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Show I' ' A Novel of the American Spirit ZjL 0 Of TlCf tit A,r '" SSbSm3 j Copyright 1909 by Tho BobbH-Morriil Co j JSL I 11 ' CHAPTER XXV. Oregon. The $pell and the light of each path we . ' PUITiUC If woman be there, there is lmpinoss, . luo. Moore, i Twenty miles a day. 'week in .11 id wcelc out. wo edged westward up the pjutte, in heal and dust part of the time, tjftc.11 ', I plagued ;if. nidi I by clouds of tnos-Kpiitocs. tnos-Kpiitocs. Our men endured the penalties . n( the .iouroy without comment. I do not recall that. I ever heard even the ,'nvoakcst woman complain. Thus nl last wo reached the outh Pass of the - 3"tieki,u. not yet half douo our journey. 1 and entered upon that portion of the iintll west of' the Rockies, which had still two mountain ranges lo cross, and jwlilch was even more apt lo be Infested iby tho hostile Indian?. Even when we (reached the niched trading post, Fori Tlall, wo liud still more than six hundred mllos! to go. By tli let time our forces bad wanted ,.ns though under .assault of .irms. Far . buck on (ho trail, many had been forced , ,to leave prized belongings, reikis, hoir-1 hoir-1 InnmR. tmnlfiYio.nls ninrlnnorv. all ron- I' jvonioncej;. The finest, of mahogany hlls-Jillcretl hlls-Jillcretl in hc sun, abandoned aijii tin ' bceded. Our trail might have 'been followed fol-lowed hy discarded Implements of agrl-j agrl-j (culture, and by whitened hones us well. ! Our footsore. tennis. gatiuL and weak-'ened, weak-'ened, began lo fainL and fall. Horses and oxen died in the harness or under - the yoke, and wore perforce abandoned where they foil. Each pound of supcr-1 supcr-1 Jluous weight wan cast away as our rao- iMvo power thun lessened. Wagons were 'abandoned, goods were packed on horses, 1 .oxen and cows. I We puL cows into the yoke now. and ; 'lined women instead of men on the drivers' driv-ers' seats, and boys; who started riding finished afoot. Gaunt and brown and savage, hungry I mid CTini, ragged, hat loss, shoeless, our j cava lea do cloded up and camo on. and ..so at last camo through. Ere autumn 'had yellowed all the folia go back east ',, in gentler clime:), wo crossed tho shoul-Jdcrs shoul-Jdcrs of the Blue mountains and came .into the valley of tho "Walla "Walla; Jand no passed thence down the Columbia Colum-bia lo the nlley of the "Willamette, threo hundred miles yet farther, whore there , "were then some slight centers of our ,, civilization which had gone forward the year before. Here wcro some few Americans. At , Champoeg, at the little American mls-! mls-! sions. at Oregon City, and oilier scal-' scal-' teivd points, wo met them, wo hailed , and were hailed by them. ' ".Messengers spread abroad tho news jnf tho arrival of our wagon train. IVIes-.; IVIes-.; sensors, too, came down from the llud-(ison llud-(ison bay posts lo scan our equipment land estimate our numbers. There was jno word obtainable from these of any 'Canadian column of occupation to the i'j north ward which had crossed at the . hcad of the Peace river of the Sas-: Sas-: "kalchewan, or which lay ready at lh-' lh-' 'head waters of the Frasor or tho Columbia Colum-bia to como down to the lower settlements settle-ments for tho purpose of bringing to an Sis-sue. or making more difficult, this '.(question of the joint occupancy of Orc- gon. As a matter of fact, ultimately we 1 won that transcontinental raco so de-; de-; cldedly that there never was admitted . to havo been a second. 1 , So we took Oregon bv (he nnly law . if right. Our broken and weakened ''cavalcade asked renewal from the soil itself. Wo ruffled no drum, llultcrcd no ,'Jlag. lo take possession of the land. I. But tho canvas covers of our wacons ! gave way to permanent roofs. "Where 'i wo bad known a hundred camplircf1. now (iwe lighted tho llrcs of many hundred ., homes. "I CHAPTER XXVI. '; Tho Debated Country. ; Tho world was sad, the garden was a ! wild! " Tho man. the hcrmtt, sighed till woman " , smiled! 