Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-12-25

nle-iS dead" And she left the room.
To remain longer under the factors
roof, to sit at dinner with this hope
less girl, who had bartered her hap
piness for her fathers welfare, and
the man who was brute enough to ac-
cept the sacrifice, was unthinkable, so
Steele went to the little room which
had been his since his coming, to pack
his duff1e bag. There he found Char
lotte, waiting.
"You weesh for to maree mann
selle?' the Indian abruptly demanded.
The question was startling, but did
honor to the loyalty Of the grave-faced
woman who confronted him.
"She is to marry Monsieur Las
celles," said Steele gently, touched by
the evident friendliness which prompt
ed Charlotte to seek him out.
"She hate M'sieu Lascelles !" vehe
mently protested the Ojibway. "She
cry an cry Wen she send heem de let
tair. You are de good man, Michel
say. Daveed tell you have beeg house,
far away sout' You TAX ma'm'selle,
she t'ink you good man, she weel go
wild you for your womanw
Steele's pulse quickened at the
thought. "Would she go with me,
would she 60 with meT' he repeated
to himself, eff I were man enough to
take her from her father? She could
never face a future with Lascelles :"
Then his knowledge Of Denise st.
Onge asserted itself. But no, she
has given her word and she'll keep
It, She's that kind. She would never
desert her father, and she's hound
herself to Lascelles. It's too late"
Searching his face with eager eyes
Charlotte waited for his answer.
"It's too late-Charlotte Made
man that she will marry him."
The scowl Of contempt which greeted
his reply transformed the dark face
Of the Ojibway into that of a fury.
She had placed her faith in this Amer
ican and he had failed her.
"Daveed tell me you are good man
to fight-have de strong heart" she
hurled at him. "Why you have de fear
ov dat leetle Frenchmans-are you
teeg rabbit7 Why you not TAX her
away cen de cano'? She weel go"
Again, a fierce exultation swept
him. Charlotte must know her mis-
tress' secret thoughts to speak so con-
fidently. What he had Of late felt
sensed-in the presence of Denise ST.
Onge; what he had put aside as i'm
possible, unbelievable an illusion,
based on his own emotions-might,
after all, have been her instructive
call for help; the unvoiced reaching
out Of her heart to one who would
understand her need But he had
failed her. The victim Of his own
lack Of vanity, he had gone Off up
river and left her to solve her prob
lem alone, to bind herself definitely to
Lascelles, when, had he acted on his
instincts, he might have saved her
from herself He had been blind-and
lost
"We must wait, Charlotte. What
you tell me-about mademoiselle-I-
did not-know. But don't lose heart.
First, I've work to do. I'm going to
catch that Windigo. Then"
Steele did not finish, for the scowling
face Of the Ojibway woman went n
sickly gray at the mention Of the
dread name, and she disappeared
through the door.
AS he hastily threw his clothes into
the canvas bag. the words of Charlotte.
"She weel go wild you for your wom-
an" returned to mock him. Did the
Indian really know, after all, or was
she trying to force his hand3 That
this exquisite girl whom he had found
In the northern forests, as one finds a
jewel In the grass, should have come
to care for man Of whom she knew
so little, seemed unbelievable. And
yet more than once since that day on
the mountain he had surprised a look
in her eyes which had strangely sent
his pulses racing. And now that he
knew he had been loving her all those
precious days which he might have
made indelible in memory-he faced
the bitter conviction that Denise st.
Onge, once she had given her word,
would keep it.
He carried his bag to Michel's shack
and announced to the surprised owner
that he would eat and sleep there !:
then, while In search Of David, he ran
into st. Onge.
Monsieur Steele" the old soldier
gripped his guests hand and vigorous
ly shook it. "You have my extreme
admiration-and gratitude Mon Dieu
But you were magnificent To see you
my friend and guest, insulted before
my eyes-and how you made him
ridiculous |"
Steele's face hardened
But your daughter-what of her?"
he demanded, almost fercely of the
man whose eyes wavered before his
cold glance.
NVn,, hox