Show IDD vona ike florl oer by RANDALL para 1 5 1 A romance of early days S in the middle west of the border malady My lady dy lof of doubt the maid of the forest etc a tc 1 LUau tCo SYNOPSIS 4 adele la Ches nayne a belle of 0 new france Is among conspirators at her un cle a house cassion the commiss alre ha has enlisted her uncle chefets aid a against la salle D cartigny la salle s s friend offers his services as guide to cas ion sion a party on the journey to the wilder ness the uncle informs adele that he has betrothed her to cass on and forbids lier ter to see again in quebec adele visits her friend sister celeste who brings D cartigny to her 81 e tells him bim her story and he vows vors to release her from the bargain with cassion darbig ny leaves promising to see her at the dance cassion escorts adele to the hall she meets the go governor kernor la barre and an d hears bears him warn the commis satre against D cartigny D cartigny s ticket to the ball has been recalled but he gains entrance by the window adele informs him of the governor governors s words to cassion I 1 la barre and cassion enemies z of adele and haters of her pro 1 i lector rene d cartigny visit a frightful tragedy on this brave little girl one which marks her for life all unbeknownst to 6 rene how she meets the great I 1 sorrow borrow with what courage she I 1 faces a future that looks forever dark is described with keen sympathy in this installment 4 e CHAPTER VI continued adele hiding in a dark room with D cartigny is caught eavesdropping on the governor as he consa res with ras cals to steal her heritage and is brought into the open he questions flier bar I 1 do not know monsieur who was here when you came 11 1 1 no 0 o one monsieur the room was empty then you hid there and overheard the conversation between colonel del guard and myself yes monsieur I 1 confessed feel ing my limbs tremble and also all that has passed since monsieur caslon cas lon entered yes monsieur he drew a deep breath striking Ms his ha hai d on the desk as though he be would control his anger were you alone had you a corn com panion I 1 know not how I 1 managed it yet I 1 raised my eyes to his simulating a surprise I 1 was far from front feeling alone monsieur I 1 am adele la Ches nayne if you doubt the way of discovery Is open without word from me ills suspicious doubting eyes never eft ft my face and there was sneer in fils his voice as he answered bah bahl I 1 am not in love to be played avith 1 by a witch perchance not easy for you to I 1 e well weil we will see look within the alcove carslon Cas slon the commIss alre was there even be fore the words of command were ut and my heair seemed to stop beating as his heavy hand tore aside the drapery I 1 leaned on the desk bracing myself expecting a blow a struggle but all was silent cassion braced and expectant peered into the shadows evidently perceiving nothing then stepped within only to instantly reappear h s expression that of dis dig appointment no one is there monsieur he re ported but the window Is open and not a dangerous leap to the court below returned la barre thoughtfully so far you win made mosselle mol selle isow NOW will you tou answer me 4 the door opened and a lean pr est in black robe entered were you alone there ten minutes ego ago it Is useless for me to reply mon bleur I 1 answered with dignity as it will in no way change ge your ded aton you have courage at least the inheritance of my race mon bleur W n ell well we 11 test it then but not in the form yon you anticipate he smiled but not pleasantly and resumed his seat at the desk I 1 propose closing your mouth mademoiselle and placing you beyond temptation monsieur cas slon sion have bave the I 1 eu tenant at the door enter As though in a daze I 1 saw cassion open the door speak a sharp word to one without and return followed by a young officer who glanced curiously aside at me even as he saluted la barre and silently awaiting his orders the latter remained a moment motionless his lips firm set where Is father le guard in the chapel monsieur he passed me a moment ago good inform the pere that I 1 desire his presence at once walt wait know you the fur trader hu hugo huo o chevet I 1 have seen the man mons monsieur leur a big fellow with a shaggy head bead ay as savage as the indians he has lived among he Is to be found at eclair eclairs s wine shop in the rue st louis have your sentries bring him here to me attend to both these mat les monsieur la barre s eyes turned from the disappearing figure of the officer rested a moment on my face and then smiled grimly as he fronted cassion he seemed well pleased with himself and to have recovered his big good humor A delightful sur surprise for you mon cassion casson he be slid genially and let us hope no less a pleasure for the op air lady be seated mademoiselle your marriage Is to take place tonight this affair is no longer one of at af faction it has become the king s busl bust ness a matter of state I 1 decide it Is best for you to leave quebec aal ayl ay and new france mademoiselle there Is but one choice imprisonment here or exile into the wilderness he leaned forward staring into my face with his fierce threatening eyes I 1 feel it bet ter that you go as mons eur cassion s wife and under his protection I 1 de cree that