1 ; Campbell. Mi) Our army of peaceful occupation scat-(tercd scat-(tercd along the more fertile parts of the .land, principally among the valleys. Of course, It should not bo forgotten that . what was then called Oregon meant all . of what now is embraced In Oregon, ("Washington ami Irinho. with part of '"Wyoming as wol). It extended south to I the Mexican possessions of California. How far north li was 10 run, it was my errand here to learn. I settled near the mouth of the Willamette Wil-lamette river, near Oregon City, mid not far from whfie the city of Portland laler was begun; and huiMeti for ni.M-elf a little cabin of two rooms, with a con-ueoiing con-ueoiing roof. Thin I furnished, as did my neighbor'; llielr similar abodCH. with 11 ntiU'"mndc of hewed piiiicheoiif;. chairs sawed from blocks, .-1 lied framed from poles. 011 which lay a rude niultiess of busies and straw-. From the eastern slates I srnrrely eon Id now hear In les than a ynr. for another wagon train could not start west from the Missouri until the followlni; spring. Wo could only guess how events wore going forward in our diplomacy. The mild winter wore away, and 1 learned little. Spring came, and still no word of any land expedition out of Canada. Cana-da. We and the Hudson buy folk sllll dwelt In pv:i-o. Tin- flowers begun to bloom In the wild meads, and the horses fattened on their native pastures. Summer came on. The fields began to whiten with the ripening groin. I grew uneasy, fueling myself only an Idler In a .land so able to fend for Itself. I now was much disposed lo discuss -menus of getting back over Ibe long trail to the eastward, to carry Hie ncwu that Oregon was ours. It was at this time that there occurred a startling mid decisive event. 1 was on my way on a canoe voyage up the wide Columbia, not far above the point whew it receives Its greatest lower tributary, the Willamette, when all at onco I heard the sounds of a cannon shot. 1 turned to see the cloud of blue smoke still hanging over tho surface of the water. Slowly there swung into viow an ocean-going vessel under slenm and auxiliary aux-iliary eanvas. She made a. gallant spectacle. specta-cle. But whose ship was she? I examined her colors anxiously enough, bho flew the British Union Jack! ISngland had won the raco by sea! Something of tho ship's outline seemed to mo familiar- J knew tho set of her short masts, the pitch of her smokestacks, smoke-stacks, tho number of her guns. Yes, she was the Modest" of the English navy the same ship which more than a. year before 1 had seen at anchor off Montreal! Mon-treal! News travels fast in wild countries, and it look us little time to learn the destination of the Modesto. She came to anchor about Oregon City, and well below be-low Fort Vancouver. At once, of course, her officers made formal calls upon Doctor Doc-tor McLaughlin, tho factor at. Fort Vancouver, Van-couver, and accepted head of tho British element thereabouts. Two weeks passed in rumors and counter rumors, and a vastly dangerous tension existed In all the American settlements, because word was spread thai. England had sent a. ship to oust ,us. Then came to myself and certain others at Oregon City inessongers from peace-loving Doctor McLaughlin, asking us to join him In a little celebration celebra-tion in honor of the arrival o her Majesty's Majes-ty's vessel. Here at last was news: but il was news not wholly to my liking which I soon unearthed. The modesto was but ono ship of lift ecu! A licet, of tlflcen vessels, four hundred guns, then lay in Puget Sound. The watch-dogs of Great Britain were at our doors- This question ques-tion of monarchy and Ibe ropubllc was not. yet settled, after all! I pass the story of the banquet at Fort Vancouver, because it is unpleasant to recite the difficulties of a kindly host who finds himself with jarring Clemen Cle-men Is at his board. Precisely this was the situation of white-haired Doctor McLaughlin Mc-Laughlin of Fort Vancouver. II was an incongruous assembly In the first place. The officers of the British navy attended in the splendor of their uniforms, glittering glit-tering In braid and gold. Even Doctor McLaughlin made brave display, as was bin wont, in his regalia of dark-blue cloth and shining buttons his uoblo features fea-tures and Jong. snow-whlto hair making him the most lordly figure of thorn all. As for us Americans, lean and brown, with hands hardened by toll, our wardrobes ward-robes scattered over a thousand miles of trail, buckskin tunics made our coats, and moccasins our boots. I havo seen some noble gentlemen so clad In my day. It was, as may bo supposed, lato In the night when our somewhat