The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-11-18
CHAPTER I-Continued

CHAPTER I-Continued
,
Stuart scowled with impatience.
Are you never serious, Miss Aurore
LeBlond? You may ignore the facts
but be won't You French are careful
of appearances. If thought could
get you safely over there tonight we'd
start now"
The blood drove into her olive skin.
ats you who seem careful Of APP
pearances. You-you are bored with
your guest, Monsieur Stuart Let Us
go, theng" She rose stiffly, her face
flaming with outraged vanity.
But he ignored the challenge. "a
boat wouldn't live out there now"
Then shall go by shore"
With hands on hips he smiled In
diligently at the indignant girl who
confronted him. do you realize how
far II is through the bush! It's good
twenty miles. and it'll be dark in an
hour. Have you ever travelled In the
bush ar night?'
Ignoring the question she contemp-
plated Marines beaded moccasins as
she curled and uncurled her toes In
their capaciOus interiors. Then her
black eyes lifted TO the man who
watched her, i'll al ease, as her face
Lit in an amused smile. Have you
really been so bored, Mr.. Stuart?"
He laughed In relief at her change
of mood is il likely that a man
marOOned up here in the bush would
be bored with Miss Aurore LeBlond?"
That's rather half-hearted, isn't it?
Can't you do betterT
Yes. can 20 better" he teased,
''but don't think it's good for you"
You think I'm vainT"
Il know you are"
She nodded as she moved about the
room. That's true. / am. Fathers
made a fool of me-"
They turned at knock on the out
side door Of the house.
Come in !" called Stuart.
Omar's broad face thrust through
the doorway Of the living room.
You spik wild me?" he asked OF
Stuart, with a sidelong glance at the
girl.
Nodding, Stuart turned to the girl
with, You'll excuse me?' and left the
room.
what you do wild herr" demanded
the half-breed, as the two walked to
the rear Of the building.
What can we do, Omar? She's got
60 stay until the wind drops"
You don't know Louis LeBlon'."
muttered Boisvert. ominously. "Eef
she stay here dis night ii mean troubr
for you and me-"
"All right, let il come, Them angrily
answered the trader. "a little more
won't hurt US. We can't get her home
tonight in that seventeen-foot peter
boro. and we can't put her out in the
bush, can we? She's got TO stay here.
II he wants to make troubl-let II
GOMEZ"
Stuart left the haIf-breed and en-
tered the house. Miss LeBlond." be
said. there's no trail alongshore, and
there's a swamp at the outlet where
you'd be eaten alive by mosquitoes.
To start with our small canoe means
filing, in a mile or two!"
She studied him with sober face;
then, thick brows knotted in a mock
frown, she demanded: You're not
trying TO deceive a defenseless woman,
whom fate has thrown into your hands?
+ Oh. sir, somewhere in your black heart
there must linger a trace of pity, of
honor. Spare my tender youth ~
With a muttered exclamation of irri-
tation, he turned to the window and
gazed out where the running seas
grayed in the fading twilight.
We'll. anyway, whether you're a
villain or not" she continued, 81 don't
intend to swamp in that lake in the
dark and get wet again Oh-h-hl Ii
was cold! II makes me SILVER TO think
of il. And besides" her eyes flashed
with humOr. suppose my what-you-
call-'ems. my gibo-dieg-wason, shrank?
What should | doF'
They knew you took a cancer"
"Yes. but they may think l landed
on an island and couldn't get back
BY the way, do you happen TO have
such a thing as a cigarette? Mine
were water soaked"
Yes. such as they are. But you'n
find them pretty poor" He went to
his bedroom and returned with a
package.
Now" she said, when he had given
her light and filed his pipe. tell me
about yourself"
There's not much to interest a lady
from Winnipeg"
TRY me- You came here three years
years ago TO start post for the Hud-
sons Bay company. l know that much
Father was here first, for his North
West Trading company, and. naturally,
didn't Ike it I've heard so many ter
rible things about you. that I've been
gasping 10 learn just how much of a
liar Paul Paradis was"
"So-Paradis has been blackening
my reputation, has he?"
-Blackening is mild to what he's
told me about the factor at Sunset
House You came from Gods lake,
didn't you? Well. 1t seems you left a
very dark and mysterious past up
there. Mr. Stuart, according TO Paul"
-Oh. veryl I'm really a terrible
man, -Aliss LeBlond. Hadn't we better
have Sarah in here as chaperone?"
She laughed as she shook her head
From what I've seen of Sarah. I'd
wager she's on guard now, waiting to
rescue you from the woman with the
gibodiegwasons- No, Paul Paradis