so you shall go alone with with monsieur cas slon sion one of his party my order also that hugo chevet be of the corn com pany perchance a year in the wilder ness may be of benefit to him and he might be of value in watching over young D cartigny never have I 1 felt more helpless more utterly alone I 1 knew all he meant but my mind grasped no way of escape his face leered at me as through a mist yet as I 1 glanced aside at cassion it only brought home to me a more complete dejection the man was glad glad he had no con science no shame to appeal to him would be waste of breath a deeper humiliation suddenly I 1 felt cold hard reckless aal ayl ay they had bad the power to foice folce me through the unholy ceremony I 1 was only a helpless girl but beyond that I 1 would laugh at them and cas sion if he dared the door opened and a lean priest in long black robe entered noiselessly bending his shaven to la barre as his crafty eyes swiftly swept our faces mons eur our desired my presence les le pere le guard a mis mission lon of happiness there are two here ato to be joined in matrimony mitri mony by bonds of holy church we but wait the coming of tile pidy s guardian the pere must have interpreted the expression of my face regular 1 he asked by order of the king ling returned la barre sternly beyond that it is not necessary that you inquire ah ali mon ifon s eur chevet they found you then I 1 have a sint surprise for you hereby ordered thit you accompany Commis Commiss saire alre cassion caslon to the illinois country as interpreter to be paid from my private fund chevet stared into the governors dark face scirce able to comprehend his big brain dazed from heavy dunk ng t the illino s country I 1 hugo che some joke monsieur 9 none at all as you w 11 discover aly my man I 1 do i ot jest on the king kings s service but my land mon mons eur my niece la barre permitted himself a laugh bah let the land lie ile fallow twill cost little nv bile you draw a TV age and as for dademo selle that you may accompany her I 1 make choice stand back you have your orders and now I 1 show you good reason he stood up and placed his hand on cassion s arm now my dear francois if you will join the lady CHAPTER VI the wife of francois cassion it Is vague all that transpired I 1 knew then and recall now much of the scene yet it returns to memory more in a passing picture than an ac reality in which I 1 was an actor but one clear impression dominated my brain my helplessness to resist the command of la barre his word was law in the colony and from it there was no appeal save to the king through swimming mist I 1 saw his face stern dark threatening and then glimpsed cassion approaching me a smile curling his thin I 1 ps I 1 shrank back from him yet arose to my feet trembling so that I 1 clung to the chair to keep erect do not touch me monsieur I 1 said in a voice which scarcely sounded like my own cassion stood still the smile of triumph leaving his face ace la barre turned his eyes cold and hard bard what Is this mademoiselle you would dare disobey me I 1 caught my breath gripping the chair with both hands io no monsieur ie governor I 1 an surprised at the clearness with which I 1 spoke that would be useless you have behind you the power of france and I 1 am a mere girl isor nor do I 1 appeal tor for I 1 know well the cause of your decision it Is indeed my eriv liege to appeal to holy church for pro lection from this outrage but not through such representative as I 1 see here pere ie guard la Is chaplain of my household and servant to your will monsieur known in all new france he is mote diplomat than priest nay I 1 take back my word and will make trial of hs priesthood father I 1 do not love this man nor marry him of my own free will I 1 appeal to you to the church to refuse the sanction the priest stood with fingers inter locked and head bowed nor did his eyes meet mine I 1 am but the humble instrument of those in authority daughter he re piled plied gently and must perform the sacred dut es of my office your own confession that your hand band has been pledged to monsieur cassion by hugo chevet not myself enough of this broke in la barre sternly and be he gripped my arm the girl hath lost her head and such con troverse tro versy la Is unseemly in my presence pere ie le guard let the ceremony pro teed your order monsieur ay do I 1 not speak my will plainly enough come the hour is late and our ui kii s g a s business is of more import than the whim of a girl I 1 never moved never lifted my eyes I 1 iwas was conscious of nothing but help less impotent anger of voiceless shame they might force me to go through the form but never would they make me the wife of this man my heart throbbed with rebellion my mind hardened into revolt I 1 knew all that occurred realized the significance of every word and act yet it was as it if they appertained to someone else I 1 felt the clammy touch of Cass cassion lons s hand band on my nerveless fingers and I 1 must have answered the interrogator les of the priest for hia his voice droned on meaningless to the end it was only in the silence which followed that I 1 seemed to regain consciousness and a new grip on my numbed faculties indeed I 1 was still groping in the fog bewildered inert when L la barre gave utterance to a coarse laugh