Evening star., 1924-11-30

| And here the factor found her, casual
| ly, as water finds its level, and they
| talked bit in low tones. They met at
the well in another twilight, and once
again they stood togther In the great
gate and looked away into the dark
forest.
Its lonely trail for woman" said
John Cameron. but Francine smiled.
"It is open as the day to me, and
full of beauty. Msieu," she said. "The
woods are home, night and the stars
| its ornaments"
You speak with a golden tongue"
said Cameron helplessly. 1T snares
one. You are natures own-and
| true" 1t was on the point Of the
girls tongue to answer, True as the
day-to you!" but a new restraint
held back the words
So the miracle wrought itself there
In the idle Summer. and the Scots
heart went down to defeat In
another dusk near the end Of Fran
Cine's stay he caught her hands In
his and told her all the ancient tale
Francine's head went round and
round with glory. and she made the
sign of the cross, looslng one hand
| for the devout gesture.
Mary, Mother" she whispered. Il
| ask no more Of heaven"
!. = = y
THE factor was all for a hasty we'd
l. ding, but F'rancine would not have
1t so.
Every day apart from you. mon
! amour" she told him, will be eterni-
| ty itself, filled with impatience, but
] must have one more Winter at the
trapping that I may not leave my
family in debt"
Francine Gitou, swinging through
| the forest on her homeward way, trod
not It's smooth floor, but Elysian
Fields os asphodel. Wonder OF won
ders! She was beloved by a man and
loved him! No, adored him. Her
arrogance was gone. and she was
very humble in her great joy
She set about her preparations for
| the coming seasons work with keen
delight. With early SHOWS she would
go again to Fort La Croix for more
provisions. and her heart leaped at
the thought. Then-Winters work
and Spring!
4 fortnight passed swiftly, and at
| its end salteur runner came to Bis
| sarge Flat bearing d letter. The
young factor though canny and slow
to fire. was a fervent lover. once he
had caritulated. SO Francine read
| her first love letter by the candles
| light, and labored late in the night to
frame its answer, which she would
send back by the Indian in the morn
| ing.
The populace of Fort La Croix thin
ned in a week with the coming of
SHOWS Trappers kissed their wives
and drove their sledge-dogs out of
the great gate at a run. The post
became a place of women and old
men and children.
'HaverS!" said young Jamie. II
| Gamma abide the lonesomeness. John,
Why will ye not let me gang ma
ain gait? There's money in yon desk
why will ye not gle 1t me apd let
me go?"
The factor, at work on his accounts
| behind the railing, looked at him
calmly. Because 1t is not my money
but that Of the company, and because
I'm always hoping that you'll see the
| folly of wildness and settle down to
honest work as a man should" But
| the boy frowned and a cunning look
came over his features.
The far North woods in Winter
dull and slow and silent. when there
were the lights and thoroughfares Of
Quebec to be had for the taking at
the end Of a journey--a cold, danger
GUS. long, long journey, to be sure.
| by dog team and snowshoe-but
what was that when excitement
called? And jacques Picquard was
| leaving at daybreak with his team
Late in the following day five dogs
| whirled a light sledge up the main
! way of Fort La Croix and Francine
Gitou sprang from her fur robes.
steps to greet her and she opened
the big door. laughing. John Cam
| eron sat behind his railing with his
head upon his hand
Beloved" cried the girl. Atsthat
voice the man sprang up and folded
her in his arms. He kissed her lips
! and her long black lashes and mur-
INJURED a dozen words in the Gaelic,
each one of which meant darling"
You are sad. john. said Frsncine.
sharply. What has befallen?"
THE lad" said the factor frankly.
"he ran away this morning. bound
for Quebec and all its pitfalls. with
Jacques Picquard. the most dissolute
ruffian this side the Pays den Haut!"
VOLTA! That's bad hearing. And
he so young. Can you not go after
him. M'siu?"
"Of what use would it be? He
would only hate me for interfering.
and do it over when opportunity pre-
sented.
For the sake of his dead mother"
meath the stern exterior of this man
there were unexpected depths OF ten
derness. Francine kissed him again
and went to the cabin of Nina
Souvier.
The three days Of Francine's visit
were a time of close communion with
the man she so ardently loved. John
Cameron was mourning the loss of
his brother.
X = X y:
THE girl made her Winters debt
l. at the factory, not forgetting the
cloth which she had promised to
Lorene and on the evening Of the
last day was ready to depart at dawn.
Her sledge stood loaded at Nina's
door. her fast dogs were sheltered.
waiting the mornings start. She
had whispered her last promise in
John Cameron's ear and was eager to
be gone that the Winter might be
begun and lived through to the
f