discordant, banqueting party broke up. Wo were all housed, as was the hospitable fashion of the country, in the scattered log buildings which nearly always hedge In a western fur-trading post. The quarters assigned me lay across the open space, or what might be called th paraoe giour.d of Fort 'Viiuroiivor. Hanked by Doctor .McLaughlin's .McLaugh-lin's four little cannon. As I made my way home, stumbling among the stumps In I lie dark. I passed many seml-drunkcu Indians and voy-ageurs. voy-ageurs. to whom special liberty had been accorded In view of tho occasion, all or t hem now engaged hi singing the praises of the "King Wcorgc" men as against tho "Hnsliins.". I was almost at m.v cabin door al the edge of the forest frontage at the rear of ibe old post, when 1 caught a, glimpse, in the dim light, of a hurrying figure, which in some way seemed to be different, dif-ferent, from the blanket -covered squaws who stalked here and titer.; about the post grounds. She passed steadily on toward a long and low log cabin, located lo-cated a. short distance beyond the quarters quar-ters which had been assigned lo me. I saw her step up lo the door and heard her Knock: ' then there nunc a flood of light more light lhan was usual in the opening door of a frontier c.-ibln. This displayed the figure of the night walker, showing her tall and gaunt and a little stooped: so thai.' after all, I look her to he only one of our American frontier women, being quite sure ihat she was not Indian or half-brccdi This emboldened me. on a mere chance an act whose mental origin 1 could not havo traccd-lo step up lo tho door after il hail been closed, and myself to knock thereat. 1 heard women's voices within, and as I knocked tho door opened Just a trifle on Its chain. I saw appear al the crack tho faco of the woman whom I had followed. She was. as 1 had believod. old and wrinkled, and her faco now. seen close, was as mysterious, dark and inscrutable as that of any Indian squaw. Her hair fell heavy and gray across bor forehead, fore-head, and her eyes wcro small and dark as those of a. native woman. Tot, as she stood there with tho light streaming upon hr, I saw something in her face which made mo piiw.lc. ponder and start and put my foot within tho crack of the door. "Thrclka." I said quietly, 'tell Madam tho Baroness it is T, Monsieur Trial, of Washington." CHATTER XXVIL In tho Cabin of Madam. Woman must not belong to herself; sho Is bound to alien destinies. Fried-rich Fried-rich von Schiller. With an exclamation of surprise, tho old woman departed from the door. I heard tho rustic of a footfall. I could ha.vo lold in advance what faco would now appear outlined in the candle glow Willi eyes w ido and startled, with lips half parted in query. Jt was the face of Helena, Baroness von ilitz! "Eli bien! madam, why do you bar me out?" 1 said, as though wo had parted but yesterday. In her sheer astonishment, I presume, sho let down the fastening chain, and without her invitation J stepped within. I heard her startled "Won Dlou!" then her more doliborate exclamation of emotion. emo-tion. "My God!" she said. Sho stood, vlth her hands caught at her throat, staring at me. 1 laughed and held out a hand "Madam Baroness." I said, "how glad J am". Come, has not fate been kind to us again?" . I pushed shut the door behind, mo. Still without a word, sho stepped deeper into the rooom and stood looking at me, her hands clasped now loosely and awkwardly, awk-wardly, as though she wero a country girt surprised, and not the. Baroness Helena vois TtitJC. toast or talk of more than one capital of the world. Yet sho was the same. She seemed slightly thinner now. yet not less beautiful. beau-tiful. Her eyes wore dark and brilliant as ever. The clear features of her face were framed In tho roll of her heavy locks, as I had seen them last Her garb, as usual, betokened luxury She was robed as though for sonic fcto, all In white satin, and palo blue fires of stones shone faintly at throat and wrist Contrast, enough she niRdo to mc, clad in smoke-browned tunic of buck, with the leggings and moccasins of a savage, my bolt lacking but prepared for weapons, weap-ons, "t sec, madam.'' said I. smiling, ' that still I am only asleep and dreaming. But how exquisite a dream, hero in this wild eouuliy! How iintll lierw am 1. a aavage. who