rosalie helped
bind up Charley's wound and the cure
was preparing to give him the sacra-
ment. Suddenly the bandage slipped
Or did he DurOospIy let II Slin2-and