Show 7 E d th F cantier A romance of eyon e the early middle days west in by RANDALL PARRISH SYNOPSIS 10 adele la Ches nayne a belle of new f prance france Is forced into marriage with Commis saire cass on henchman of governor la barre who s plotting to oust la salle and his garrison tron the front er fort st louis on the III nos no s river adele had overl eard the plotters say she had inherited a 9 great fortune from her father and they had kept it from her ia la I a barre and casson cass on learned of the gals g rl s knowledge thus the mar ariage and the burred hurr ed departure of cas r on and a company for fort st louis the bride refuses to share sleep ng quarters with her husband she has but one friend young kene rene D art gny a guide he ile Is chary of helping her chevet the girls girl s uncle one of the par ty is found murdered A fierce storm scatters and wrecks the boats adela adele is rescued there comes to adele an op port unity ty to escape a long life worse to her than the death which she has just escaped yet the spell of her marriage vow forced though it was has a strong influence the pendulum of m sf has reached the end of its swing and seems to be returning to center you wilt will f nd much of interest and the unfolding of a new my mystery astery in th s install rient nent CHAPTER XIII continued lie a moment sa d a vo ce cc gently you will breathe easier short ly and regain strength I 1 knew my fingers closed on the man a hand convulsively but the wa ter yet blinded my eyes he must have perceived this for he wiped my face with a cloth and it was then I 1 perc ened ed bis his face clearly and kemem bared the bleur cartigny dArt igny I 1 exclaimed of course be he answered who else should it be madame ma daine please do not regret my privilege your privilege a strange word A you choose monsieur I 1 faltered not yet having control of myself surely I 1 have granted none perchance not as there was small chance he answered evidently at tempt ng to speak lightly nor could I 1 wait to ask your leave yet surely I 1 may esteem it a privilege to bring u ashore alive it was you then who saved me I 1 marcely sar cely understood mons eur I 1 lost consciousness and am dazed in mind you leaped into the water from the canoes canoe yes there was no other course left me my boit boat was beyond yours a few yards farther out in the lake when the storm struck we were par bially prepared for I 1 felt assured there would be trouble never d d I 1 feel t more deadly blast no craft such as ours could face it N e were to your left and rear when your canoe cap F zed and I 1 bore down toward where OA you struggled in the water an in than got grip upon you as we swept by but the craft d aped so that be he let go and their I 1 jumped tor for we could never come bad and that was the only chance th s is the whole story madame except that by gods god s help I 1 got you ashore I 1 looked into his face impressed by the ser ausness with which he spoke t I 1 I 1 thank you monsieur I 1 said and held out my hind hand it was most gallant are we alone here where are the others I 1 do not lot know madame he an his tone now that of formal courtesy but a short time 8 nee uce we reached this spot and the storm yet rages may I 1 help you to stand so you may perceive better our situation he ile lifted me to my feet and I 1 stood erect my clothes dr pp ng net w et and my limbs trembling so that I 1 grasped his arm for support and glanced anxiously about e were on a narrow sand beach it at the edge 51 of a small cove so protected the wa were comp arith ely calm collin al 11 though the trees above bowed to the blast and out beyond the heidland headland I 1 could see huge waves wh tend with foam and perceive the clouds of spray 4 flung up by the rocks it was a w 11 scene the roar of the breakers loud and continuous and the black clou Is 46 flying il qi oi e with d azy rap city all the horror which I 1 had just passed through typified in the scene and I 1 coveted my face with my bands hands you you th III they they are all goner gone I 1 asked forcing the words from me oh no he answered eagerly and his hand touched me do not g ve way iway to that thought I 1 doubt if any in your cahoe made shore but the need not be in greit great danger dinger d inger they could run before the storm until N they found some open ng in the coast line to Y eld protect on the sergeant was no voy voya arar and when one of the paddles brol e he steered wrong V ith an indian there you would hare have floated then what can we doa there la Is naught that I 1 see gee but wait mon leur cass on will be blown d south but will return when the storm OA subsides to seek you no doubt he will think you dead yet will scarcely leave without search see the sky grows already and the wind Is less fierce it would be my thought ito to attain the woods yonder and build ju a file to dry our clothes the air chills I 1 I 1 looked where be he pointed up a nar row r ft in the rocks yet scarcely felt strength or courage to attempt the ascent lie ile must have read thia this in my face and ar seen en my boim shiver as the wind struck my wet garments for he made instant decision ah ali I 1 have a better thought than that for you ire are too weak to attempt the climb here lie ile down madame and I 1 will cover you with the