Introduced I lie- one discordant discord-ant note Into so awfol a dream!" I gestured Hi my cost tune, gestured about mc, as I took In the details of the long room in wlileh we stood. I swear it was the same as thai In which I had ' seen her at u similar hum In .Montreal! It wnn the name I had llrsl seen In Washington Impossible'.' I tun doubled'.' Ah." but do I not Know? ;ld I not see? Here wero the pictures on the walls, the earvi-d cuplos. (he candelabra with tlieli-prisms. tlieli-prisms. Ibe chairs, the couches' P.eyond yonder sntln curtains rose the high canopy can-opy of lhr enibroldery-coven-d rourh Its fringed drapery reaching almost to the deep" pile of tils? carpels. Yet not finite the same. It seemed to me. There were sonic Utile things missing. miss-ing. Just as there were some Utile! things missing from her appearance. For Instance, In-stance, these draperies nt the right. whiMi formerly bud cut off the Napoleon bed al Its end of the room, now wore, of blankets and not of silk. Tho bed Itself was not piled deep in down, but contained, con-tained, as I fancied from my hurried glance, a thin mattress, stuffed perhaps ivll.li straw. A roll of blankets lay across Its foot. As 1 gazed to the farther extremity ex-tremity of Ibis side of the long suite. T saw other evidences of change. It was Indeed as though Helena, von MHz, creature crea-ture of luxury, woman of an old. luxurious luxur-ious world, exotic of tnonarchlal surroundings, sur-roundings, had begun Insensibly to slip into the ways of the rude democracy of Hie. far frontiers. T saw all this; but ere I had finished my first, hurried glance r had accepted her. as always ono must, Just as she was. "Yes,"" said she a I length, slowly, "yos. I now bellevo it lo be fate." fc'ho had not yet smiled. 1 took her hand and held It long. I felt glad to seo her, and to take her hand; it scorned pledge of friendship; and as things now wero shaping. I surely needed a friend. At last, her face flushing slightly, she disengaged her hand and motioned mc to a seat. But sllll wc stood silent for a few moments. ' Have you no curiosity'.'" curios-ity'.'" said she at length. "T am too happy to have curiosity, my dear madam." "You will not even ask mc why J am hero?" she Insisted. "1 know. I havo known 311 along. Ton aro In the pay of England. "When I missed you at Montreal. I know you had sailed on tho Modesto for Oregon. Wo know all this, and planned for 11. J have come across by land to meet you. I havo waited. I grcot you now!" She looked mo now clearly In tho face. "I am not sure," said alio at length, slowly. "Not sure of wha.t. Madam? "When you travel on England's warship." I smiled, "you travel as tho guest of England Eng-land herself. If. then, you arc nor. for England. In God's name, whoso friend aro you?" "Whoso friend am IV" she answered slowly. "I say to you that I do not know. Nor do I know who Is my friend. A friend what is that? I never knew ono!" "Then bo mine. Tct mo bo your friend. You know my history. Ton know about mo and my work. T throw my secret into your hands. You will not. betray me? You warned mo once, al Montreal. Will you not shield mo once again? Come, can you betray a people of whom you can say so much?" "Ah. now you would try lo tempt mo from a trust which has been reposed in me'" "Not in the leasl. T would not have .voti break your word with Mr. I'akcn-hum; I'akcn-hum; but J know you aro hero on the samo errand as myself. You arc to learn facts and report them to Mr. Paken-1mm Paken-1mm as I am to .Mr. Calhoun. Meantime, Mean-time, you have not reported?" "No, T am not yet ready." "Certainly not. You are not yet possessed pos-sessed of your facts. You have not yet seen this country. You do not yc5t know these men the same savages who once accounted for another Pakcnham at "New Orleans hardy as buffaloes, fiereo as wolves. Wait and seo them como pouring pour-ing across the mountains into Oregon. Thon mako your report to this Pakon-bam. Pakon-bam. Ask him if Ungland wishes to fight our backswoodmen once more!" "You credit mo with very much ability!" abil-ity!" she smiled. Sho dropped into a. chair near by a llttlo table, where the light of tho tall candies, guttering In their enameled sconces, fell full upon her face. She looked at me fixedly, her eyes dark and mournful In splto of their