White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-03-19

hill, in Forbidden valley, were safety
and mercy at the hands Of her coun-
try's enemies.
Her lips found a way to cut him
deeper.
"Your father and mother are wait
ing for you," she said. go, and leave
me here. prefer to wait for the
return of your Indian friends. And
am not sorry because tried to kill
your
He moved away from her to where
Hebert and Juchereau and the simple
minded Raudot lay on the ground.
This time 1t was the idiots coat he
took, fine coat made by the idiots
mother. The boy had loved birds and
flowers, and on the lapel Of the coat
was faded geranium bloom. Jeems
took 1t off and tucked it between the
dead lads fingers.
Then he went back to Toinette and
said, 1--WE had better CO." After that
he added, II am sorry, but must 60
to my mother and father first"
He staggered as he set out, and Ton
teur hill dipped and wobbled before
his eyes. There was an ache like a
splinter twisting in his head, and as
she followed him, Toinette could see
the effect of her unresisted blows with
the iron gun barrel. For she did fol-
low, out of the smoke fumes into the
clearer air Of the meadows and across
them to the worn path that led to the
Indian trail and the home of Cath
crime Bulain.
They're down there" said Jeems,
and pointed, Speaking to Odd more
than to her.
He took the Ratchet from his belt
and carried it in his hand. They en-
tered the greater stiffness of the Big
forest, and Odd, who had travelled be-
tween them, dropped back to Toinette's
side and thrust his muzzle against her
hand.
She did not snatch it away from
him now.
They came to the slope, and Jeems
forgot that Toinette was behind him.
He walked straight down like tall,
thin ghost-and the girl stopped and
stood alone, staring at the place where
his home should have been, cry
wringing itself at last from her lips.
Jeems did not hear. He saw nothing
but the clump Of rose bushes and the
place where his mother lay. He went
to her first, oblivfots of other pres
ence, unconscious of the sun, of the
ruins still smoldering, his soul stirring
once more with the faint mad spark
of incredulity. But she was dead. He
saw her with clearer eyes, though he
was sick with hurt. He knelt beside
her calmly for little while. He
touched her face gently with his hand,
and then went to his father. Odd
trailed at his heels. In the stump field
was shovel Under his mothers big
tree he planned to dig.
When he returned, his mother was
not alone. Toinette was there, on the
ground, with the English woman's
head in her lap. Her eyes blazed up
at Jeems, and something like defiance
was in them, something that was pos
sessive and challenging and which hid
whatever pity she might have had for
him, or pleading for his forgiveness.
Her hands were pressing the cold
face of the woman she had wanted to
hate, and she continued to look at
Jeems, so hard, SO terribly, so under
standingly that she seemed almost to
be waiting for him to punish her with
a blow.
Then she bowed her head over his
mother, and the shining veil of her
hair covered death.
Under the big tree he began to dig.
|
1t was late afternoon when they left
the valley, still, slumbering hour
when the sun was about to 60 to its
early rest, leaving CLOVIS and sunset
paintings behind that might have been
made Of swimming metals.
Toinette's hand lay in Jeems' as
they went.
They were like a young god and
goddess ready to face the hazards of |
savage world with a strength |
wrought out Of fire. The sickness had |
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