sand it is 13 warm and add dry then I 1 will clamber up yonder and fling bing wood down twill be but a short time 1 ve we have a cheerful blaze here from where I 1 lay my head on a flumm ocl of sand my body corn com plemely bur ell e I 1 I 1 could watch him scale the rocks mak ng use of the rift in the face ot of the cliff and find ng no great difficulty at the top he looked back waved his pis hind hand and then dis appeared among the trees all was silent about me except for the dash of distant waves ind and the rustle u or of branches ar overhead I 1 gazed up at the sky where the clouds were th nning giving glimpses of faintest blue and began to collect my own thoughts and realize my situation D art gny appeared at the edge of the cliff and called to reassure me of his presence he ile hid bad h s arms filled with broken bits of wood which were tossed to the sand and a moment later he descended the rift in the wall and paused bes de me no sign of anyone up there he be said ind and I 1 felt not regretfully the canoes must have been blown some distance down the coast were N ere you able to see far ky y several leagues tor for we are upon a headland and there Is a wide sweep of bay below the shore I 1 ne ZOE I 1 he lifted me to my F t is abrupt and the wives waves still high indeed I 1 siw saw no spot in all that d s tance where a boat ml ht make site e landing are you becom ng dry I 1 im am at least warm an ani I 1 already feel much stronger 11 it not be best monsieur for us to scale the cl el ff and wait our rescuers where we can keep lookout loo kot if you feel able to climb the rocks although the passage is not d filault A boat III piss pass us by here ind and never be seen or I 1 now of our pres ence unless we kep up a fire I 1 held out my hand to him and he helped me to my feet the warmth of the sand wh ie it had not ent rely dried my clothing clot bing hid bad g ven n e fresh v gor and I 1 stood erect no ass stance NN V ith tl is 19 kno i ledge a new as assurance surnce seemed to tike take posses sion slon of me and I 1 looked about and smiled I 1 am glad to know you cm can laugh he sa d ea sicily eily I 1 have felt that our being thus sh I 1 toe vt ras as not altogether to your I 1 kill king ind why I 1 abbed ed pretending gurgi se be ng sh p pw vv mckea 0 of course could scarcely icely appeal to me but I 1 am surely not ungrateful to you tor for saving my life is s to that I 1 did no more thin than any any mm man might be expected to do he pio pi tested but you have a oiled me for weeks past and it cm can scarcely be pleasant now to be alone with me here avo ded you father rather should I 1 at af firm it was your own cho ce monsieur if I 1 recall abight I 1 gave you my con once long ago on the ottawa and you refused my request of assist ance since then you have scarcely been of our party kb h he burst forth I 1 I 1 have ben bean mes nearer you than you thought I 1 could cot not forget what you said to me at that last meet ng or the appeal you made for my assistance I 1 real ze the posit on you are in madame married by force to a man you despise a wife only in name and endeavoring to protect yourself by wit alone I 1 could not forget all this nor be indifferent I 1 have been in your camp at night ay more than once dr earning drei ming I 1 might be of some aid to you and to assure ot of your safety yon you have guarded me is s best I 1 could without arous il ng the wrath of monsieur cassion 1 ou are not angry it was but the duty of a friend no I 1 am not angry monsieur yet it was not needed I 1 do not fear cass on so long as I 1 can protect my self for if he attempts evil it will find some form of treachery but monsieur later I 1 gave h in the pledge be he asked the pledge what pledge that I 1 would ne ther meet nor communicate with you until our ar at rival at fort rort st lou a my eyes fell before his earnest gaze and I 1 felt my I 1 abs tremble mon dieu why thele was some spec al caused yes monsieur listen do not be lieve this is my thought yet I 1 must tell you the truth hugo chevet was nas found dead murdered at st ignice ignace the morn ng of our dep irttie ind and your boat had already gone cas slon accused you of the crime as some of the men saw you coming from the direct on where the body was found late at n and others reported that you two had quarreled the evening before cass on would have tr ed you offhand using h s authority as corn com mander of the expedit on but prom ased not to file charges until we reached st leu lou s if I 1 made pledge pleda then that I 1 gave h m my w ord D art gny guy straightened up the ex pres slon on his face one of profound astonishment I 1 he he accused me he asked of murder to win your promise 9 no monsieur he bel bill eved the charge true and I 1 pledged myself to assure you a fair trial then you believed also that I 1 was guilty of the foul crimea I 1 caught my breath yet there was noth ng for me to do but give him a frank answer 1 I 1 I have given no testimony mon I 1 faltered but 1 I 1 I saw you in the dooni bending over che vets vet s dead body CHAPTER XIV we exchange conf confidences dences my eyes fell before his I 1 could not look into h s face yet I 1 had 1 a I sense that he was actually glad to hear my words there was no anger rather happ ness and rel ef in the gray eyes eye s