eagerness. "All, it is easy for you to speak, easy for you who have so rich and full a life who have all! But 1 my hands are empty!" .Sho spread out her curved fingers, fin-gers, looking at them, drooping her hands, pathetically drooping her shoulders. shoul-ders. "All, madam? What do you mcjui? You sec mo almost In rags. Beyond tho rifle at my cabin, tho pistol at my tent, I have scarce more in wealth than what 1 wear, while you havo what you like." "All but everything!" she murmured; "all but home!" "Nor have T a home." "All. except that my couch is empty save for myself and my memories." "Nor more than mine, nor with sadder memories, madam." "Why. what do you mean?" she asked mo suddenly. "What do you mean?" She repeated it again, as though half In horror. "Only that wo aro equal and alike. That wo are here on the same errand. That our view of life should bo the same." "What do you mean about homo? But tell mc. were you not then married?" "No, I am alone, madam. I nover shall bo married." There may have been some slight motion mo-tion of a hand which beckoned mc to a scat at the opposite sldo of the table. As I sat, I saw her search my faco carefully, care-fully, slowly, with eyes, X could not read. At last she spoke, after her frequent fashion, half lo herself. "It succeeded, then!" said sho. 'Yet I am not happy! Yet I failed!" "I pause, mudam." said I smiling. "I await your pleasure." "Ah. God! Ah. God!" sho sighod. "What havo I done?" Sho staggered to her feet and stood beating her hands together, as was her way when perturbed. "What have I done!" "Thrclka!" I henrd her call, half chokingly. chok-ingly. The old servant came hurriedly. "Wine, tea, anything. Thrclka!" Sho dropped down again opposite me, panting, pant-ing, and looking at mc with wide eyes. "Tell me, do you lenow what you havo said?" she began. "No, madam. I grieve If I havo caused you any pain." "Well, then, you arc noble; when look, what pain 1 have caused you! Yet not more than myself. No, not so much, I hope not so much!" Truly tboro Is thought which passes from mind to mind. Suddenly the thing In her mind sped across to mine. I looked at her suddenly. In my eyes also, perhaps, the horror which T felt. "It was you!" I exclaimed. "It was you. Ah. now I begin to understand! How could you? You parted ua! You parted me from Elisabeth!" "Yes," she said regretfully, "I did It. It was my fault." I rose and drew apart from her, unable un-able to speak. She went on. "But I was not then as I am now. Seo, I was embittered, reckless, desperate. desper-ate. 1 was only beginning to think 1 only wanted time. I did not really mean to do all this. T only thought Why, I had not yet known you a day nor her an iKrtir. 'Twas all no more than hair a Jest." "How could you do it?" I demanded. "Yet that Is .no more strange. J Tow-did Tow-did you do it?" "At tbe door, that first night. I was mad then over tho wrong done to what llttlo womanhood I could claim for my own. I hated Yturrlo. I hated Pakcn-ham. Pakcn-ham. They had both insulted mc. I hated every man. ' I had seen nothing but the bitter and desperate side of life I was eager to take revenge even upon tho innocent ones of this world, seeing that I had suffered so much. I had an old grudge against women. ugain6t women, I say against women!" Sho burled hor face in her bands. I saw her eyes no more till Threlkn came and lifted her head, offering her a cup of drink, and so standing patiently until again she had dismissal. "But. still It Is all n puzKle lo me. Madam." 1 began. "1 do not understand." under-stand." "Well, when you stood at the door, my little shoe In your pocket, when you kissed my hand that first night, when you told me what you would do did you love u woman -when 1 saw something new In life. I had not seen why, then. In the devil's resolution that no woman In the world should bo happy If I could help it. I slipped In the body of the slipper slip-per a little line or so that I had written when you did not see, when I was in the oilier room. 'Twas that" took the place of Van Zandt's message, after all! Monsieur. Mon-sieur. It was fate. Van Zandl's letter, without plan, fell out on my table. Your note, sent by plan, remained In the shoe!" "And what did it say? Toll mo a I oner." "Very little. Yet enough for a. woman wom-an who loved and who expected. Only this; 'In spito of that other woman, conic to mo still. Who can leach yon love of woman as cm I? Helena." I think It was some such words as those." "I had not thought any one capable of Ihat." said I. "Ah. but I repented on the Instant! 