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Show THE TIMES-NEWSNEPI- UTAH II. The Valley of Voices OLIVER By. GEORGE MARSH A uthor of "Toilers of the Trail" "The Whelps of the Wolf" (Copyright by the Penn Publishing Co.) (W. N. U. Service.) LAFLAMME d With David, guide. Brent Steele, of the American Museum of Natural HiBlory, la traveling in northern Canada. By a stream he hears Denise, daughter of Col. Hilalre St. Ongre. factor at Wailing Kiver, play the violin superbly. He introduces himself and accepts an Invitation to make the. post his homo during his stay. He finds the factor worried and mystied. The "log chateau" is a real home. From St. Onge he learns of th mysterious creature of evil, the Windlgo, and the disappearance of a canoe and its crew, with the season's take of furs. Then at gives a weird night the Windlgo performance. Even Steele is and David, Steele's Indian, St. Onge's head-maMichel, leave for the scene of the canoe's disappearance in an attempt to solve the mystery. St. Onge tells Steele that Lascelles, the company's Manager at Fortto Albany, seeks his ruin lr order compel Denise to marry him to save her father. Steele and Denise fall in love. Steele finds the track of the Wlndigo huge and much like a bear's. David finds the Indian same thing. in St. Onge's employ. Is caught listening to Steele's talk with Da id and Michel, and roughly handled. SYNOPSIS. half-bree- to decide between leaving the company or giving your daughter to a man you despise. "The offer I have made to you, I repeat. From Ogoke Lake we can keep the Revillon Freres, and the Hudson's Bay company out of the Wailing River valley, and control the Swift Current and Drowning River trade as well. In five years we will retire rich. " "I offer your daughter a name honored for generations iu Three Rivers. Although I have spent my life In the North, my education has been of the best not picked up In the barrack room like that of Lascelles. Monsieur ! le Colonel, the time has come when you are forced to make a clmlce between us. Join with me, and In a few years your daughter will live in luxury in Montreal or Quebec, and your old age will be provided for; choose Lascelles and you will never see the Ice break up on the Wailing, for your Indians will leave you. I have loved your daughter since I saw her at Albany, and can make her happy. Consider cnrefully before you decide to become the dog of Lascelles. If It Is to CHAPTER IV Continued I be that rat of a 9 warn you now that you will find my "What you told me has been re- arm long. Until the snow flies I will spected, sir," Interrupted Steele, Ir- wait for your canoe. . "LOUIS LAFLAMME." ritated at the manner of tire older Steele returned the letter to St man. "Yes, monsieur," mollified the fac- Onge with the comment, "Monsieur, tor, "we have found you a gentleman. you were a soldier of France. To a But for a time I suspected you of letter like this there Is but one reply being a member of the provincial po- for a soldier." There was a glitter in lice, and that would have complicated the eyes of the American as they met those of the older man. matters." "For a soldier," repeated the French"Whijt do you mean?" man with excitement, "there Is but It were ever known if "Why, tip river that the police had stayed here with me for some time before acting against Laflamme, the post might be burned over our heads. They are a lawless crowd, monsieur." "According to your story you are bound to lose the post whatever happens." "Yes, but there Is Denise." "I don't understand." "Monsieur, Laflamme' has never stopped at. anything. lie might not stop there." "You mean that he Is in love with Mademoiselle St. Onge?" "Precisely !" "And might attempt to take her by force?" He "lie might attempt anything. has never respected the law Is a desperate man." "But they would hunt him down. He could not get away in this coun try. He would be a madman to at tempt it." "He Is a madman, monsieur." Steele was tempted to laugh in the face of his host. He would shortly have the opportunity of measuring this madman with his own eyes. St Onge certainly was painting him In "But That Is Not All," Went On St strong colors. But they had wandered Onge. from the point. 'On one guard!' I would kill reply, "I have asked you for your confidence," he began abruptly. "If you her with my own hand before giving cannot see your way clear to allow her to that renegade. Why, there Is a me to nkl you, I shall regret it." He white woman now at Ogoke and to was thinking of the girl up at the write this Insult!" The American leaped to his feet. house. "Monsieur Steele, we have decided "Colonel," he cried, "Laflamme says you won't see the Ice leave the Wailthat you deserve our confidence Denise and I; but I fear It will do ing. Let's call that bluff With your leave, I'll come back on the snow, and no good now. They have got us." we'll watch the Ice go out together!" "They?", demanded the' American. The hands of the two men met as "Yes," and the Mood mounted to the silently pledged each other. Then St. Onge's bronzed face as he talked. as his mind "I told you that Lascelles had pur- Steele's toface sobered the turned problem that greater sued my daughter since the winter we confronted him, spent at Albany. And now, with the "But Lascelles how does Laflamme disappearance of this fur, the post can be closed, ns It shows a loss un- know so