Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1925-12-03

St Onge shook with emotion. Be
cause that canaille at Albany desires
TO marry my danghterF
Steele wondered. n0w, why he had
not guessed. OF course. the failure Of
St. oRge as trader would put him
into the hands OF his superior at Al
bany. so he had been sent TO the
doomed fur post on the Mailing.
"You will leave the company. thenT'
he hazarded. sick with thoughts OF the
girl who Was the stake In this mad
game Of LasceIles.
Il must. II ! fail here Up TO this
year. have beaten him. In spite OF the
odds-shown small profit. And this
year. at Portage Lake, we had a good
trade-better than ever before-in
spite OF Lafamme. But the loss OF
this fur canoe destroys our four years.
profits. Monsieur. am a ruined man."
There was little Steele could say.
For a space st. Onge walked the door
with his bitter thoughts, then he be-
gan:
"We have been a proud family, the
St. Onges. My grandfather fought I'M
der the great Napoleon. My father
was killed at Sedan. We have always
been soldiers. bearing an honored
name, but /. the last. am unworthy Of
IT. Cards and this" pointing to the
bottle. "have done II. They lost me
my old home In Touraine; my poor
wife died while was deep In the Sa-
hara. at Lake Tchad. She Is all have
left-Denise." The voice OF st. onge
softened as he spoke Of his daughter.
ThenBhe finished fierceiy:
~Glve her to that bourgeoIs9
Neveri"
Conscious OF the fact that the voice
of the enraged factor carried to the
remotest corner OF the house, the en-
harrassed Steele rose TO check further
revelations which could prove only
source of pain and modification to the
gin who heard them.
ut is very late. sir-we may be dis
turbing your daughter, and he offered
his hand with a goodnight 7" when
the pat OF moccaslns drew the atten.
ton Of both men.
Clothed in a loose garment, caught
at the waist by a Cree sash, her way
ward hair In great coll at the nape
of her neck. Denise ST. Onge stood In
the doorway She was a figure of pc
euiiar beauty and dignity as she calm
ly said: Father. Monsieur Steele
doubtless desires to rest after his long
journey. Il Is late.s
St Onge pulled himself together.
Pardon me. monsieur. you are tired.
Goodnight"
Red with confusion. Steele met the
level eyes of the girl who had heard
her personal affairs so intimately dis
cussed with a stranger. and marveled
10 find there no humiliation. no anger.
as he murmured a good night and
sought his room.
There for time he sat smoking, as
he watched the moon drift down TO :
he purple ridge beyond the river. His
thoughts traversed the events Of the
lay; the meeting with Denise Sc.
)nge; the news Of the loss of the fur
.anoe and the panic OF the post In
lians; the startling revelation by the
actor of what the future might hold
or him and the girl downstairs. Az
or this fur cHnoe-St Onge was pal
ably holding back something there.
sut what7 And his daughter-had he
old rhe whole story3 Could II be
hat she had already bound herself to G
.ascelIes. TO save her fatherl That 3
vould account for the heartache. but g
lot for the fear he had seen In her &
yes at the rapids. Fear OF whomf
You'd the old soldier. In spite Of his =
allow her 10 sacrifice
erself7 This Windlgo matfer-whaf
rare chance for a first-hand study
7 the OjIbway superstition What a
onOgraph 1t would make for the
There was certainly much
, do here until they were forced to
ice the Ice down to Nepigon.
Steele undressed and was soon
sleep. Presently. from a dream in
hich timber wolves in full cry were
inning an old caribou across a frozen
Ike, he walked to find himself sitting
fright in his cot. Across the valley
,ated a low wall. The man stirred.
DR. a space the hush Of the forest
ght returned. Then from the som
n shoulder OF the ridge rose soothing
OF q creature In torment.
Wide awake now. nerves tingIIng.
eele sprang 10 the window. The
ice ceased. The man waited, ex-
Giant Was II q trick Of his senses.
d he dreamed II, or Then the
RE wall filled the night with hor-
r, rising in wild crescendO to climax
a demoniacal shrek.
The brain OF the excited and mys-
ed man at the window was working
fifty. Lynx" he muttered. mo
olverinef No. not at this time of
year. WoIf1 Impossiblel" Then
mouth shaped q grim smile. -Ths
ndlgoI"