1 repented before night came. In the twilight I got upon my knees and prayed that all my plan might go wrong if 1 could call it plan." But again .1 could only turn away to pondon "Sec." alio went on; !'for myself, this Is Irremediable, but it is not so for 3-ou, nor for her. It is not too 111 to be nnido right again. Tliero In Montreal, I thought that T had failed In my plan, that you Indeed wore married. You hold yourself well In hand; like a man, Monsieur. But as to that, you were married, for your love for her remained; re-mained; your pledge held. And did not I, rcpGiitlmr, marry you to her did not I. on my knees, marry you to her that night? Oil, do not blame mo too much!" "Sho should not have, doubted." said I. "I shall not go buck and ask her again. Tho weakest of men are strong somotlmcs!" "Ah. now you are but n man! Being such, you cannot understand how terribly ter-ribly much tho faith of man means for a woman. Jt .was her need for you that spoke, not her doubt of you. Forgive her. Sho was not to blame. Blame me! Do what you like to punish me! Now'. I shall make amends. Tell me what 7 best, may do. Shall I go to her, shall I tell her?" "Not as my messenger. Nol for me." "No? Well, then, for myself? That is my right. J shall tell her how priestly faithful a man you were. Come." she said, "I will bargain with you, after all!" "Any bargain you like. Madam." "And 7 will keep my bargain. You know that I will." "Yes, I know that." "Very well. Lhon. T am going back to Washington." "How do you mean?" "By land, across the country; the way you came." "You do not know what you any. Madam. The journey you suggest is incredible, in-credible, impossible." "Tha t matt ere nothing, T am going. And I am going alone No. you can not come with me. Do you think. I would risk more than J have risked? I go alono. 7 am England's spy; yes, that is true. I am to report to 73ngland: yos, that is truo. Therefore, the moro I see, the. more I shall have to report. Besides, I havo something else to do." "But: would Mr. Pnkcnham listen to your report, after all?" Now she hesitated for a moment. "1 can induce him to listen." sho said. "That, is part of my errand. First, before I seo Mr. Pakcnhain I am going to see Miss 121lzobclh Churchill. 1 shall report also to her. Them 1 shall have done my duty. Is It not so?" .. . . "You could do no more. said 1. "Birt what bargain " "Listen. If she uses me III aim will not believe either you or me then, being be-ing a woman. i I shall hate her: and in that case I shall go lo Sir Mlcliard for my own revenge. I shall tell bun to bring on this war. In that tkse. Oregon will be lost lo you. or at least bought dear by blood iiml treasure." "We can attend lo that, Madam, said 1 grlmlv. und I smiled at her although a sudden "fear caught, at my heart. I know what damage she was In position to accomplish ac-complish If she liked. "My heart stood still. I felt the faint sweat again on my forehead. , "If I do not. Ibid her worthy of you. then she can not have you," went on II.-.-na von KHz. "Rut. Madam, you forget, one Hung. Slie, Is worthy of me, or of tiny other m''7j' shall he Judge of that. If sho Is what you think, you shall have her and 0r"But'as to myself, Madam? The bar- ""V " arrive. Monsieur! 7f sh" '"Hs you. then I ask only time." "1 beclu to sec. Madam." said 1, how larsro these slakes may run." "In ease I lose, lie sure at least -I shall pay. I shall make my atonement," she S'"f doubt not that, Madam, with all your heart and mil ul and soul." "And body!" she whispered. The old horror came again upon her face. She shuddered. I did not know why. She stood now as one In devollons for a time, and I would no more have spoken than had sho been at her prayers, as. Indeed. In-deed. I think she was. At last sins made some faint, movement of her hands. I do nol know whether It was the sign of the cross. Sho rose now. tall, white-clad, shimmering, shim-mering, a vision of beauty such as that part of the world certainly could not then offer. Her hair was loosened now in its masses and drooped more widely over her temples, a novo her