Glacier County chief., 1939-01-27

were an eavesdropper. But he was too
absorbed in the play to care about
that.
L was very young" said the girl, in
that quiet and detached way that left
so much emotion to be guessed at. 'T
was still in the convent school when
l was engaged to him. knew nothing,
and was not given any choice. / was
married to him few weeks later Yes,
these things happen. 1t is still the
custom in the old-fashioned families.
The parents choose a man they think
will make their daughter a good hus-
band. and she is expected to be guided
by their wisdom.
Il think he was unfaithful to me
on our honeymoon" she said. IT know
he was unfaithful many times after
that. He boosted of it. I might have
forgiven that. but he boosted also that
he had only married me for my dot
and for what pleasure he could have
out of me before he wanted a change
I found out that he was nothing but
a shady adventurer, a gambler, a
cheat, a petty swindler, man without
shadow of honor or even common
decency. But by that time I had no
one to go to.
My father and mother died sud-
denly six months after we were mar
ried, and had never had any friends
of my own. It will seem strange to
you-it seems strange to me. now
but 1 never realized that I could
leave him by myself. I had never been
brought up to know anything of the
world. So I stayed with him. For four
years J.. :. And then he went to Cor
Sica, and I never saw him again"
The Saint could feel the suffering
and humiliation and establishment Of
those four years as wildly as if she
had told the story of them day by
day, and his blue eyes rested on her
with a new and oddly gentle under
standing.
She went on after a while: "At first
I was only glad that he had gone, and
that I could have some peace until he
going away for a holiday, but one
day a man from the Surete came to
see me, and I found out that he had
gone away because for once he had
not been so clever as he had been be-
fore, and there was a charge against
him.
Then hoped that the police would
catch him and he would go to prison,
perhaps for many years, perhaps for
ever. But they never found him. And
I hoped that he might have fallen
over a precipice in the mountains, or
that he had escaped to the other end
of the world, or anything that would
mean he would never come back to
me. didn't mind very much what it
was, SO long as never saw him again
But I was happy. And then. six
months ago, I fell in love. And my
happiness was finished again"
Because you were in love?" Mas
querouge asked, incredulously.
Because I was not free. This man
is everything that my husband never
was, and he knows everything that
have told you. He wants to marry me
Before, never cared where my hus-
band was, or what had happened tc
him, but now you see, must know.
Masquerouge looked up toward the
Saint.
And Monsieur" he said-"is he the
fortunate man with whom you fell in
love?"
mo. He is in Paris He is in the
government service, and he could not
leave to come with me-"
He is rich, this man?"
Yes she said and her voice was
no longer cold.
There was silence for a long time
for so long that the dancing freight
died down to steady red glow.
Louise Baudier gazed into the dull
embers, with her arms claSped around
her knees. absorbed in her own
thoughts. and at last she said: But
1 have only been dreaming Even in
such small island as this, why should
anyone remember one man who was
here two years ago?"
Masquerouge stirred himself a little
Was your husband" he said, "a
man of middle height, with smooth
black hair and greenish eyes and a
thin black moustache?"
Suddenly she was still, with a still
ness that seemed more violent thar
movement.
Eyes" she said. He was like that
And his name was Baudier?"
yes"
did he wear an Indian carved
silver ring on the second finger of his
right hand?"
Yes"
Her voice was no more than g
The bandit drew gust of evil
smelling smoke from his CHEAP
cigaret.
Such man was guest of mine
about two years ago he said slowly
Il remember him best because of the
ring. which I gave to a girl in Gala
cuccia. and because he was the only
guest I have had here who left with
out my consent"
He escaped?"
The words came from the girls lips
with WEAKNESS that was too deep
for feeling.
He tried to-" said Masquerouge
But it was very dark. and these
mountains are not friendly to those
who do not know them we'll"
He stretched out his arm. toward
the black emptiness beyond the rock
wall that guarded the niche where
they sat. Il buried him where he fell.
1t was difficult to reach him. but I
could not risk his body being seen by
any goatherders going up the valley.
In the morning. if you like. I will
point you out his grave It is below
the path we followed to come here
more than 100 meters down
Madame may go on without fear to
the happiness that life has kept wait
ing for her"
1t was very dark, but Simon could
see the tears rise in the girls eyes
before she hid her face in her hands.
The morning SIN was rII+tiOp hot