congratulations francois he cried A fair wife and not so un willing after all and now your first kiss the sneer of these words was like a slap in the face ace and all the hat red and indignation I 1 felt seethed to the surface A heavy paper knife lay on the desk and I 1 gripped it in my fingers and stepped back facing them the mist seemed to roll away and I 1 saw their faces and there must have been that in mine to startle them for even la barre gave hick a step and the grin faded from the thin lips of the commIss alre ended then I 1 said and my voice did not falter I 1 am this man 8 N ife ery well you have had your way now I 1 will wil have mine listen to what I 1 shall say monsieur ie le gou verneur and you also francois cas slon sion by rite of church you call me wife but that Is your only claim I 1 know your law and that this cere core in mony ony has sealed my lips I 1 am your captive more you can rob me now but mark you all that you will ever get Is money monsieur cassion if you dare lay so much as a finger on me I 1 will kill you as I 1 would a snake I 1 know what I 1 say and mean it you kiss me try it monsieur if you doubt how my race repays insult I 1 will go with you I 1 will bear your name this the law compels but I 1 am still miltress mi itress of my soul and of my body you hear bear me messieurs you tan V cassion stood deanin leaning 7 forward just whet e my fit alist st words word hid held him motionless onles ks I 1 paused his big eyes were on my face and he I 1 eted a hand to wipe away drops of perspiration la barre crumpled the paper he held qa v abely so he exclaimed we have un chaindel a tiger cat IN ell all this Is naught to me and franco s I 1 leave you and the wll Ail derne s to do the tarn tam ing ng in fa th t s time aheady you were ere off you agree to accompany the pirty without resistance ma dame Ys ks m ell there as here I 1 answered contemptuously and you hugo cheep Cheet 9 the giant growled something inar tic through his beard not alto gether I 1 thought to la baire s liking liling tor for his big face darkened by st anne a happy family amid ivsich you start your honey moon monsieur masslon he at length but go you must though I 1 send a file of sold ers with you to the boats now leave me and I 1 would hear no more until word cornea comes of your arrival at st louis we left the room together the three of us and no one spoke as we trav eased the great assembly hall in which dancers still lingered and gained the outer hall cassion secured my cloak and I 1 wrapped it about my shoulders for the night air without was already chill and then yet in unbroken sl lence we passed down the steps into the darkness of the street I 1 walked beside chevet who was growling to himself scarce sober enough to clearly realize what had occurred and so we followed the commis saire down the step path which led to the river vaguely I 1 comprehended that I 1 was no longer adele la Ches nayne but the wife of that man I 1 followed A word a muttered prayer an uplifted band hand had made me his slave his vassal nothing Iso thing could break the bond between us save death I 1 might hate despise revile but the bond held this thought grew clearer as my mind readjusted itself and the full horror of the situa tion took possession of me yet there was noth ng I 1 could do I 1 could neither escape nor fight nor had I 1 a friend to whom I 1 could appeal suddenly I 1 realized that I 1 still grasped in my hand band the heavy paper knife I 1 had snatched up from la barre s desk and r A I 1 try it monsieur if you doubt how my race repays insult I 1 thrust it into the waistband of my skirt it was my only weapon of de tense yet to know I 1 bad had even that seemed to bring me a glow of courage we NN e reached the rivers river s edge and halted below us on the bank the blazing fire emitted a red gleam re fleeting on the water ater and showing us the dark outlines of waiting canoes and seated figures gazing about cas slon sion broke the silence his voice as suming the harshness of authority three canoes where is the other huh it if there be delay now someone will make answer to me pass the word for the sergeant ah Is this you le claire all is prepared monsieur he glared at the stocky figure front ing him in infantry uniform prepared you have but three boats at the bank the other is below mons eur it la Is loaded and waits to lead the way ah ali and who Is in charge W N as it not your will that it be the guide the bleur d cartigny Art igny macrel but I 1 had forgotten the fel low ay the best place for him and are all provisions and arms aboard you checked them le claire with care monsieur I 1 watched the stowing of each piece there is noth ing forgotten I 1 found myself in one of the canoes so filled with men an any movement was almost impossible yet of this I 1 did not complain compla ln for my uncle chevet was next to me and cassion took place at the steering oar in the stern to be separated from him was all I 1 asked he had won he had used his power to conquer very well now he would pay the price he thought me a helpless girl he would find me a woman and a la Ches nayne T the he tears left my eyes and my head lifted as purpose and decision returned N V e were skirting the northern bank the high bluffs blotting out the stars with here and there far up |