Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-05-07

When he returned to the little room
which he still occupied In the general
hospital Mere de Sainte- Claude
thought fever had set itself upon him
again. The next day, he went out
looking for the dog and found others
who had beheld what his own eyes
had seen. But he asked no questions
except in a casual way. and did not
reveal the reason for his interest. He
knew the dog could moi be Odd. yet 1t
was Odd for whom he was seeking
This paradoxical state OF mind both
cred him. and he wondered ii Ills illness
had left him entirely sane TO think
Odd had escaped Tiaoga's vengeance
and had wandered through hundreds
of miles OF wilderness to Quebec
would surely be an indication TINT 1t
had not. lie continued to seek, trying
to believe he was making the quest
diversion which was healtlfnl for his
body, and that curiosity. not hope or
faith, was encouraging him TO find
the three-legged dog. As Lower Town
was the home of most of the dogs, he
spent much Of his time among its
ruins. but without success
His search came to an unexpected
end in st. Louis street where many
aristocratie families Of the city lived.
Nancy Gagnon. who had been Nancy
L0tbnlere before her marriage to
Peter Gagnon, and dearly loved
belle of the town. described the incl
dent soon afterward in letter to
Anne st. Denis-R Rock. and this letter,
partly unntellgihle because OF its age.
Is a cherished possession OF that
family.
Il had come out OF tile house tshe
wrote1 in time to see a 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 soldier In a faded uniform
Of France. with q hospital badge on
his arm and had apparently just
risen from a terrible sickness AS he
staggered against the gate with
strange cry, | thought he was about to
faint and hurried toward him Then a
most amazing thing happened. The
dog snran. straight III him, and so
frightened was llv the unexpected
ness Of his attaek thai | screened ut
The top Of my voice aud snatehed M
one CT the babF's stirks with which
| WIS about to beat thp animal from
his victim when. To my still greater
astonishment | saw that both man
and beast were overcome by what an
peared 10 be Il naroxysm Of recogni-
ton and joy. The action Of Tie dog
together with my scream sci little
Jeems to crying Justify and my terri
fled voice brought Toinette and my
father to the door. Shall ever for
ret what happened then? Tolneite
started first toward her baby. then saw
the man at the gate and the cry which
came from her lips will remain with
me until my dying day. In a moment
she was In that poor wreck Of sol
dier's arms. kissing him and sobhing.
until, with the antics of the dog and
the fiercer shrieking OF the child, to
say nothing OF my own wild appear
ance with the stick, we were beginning
to attract the attention OF the pub
lie ;.
In this way Jeems found his wife
and boy. Their story was destined
to be remembered because 1t was d
marked incident In q transition OF
land, people, and customs which his
tory could not regard too lightly.
Manuscripts and letters were to bear
1t on, until, almost forgotten, 1t was to
remain only whisper among d thou
sand 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-
deuce Of the beautiful but Infamous
Madame de paean, witnessed the piec-
ing together OF the story and might
repeat 1t today II they could talk.
For Jeems the few minutes after his
entry in the Lotbiniere house, where
he and Toinette were guided by Nancy
and her father while a black servant
brought up the rear with the baby
were nearly as unreal as the last mo-
ments of his consciousness on the
Plains Of Abraham. Inside the door
Nancy placed the child In his arms,
which had not relinquished their hold
Of Toinette, and the discovery that he
possessed son leapt upon him. He
was so overwhelmed Dy the emotion
which followed that he did not see
Hepsibah Adams as he felt his way
through the wide hall to find what the
excitement and crying were about. It
was Hepsibah with his round. sight
less face and his voice breaking with
JOY when he found Jeems alive under
his great, fumbling hands which added
as Nancy wrote In her letter to Anne
st. Denis-Rock--"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 beneticient hand
Jeems devoutly believed when Tol-
nette told him what had befallen her
after the flight from Chenufsio They
mx4-n alonn In har rom II u,oc tho