The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1931-01-22

kings subject of maturity from
that day and can take life and all
its belongings into your own hands,
so long as you are honest about it,
and can stand up in equality before
the stiffest periwigged Judge in the
Colonies or New France. In other
words, Jeemsy, | mean that in less
than four short years you will be
a full-fedged mani"
Having delivered himself of this
Introductory peroratien Hepsibah
finished upwrapping tie package,
and never had Catherine beheld
such handsome piece Of velvet as
that which her brother displayed in
the candle glow. 1t was, par ex-
cellence, the finest of file treasures
he had brought, a cloth of match
less beauty, crimson glory so
filled with changing humors and
colors that it seemed To be alive in
his hands. Surely this WIS another
present for his mother, Jeems
thought. But to his amazement and
GATHERINGS surprise Hepsibah
thrust the cloth into Jeems' hands.
"For Mademoselle Marie Antoi-
nette Tonteur from her devoted adj
mirer, Daniel James Bulain," he
announced "Jeemsy, don't blush.
Twelve and ten are not far from
sixteen and fourteen, When you will
be man and woman, and if ever
seigneurs daughter finds herself
lucky it will be en- the day she mar
ries a son of the tribe Of Adams.
The writing on it, Jeemsy, tells
Where't came from and how much
it cost; and along with it | have
brought you some nankeen for
britches and clothes, four shirts,
and a three-eornered hat with a
black ribbon, six handkerchiefs,
and a jackknife, two pairs o. serge
britches, as many of new shoes,
and-this," and from the now COM
pletely emptied pack he drew forth
a beautiful Iong-barreled pistol, his
eyes agloW with a fighting mans
pride as he fondled it in the light
of the candles and pointed out its
merits 10 Jeems. "As long as you
live, you must never part with this
pistol, Jeemsy,' he said. 1T isn't
new, you see, but its record is one
of glory as long as my arm, and I'll
tell you about it some day. It's a
killer, lad a killer deadly and sure,
good for hundred PAGES with less
than an inch of drop" and he gave
the weapon into Jeems' hands.
An instant of disapproval gath
cred in GATHERINGS eyes.
1T was kind of you to bring the
cloth for Antoinette but | do not
care for the pistol, Hepsibah," she
said. "A pistol makes me think of
men fighting men. And here we
are at peace, having need only of
the rifle and of Jeemsy's bow and
arrows to bring us meat. | feel it
is not best /"
AS she spoke thus confidently of
peace, cloud came over Hepsi-
bah's face, but in a moment he had
laughed it away and was telling
her that within a week she would
be as proud of her boys marksman-
ship as she now seemed fearful of
the pistols influence upon his
future.
The next day was the day of the
auction sale al Lussan's place. LUIS
san was wealthy farmer at the
edge of the next seigneurie, ten
miles away. He was returning to
his old home near the Isle of Or
leans, a country he liked better
than the Richelieu, and was selling
most of his goods. Among these
were a pillow with an iron point,
forty-gallon soap kettle, and a loom
which Jeems' father wanted, so he
had planned to start with the OK
early in the morning. Jeems had
heard Tonteur say he intended to
buy Lussan's three slaves, moth
er and father and daughter, and
that the young Wench was for
Toinette. Toinette would be with
her father. He would take his
treasure package with him to Lus-
sans and find an opportunity to
give it TO her.
Should Paul Tache be there and
dare to overload him again, or
laugh in his meanly suggestive
way, or speak sneeringly, or so
much as say a word against his
gift for Toinette.
A rumble of fresh-growing thun-
der was advancing out of the west,
and preceding it came a roar of
wind and a deuge of rain. Light
ming cut once more in vivid fash
ings across the narrow panes of
the bedroom window, and the roof
seemed to bend and groan under
a sudden torrential bOmbardment.
Jeems fought in unison with the
elements. His spirit mounted saw
agely with the turmoil. He had his
enemy down and was thrusting his
head into wet and Shiny mud. He
was beating his face and eyes, and
spelling his splendid raiment, and
pulling out his hair. And Marie
Antoinette was looking on. With
the gorgeous red velvet in her
hands and her eyes big and starry,
she was watching him as he choked
and kicked and pommelled the life
out of Paul Tache!
The outburst Of thunder and
wind and deluge, a within of playful
spring, in passing. it left Jeems
breathing quickly and fiercely in
his bed.
He had risen in these moments
to reckless heights, and his mind.