The Coolidge examiner., 1931-07-17
CHAPTER XlV-Continued

where many ariStocratic families
of the city lived. Nancy GagnOn,
who had been Nancy LOtbiniere
before her marriage to Peter
Gagnon, and dearly loved belle
of the town. described the incident
soon afterward in a letter to Anne
81. DeniS-ROck. and this letter,
partly uninte!ligible because of its
age. is q cherished possession of
that family
Il had come our Of the house
(She wrntel i'm time to see q
strange figure pause near the iron
gate which shut him out from the
plot OF ground where the dog was
watching little Jeems at play with
some blocks and sticks. He was
n soldier in faded uniform of
France. with a hospital badge on
his arm sand had apparently just
risen from a terrible sickness. AS
he staggered against the gate with
a strange cry. thought he was
about 10 faint and hurried toward
him. Then most amazing thing
happened. The dog Sprang straight
at him. and so frightened was
10y the uneXnectedneSs of his at
tack thar | screamed at the top of
my voice and Snatched up one of
the haby'S sticks with which ] was
about 10 heat the animal from his
victim when. to my still greater
astoniShment. | saw that both man
and beast were overcome by what
appeared 10 he a parOXysm of rec
Ognition and JOY. The action of
the dog together with my scream
set little JeemS TO CRYING Justify
and my terrified voice brought Toi-
nPtte and my fnther TO the door.
Shall ! ever forget what happened
then? 1'oinette started first to
ward her baby, then saw the man
al the gate. and the cry which
came from her lips will remain
with me until my dying day. In
q moment she was In that poor
wreck Of soldiers arms. kissing
him and sobbing. until. with the
antics Of the dog and the fiercer
Shrieking of the child 70 say moth.
ing of my own wild appearance
with the stick, we were beginning
TO attract the attention of the
public. -
In this way .Ieems found his wife
and hoy Their story was destined
TO he remembered because it was
a marked incident in a transition
of land. peonle. and customs which
history could not regard too light
ty. Manuscripts and letters were
TO hear il on. until almost forgot
ten. II was TO remain only whiS-
per among thousand others of
days and years whose echoes grow
fainter as time passes. The walls
of the old Lotbiniere home in st.
Louis street. close to the resi-
dence IF the beautiful hut infa-
nous Madame de Paean. witnessed
the piecing together of the story
and might repeat it today if they
could talk. For Jeems the few
minutes after his entry in the Lot
hiniere house. where he and TOi-
nette were guided by Nancy and
her father while black servant
brought M the rear with the baby.
were nearly as unreal as the last
moments of his consciousness on
the Plains of Abraham Inside the
door. Nancy placed the child in
his arms, which had not relin-
QuiShed their hold of Toinette. and
the discovery that he possessed a
sol leant uDon him He was so
overwhelmed by the emotion which
followed that he did not see Hep
Sihah Adams as ne felt his way
through the wide hall 70 find what
the excitement and crying were
about. II was Hepsibah with his
round. SightleSS face and his voice
breaking with joy when he found
.Teems alive under his great. fum-
bling hands which added-as
Nancy wrote in her letter to Anne
st. Denis -Ro"k-"a final proof that
God does answer prayer"
That this God who had seen
New France sink into ruin had
guided their own deStinies with a
beneticent hand Jeems devoutly
believed when TOinette told him
what had hefallen her after the
flight from ChenufsiO. They were
alone in her room. Il was the
eleventh of December. and the
afternoon sun shone from a sky
filled with the smiling warmth of
autumn rather than the chill of
winter. few hundred wards
away, General Murray was holding
d review of the regiments which
we're soon 10 face Lewis in his at
tempt TO retake the city. The
sound of martial music came 70
them family. and with it the dis
tinct but softer tOlIiRg of a bell
which marked an hour of prayer,
and to this appeal Toinette bowed
her head and murmdred words of
&COr;iti0n taught her by tha white
Iobed SISt erhoOd of Christ. Three
years had changed her Not time
alone, hut motherhood and the
grief of hopeless waiting had
made her more a woman and less
a girl. At last she had believed
JeemS was dead. and now she had
him again, an indeScribable beauty
suffuSed her face and eyes with
its f&dlance as the mystery of the
years was unveiled.
She told of Hepsibah's capture
by the MOhawks in Forbidden
valley. of his escape. his recap
ture late, by the Senecas. and of
her appeals to Shindas and TiaOga
and of her failure to inspire their
mercy when. blinded, he was