brow. Her eyes were very large and dark, and T aaw the faint blue shadows coming again beneath them. Her hands were clasped, her chin raised just a trltle. and her gaze was rapt as that of some longing soul. 1 could not guess of these things, being but a man, and. I fear, clumsy alike of body and wit. "There Is one thing, Madam, which wo have omitted," said I at last. "What are my stakes? I low may I 7ay?" Sho swayed a Utile' on her feet, as though she were .weak. "I want," said she, "I wish I wish " The old childlike look of palbos came again. I havo never seen so sad a face. Sho was a. lady, white and delicately clad: 1 a rude frontiersman in canip-grlnicd canip-grlnicd leather. But I stepped to her now and took her In my arms, and held her close, and pushed back the damp waves of her hair. And because a man's tears wero in my eyes, 1 havo no doubt of absolution when I say I had been a cad and a coward had I not kissed her own tears away. I no longer nnido pretense pre-tense of ignorance, but ah! how I wished that 1 were Ignorant of what il was not my right to know. I led her to tho edge, of tho little-bed of husks and found her kerchief. Ah. she was of breeding and courage! Presently, Pres-ently, her voice rose steady and clear as ever. "Tbrelka!" sho called. "Please!" When Thrclka came, she looked uloso-ly uloso-ly a I hor lady's face, and what, she read scorned, after all, to content her." "Thrclka." said my lady In French, "J waul tho llttlo one." 7 turned to her with query in my eyes. "I'lciis!" she K.tbl. "u.t. 'H little surprise-." . Vnl- lW "You havo notliliitt i . AW surprises, madam." S L tltfl "Two things I haw" Ing; ",, Hi tin dig f l 0,n 4 name, Jle slc-p" ,, j ' j ' nlZM disturb hi,,,, ei. s0,11n l .M lovely a dog is f -ho w MvS found a mil,, imii.-m vm ??! the post. nr. .Mcl.,,1', i J"nnI when 1 a.lopted hrT ';f,ll,n Wajl "Well, Ihpn. madam. Whnf j$M "W-s. with ll.r promHo " ,"! I would care for thai lit u something for my own. st-i. lW Natoka!" wee nonfl The old servant punned -9 There slid across tl e ?oor uM lent fer of Lhr. savag" tL of a llttlo child, pprliara ago. with coal black Iwlp JSVj clad In all the beqiill e, 1 flL4 trading pout could f.."n lsh "0ra ph.au child, as I learned lot" r cuts had both bn lost 'In "a 8 dent, at the Dalle:;. She VSi wild, untrained, unloved. ninMH a word of Lh- language ihatrSM She stood now hesitating. b,,tW .only by reason of her stent aJH I stepped aside, the Utile steadily, but with qtiickenlnK iSl satin-clad lady on he,- conb'fflM She took up the eluid. In her Now. there must be som 'jBJ twenn woman and child. J ('la9J except that the Baroness vonflMl and that the child put out alfll "cheek. Then, as I stood anHI clown himself and not knowflfl do. I Haw tears rain again fnHfl of Helena, voti Rltz, so UialHl away, even as .7 saw h-r chfll tliat. of the child wlUle uh9l "See, then," Mhc said; "H companion across the rnountH Again I began lo e.postulaBjl she tapped her foot ImpatlenHJ old way. "You have heard sB Very well. Follow Jf you llkS also If you like. In a day' McLaughlin plans a partv forH up tho Columbia to the m'fl Wallatpn. That Is in the valH Walla Walla, they toll me, juS edge of the Blue mountain -ivM wagon trains come down into.'H of Oregon." -U "Thoy may not see the wagH so soon," 7 ventured. "ThSM scarcely arrive before October it Is but summer" fl "At least three British n(fl see a part of this countrv, o9 comprehend? We start withiriiH at least. I wish only to say' baps " "Ah. T will be there 8iirelyfl "If you come indepcndenuyjH heard, however, that one of thbm ary women wish s to go ba'S states. I have thought thataH might be better did we go togefl Natoka. Also f'how." "Does Dr. McLaughlin hnojl "7 am not under his ordeva.fll I only thought, that, since youjijl lo this western travel, you-c haps, be of aid in getting a guides and vehicles. I shouldji your judgment very much, moi "You arc asking mc 1p ali your own folly," said I discos "but 7 will be there; and bc-; you cannot prevent me froniX; If you persist in this absolute woman lo cross Ihe Rockies !'-Jj I rose now. and she was; enough lo follow mc part wa the door. We hesitated therc ly enough. But once more o met in some sort of fellowship "Forgot!" I beard her whiapc could Ihlnk of no reply bcttcrj samo word. (To he Continued.)' |
