The Arvada enterprise., 1923-11-29
CHAPTER xi-contInued.

q. stood up near her feet at the
...,e, of the hearth, tucked the in
srument under his chin and played.
ms the "Aubade Provencale," and
:. Mayed 1t creditably, with fair skill
.,d with some of the wizardry that
n, nervous vitality gave to every
thins he did. At the first note Joan
s,rted, her pupils enlarged. she lay
I'm, At the end he saw that she was
sutvering and In tears.
IA knelt down beside her. drew the
lands from her face. "Why, Joan,
,h,t,y the matteri Don't you like
upsicr
loan drew q shaken breath. "It's
~ II II shook me In here, something
rsmbles In my heart" she said. II
.sysr heered music before, Jest whis-
tin'.s And again she wept.
Prosper stayed there on his knee be-
~ her, his chin in his hand. What
n extraordinary being this was, what
4 magnificent wilderness. The thought
4 exploration. Of discovery, Of cult
utioo, filed him with excitement and
dslisht. Such opportunities are rare
h Oven to a man. Even that other
nat beautiful adventure-yes, he
eould think this already might have
bssn tame beside this one. He looked
loas At Joan, long Into the nre, and
~ lay STILL with the brooding beau
b oS that nrst-heard melody upon
~ faca.
4 vas the first music she had ever
hsard except whistlin'." but there
~ been q great deal Of "whistlin'"
sIest the cabin up Lone river; whls-
ing Of robins in spring-nothing
Dvsster-the chordlike whistlings Of
0avah and vireo after sunset. that
bsbbling marguerite" with which
II blackbirds WOO. and the light d.
aausndo with which the bluebird ca
nssed the air after an April flight.
F3haps Joan's musical faculty was
~ unframed than any other. After
d, that "Aubade Provencale" was just
ths melodious story Of the woods in
VFins. Every note linked itself to an
emotional. subconscious memory. 1t
Med Joan's heart with the freshness
Il childhood and pained her only be-
easSe It struck spear Of delight into
~ pain. She was eighteen, she had
Cewn like tree, drinking In sunshine
"a storm, but rooted to q solitude
vAere very little else but sense-experi-
GO could reach her mind. She had
ssen tragedies Of animal life, lonely
dsath-struggles, horrible flights and
nere horrible captures, she had seen
Nyous wooIngs love-pinings. partings,
~ bereavements. She knew that the
IN shone on the evil and on the good.
~ she knew also that frost fell upon
- good US well as upon the evil. nor
N the evil to be readily distinguished.
h9 father prated Of only one offense,
~ mothers sin. Joan knew that It
~ mans right to kill his woman
~ "dealin's with another man." This
~ was human; 1t evidently did not
sosd good with animals. There was
y bitterness, though some ferocity. in
us trnfflc Of their loves.
While she pondered through the first
aeepless nights In this strange shelter
4 hers. and while the blizzard Prosper
mo counted on drove bayoneted bat
unons OF snow across the plains and
'osced them, screaming like madmen.
Along the narrow canyon, Joan came
soWly and fully to q realization Of
ne motive Of Pierre's deed. He had
'een Jealous. He had thought that she
" having dealings with another
nan. She grew hot and shamed. It
n her fathers sin, that branding on
shoulder, or, perhaps, going back
4''her, her mothers sin. Carver had
"sned Plerre-of the hot md smoth-
sed heart-to beware of Jonn's "look-
y an 'ookin' Mt another man." Now,
piteous woman fashion. Jonn went
"ef and over her memories OF PIerre's
wv altering them to ft her terrible
.1psnencc. She was still held by all
10 ms strong mesh Of her short married
nv she had simply not got as far ms
..p sper Gael. She accepted his hospl.
Mlty vaguely. himself even more
.xuely When she would be done
.''n her passionate grief. her labori-
W. ~. eolns-ovcr Of the pnst, her active
.sa tormenting anger with the lover
.nom Prosper Ind told her was dend,
". sn II would be time to study this
""er mnn. Az for her future. she had
pans at all. Joan's life came to
as 1t comes to a child. unsullied
curiosity. At this time Prosper wns
un"e'y the more curious, the more
Sdted Of the two.