The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-02-05
CHAPTER XIV
The Best Laid Plans

Father McGrath a lnSlSteu tnal
Lee should remain as a guest at the
mission during the two following days,
and he insisted on supplying him with
an outfit of clothing. He asked thelr
plans and Lee told him.
"The best thing in the wurrld," he
said. yell be safe at the house, and
dinna ha' any fear Of those de'Hs
agents at Siston lake, for they'll ken
all ABBOTT the pair O. We long syne, and
they darena interfere WI We the moo.
But dinna prolong your honeymoon too
long, for We must be DOT o. the range
before the heavy snaws begin"
Lee and Father McGrath had d long
talk together that night. Lee told him
the whole story of his encounter with
Joyce in the range, the dynamltlng,
and his pursuit of the band at Siston
lake and rescue of the girl, culninat-
ing with their flight into the forest and
Joyce's loss of memory.
At first the father listened and In
terrupted, and kept giving vent TO ex-
CARNATIONS of amazement and indigna-
ton; but as Lee went on with his
story he fell into silence, putting at his
MIN beside the stove and looking at
Lee intently.
'"Tis amazing ~ he said, when Lee
had ended. II Gamma understand 1t.
For, look you, Anderson, 1t isna as II
this was a country O. savages, whaur
a base man could do what he pleased.
TITS true they sell their feelthy hooch,
but that's deterrent fra kidnapping
women and attempting murder.
There's something at the back o this
that we havena hit upon"
Next morning Lee slept late-so late
that it was the recitations of the school
children across the open space that
aroused him. From his bed he could
hear Joyce's voice directing them, and
he smiled happily at the thought OF
her. The morrow was his marriage
day. The evening of the morrow they
would be together in their log home,
shut off from all the world.
IT was a renascence of youth, this
tender Joy that filed him. He dressed
and strolled across the interval to the
schoolhouse.
That was the happiest day of his
life. Joyce, at his mandate, agreed to
a half holiday, and all that afternoon
they strolled through the snow-bound
woods. their arms about each other,
planning their life together. Lee came
more and more to see that to joyce
happiness consisted Of the wilderness.
she would wilt in a city. She had
endured the period Of her medlcal
training only as a preliminary TO re-
turning into the wilds.
They decided that they would make
their homes there, Lee ~resigning from
tbe police the following spring. They
would take up work under Father NC
Grath. enlarge the log house, create
a garden: in time to come settlers
would flock in, the whisky traffic would
go-they dreamed for hours until the
advent of night sent them homeward.
Next. afternoon an old Indian and
his wife were requisitioned for wit
nesses and in the little schoolroom' ID
the presence of the entire population
Of the settlement, which consisted OF
the children, two half-groWn girls ano
. vorng boy, with an aged squaW OF
tvo-all legacies of the great small
nox epidemic Of four years beror'
which had decimated the region
rather McGrath performed the simple
ceremony that united them, taking thu
gold ring from his finger an'
handing it to Lee who put 1t on nj
brides.
And Q looking at Joyce with
6 now wonder that was almost rear ds
covered the purpose that had sen
him into the range.
If was for this, and this alone Una
he might find not only his love, pu
I tbot comrade of his hearts deslr
whom he had sought all the days 9
| his life. -,
{ And in Joyce's confused and oiusl
& ing face. in her eyes as she RAISE
{ them shyly toward his OWN, he rea
their mutual happiness.
With Joyce's arm drawn shyl
K +brouph his own, and his shouldei
n ochino from Father McGrath's nan
is clash. he left the schoolhouse' ou
s,de the horse stood harnessed 70 u
sleigh. which was loaded with the sul
niles. Lee handed Joyce inside al
e followed her. Father McGrath toe
Sc the box seat of the big sleigh "hl'
Sc had originally functioned IN the Stree
rt of some provincial city. Father NJ
Grath had driven 1t to his destinal'
nv a detour round the range, Win d
" his worldly goods packed inside IT,
d The journey was a slow one u
s horse slipping on the frozen now al
plunging through the crusts that n'
~ formed over the surface. 1t was eS'
colder than before, and there Seem
t. nc doubt that winter had SET III
l. last. All were glad when the i
Id house came into view. :.
is Father McGrath got down, nappn