and you actually believed I 1 struck the blow blows lou ion thought me capable of driving a fe into the man s back to gain reven revenge ge 9 afons eur what could I 1 th nka I 1 urged e gerly it dl dil I 1 not seem pos s ble yet I 1 saw you with my own eyes iou lou knew of the murder but you made no report raised no alarm and in the morning your boat was gone beffie the body was found by 0 others true yet there was a reason which I 1 can confess to you you also dis covered the body that night yet aroused no alarm I 1 saw ou NN why by d dd d you rema reman n s lent was N as it to protect me from suspicion I 1 bent my head but failed to find words w th N w inch to ans 8 er D arti gny guy scarcely pei m tte atel I 1 me time TI at is the truth your s lence tells me it N w as for my sal e you remained still Is it not poss ble adele that my purpose vv was as the ame I 1 laten to me my gill and have faith in my words I 1 am not ga ity of hugo che vet a death I 1 d I 1 not like ile the man it is true and we exchanged words in anger wh ie le boidi g the boats but I 1 never gave the matter second thought that w as not the first n of this journey that I 1 sought to assile my self of lour I 1 know mons au eur cur cass on and of what he is cap cip ble and felt that some time there wo ild occur between you a struggle so at ei every ery camp ng place it was N is poss ble I 1 hive bite watched it was for that purpose I 1 approached the miss on house I 1 gained gl u apse u vv tin i and saw cas s on asleep beep on a bench and knew you ha hal I 1 ret re rel I 1 to tl tie e chamber above I 1 mas w as satisfied sats sat fied and started to return to the camp on my way bick I 1 f und che et s body at the ede of the wood I 1 discovered how honn he had leen 1 een killed a anfe fe thrust in the back but you made no report raised no alarm I 1 was confused u able to dec de what was best bost for me to do I 1 had no bus ness being there my aly first 1111 pulse was to arouse the mission house my second to retain to camp and tell the men there IN ith th 8 last pur pose in lew I 1 entered the wood to decendy the h 11 but had hardly done so when I 1 caught s glit of you in the moonlight and rema ned tl eie ele h adden watching your movements with hor I 1 saw you go straight to the body assure yourself the man was dead then return to the mission house and enter your room by way of the kitchen roof do abu realize what your actions naturally meant to me I 1 stared at him scarcely able to speak yet in some way my lips formed words you you thought I 1 did it what else could I 1 think you were hiding there you examined the body you crept secretly in through the window and gave no alarm the horror of it all struck me like a blow and I 1 coi cohered ered my eyes with my hands bands no longer able to restrain my sobs D art gny guy caught my hands and my face do not break down little girl he entreated it is better so for now no we understand under each other you sought to shield me and I 1 endeavored to pro hect you a strange mis mi inder stand ng and but foi the accident ident to the canoe might haae had bad a tragic ending you would never have told of see ng ng yo yoi I 1 of suspecting you could aou QU think that possible but you would have been con damned the evidence was all against you let us not tall of that now pe he insisted we have come bad to a faith in each other you lou believe my word yes leg kud I 1 yours his han handclasp hando delasp lasp tightened and there was that in his eyes which frightened me no 0 o no mons eur cur I 1 exclaimed and drew back quickly do not gay more for I 1 am here with you alone and there will be trouble enough when cassion returns do I 1 not dot I 1 now thata he said yet releasing my hands still it can sure ly do no harm for us to understand each other you care nothing for cass on you dislike despise the man and there Is naught sacred in your marriage we are in the wilderness not quebec and la barre has little authority here you ion have protected me with your silence was it not because you cared for me inc yes monsieur you have been my frier d your friend Is that all Is that not enough mons eur eurl I 1 like you well I 1 would save you from injustice you could not respect me if I 1 said more for I 1 am monsieur cassion s wife by rite of holy church I 1 do not fear him bim he Is a coward but I 1 fear dishonor monsieur tor for I 1 am adele la Ches nayne I 1 would re myself F and you the I 1 of or conquest vanished from the gray eyes for a moment he stood silent and motionless then he drew a step backward and bowed your rebuke la is just madame he said if soberly we of the frontier grow careless in a land where might Is right and I 1 have hid had small training save in camp and field I 1 crave your pardon for my offense so contrite was his express on I 1 had to smile realizing for the first time the tho depth of his interest in my good will yet the feel ug ng which swayed me was not altogether that of pleasure he was not one to yield so quietly or to long restrain rest iain lain the words bun burl ing h his S tongue yet I 1 surrendered derel to my fi first impulse in pulse and extended my hand there Is nothing to pardon bleur d cartigny I 1 so sa d frankly there Is no one to whom I 1 owe more of cour tesy than you I 1 trust you fully and |