much about him?" "Laflamme was at Fort Albany, four He can force der my management. me from the company's service ruin years ago, attempting to make a deal me. In .France I have no property with Lascelles. He was suspected of to lure him from the Revillon left; It U all gone, and I am an old trying Freres' employ. It was there he first man, monsieur." The face of St. Onge was yellow and saw Denise. Since then he has written us many letters. Once he stopped wrinkled. "But you will not consent to your here on his way up river, and threatforce If she daughter " vehemently protested the ened to take her away by In younger man, when he was interrupt- did not listen to him. She lives constant fear of him." ed, with : "That much," replied explains "Ah, monsieur, you do not know her. I fear that already she may ave In- Steele. "And the letter she sent to Lascelles when did it go downriver?" I have Just learned volved herself. "With the search party from Albany. that she sent a letter by the last canoe Long before you reached here as to Albany." Steele's deepest Instincts revolted at much as two weeks." "And this letter evidently accounts the thought. It was nionstrori unbefor her depression her sadness." lievable! Small wonder he had fonti "Yes. This matter and her fear of her playing her heart out at the rapids. He knew now Just what hope- Laflamme. She believes that he will lessness, what heartache, lay beneath keep his word try to use force. As the "Farewell" she barf played on the for the letter, she refuses to tell me hill. To shield her father's old age what she wrote, but I enn guess." "And of course Lascelles will show from the bitterness of failure and penury here. In this new land, up here before the river closes, since she had deliberately offered to de- she has nt last listened to him?" Her stroy that glorlour. youth of hers at Inexplicable, "There Is no way out for last capitulated to this Intriguing cur the lost," was now clear. "That Is what I fear" of nn Inspector. "But what do you Intend to do, mon"But that Is not nit," wept on St. " sieur? You must have some phin," Onge. "Shortly before your rr'-acanoe brought this letter from Ogoke." impatiently demanded Steele. "What can I do? I've told her that Steele's lean face lighted with curiosity ns he started to rend the letter I shall never consent to It; that I handed him by the factor. Then the would kill her and myself first." There was no solution of this probmuscles of his Jaw bulged as his teeth lem In the mind of the American. It ground In anger. was a situation which seemed hopeless "Monsieur St. Onge, Indeed. If she refused to listen to her "Kevlllon Freres, Walling Hirer. "For the third and Inst time I sin father she surely was too proud to writing you In nn attempt to mnke brook Interference from a stranger. you see the Jit a a sensible man. I She had burned her bridges, yet someJiave reason to know that Lascelles Is thing must be done something to preBut what? now ready to force your hand. The vent her failure, as he In And then, be remembered with a start, post has proved tended It should, and you have now there was this Wlndlgv matter. .ays-tlfle- d. n, Tete-Boul- e, . t, 1 po-.ib- 1 CHAPTER VI CHAPTER V The following morning the three friends were loading their canoe preparatory to ascending the river on a round of the fall camps of Indians trading at the post, when the flash of a paddle ' far upstream aroused their Interest. "Dnt ees queer t'lng,' commented Michel, scowling darkly, "Eef M'sieu Lalamine come to mak' trouble, he weel fin' plenty here." At the mention of Laflamme, David's small eyes narrowed ; the muscles' of his thick forearms worked nervously as though he already felt his fingers at the throat of the Steele's curiosity, was keenly aroused, for It was too late In the year for the canoe of a trading hunter to visit" the post ; this boat was undoubtedly from Ogoke. What new scheme had La flamme In mind? It would be four weeks before the winter would break the limit he had given St. Onge for his answer. It was not long before the was close enough to disclose but a single occupant And shortly, as It neared the shore, Michel called : I bo-J- f "Bo'-J- o Tlerrel W'at you do here so far from de Feather lake?" The Indian grounded his boat on the beacb and shaking the hnnd of the head-mareplied in Ojibway as Da-vi- ii and Steele Joined them : "Bo'-JMichel ! The hunters at the Fef.ther lakes are leaving for the Medicine Hills country. For three nights the Windlgo howled on the burnt ridge by Big Feather lake. The people are weak with fear; they will not trap there this winter." "Did you hear the voice of the Pierre?" asked Michel gravely. "No, I was netting whiteflsh at the Lake of the Deep Water. When I returned to the camp they were leaving. There will be no trap lines in that valley this long snows." "Did the people see the tracks of the Windlgo?" "No, their blood was cold In their veins. They did not stay to look for a frail. Why should they? They were free-trade- r. o, AVIn-dlg- afraid." "But why did you leave your family for the AVIndigo to eat and come here; last spring yon traded your fur at Ogoke?" rasped Michel so savagely that the Ojibway backed away, for the Iroquois was feared the raw-bone- d length of the Wailing. "I need shells for my gun, and Ogoke Is far," weakly replied the other, his eyes shifting uneasily. The swart features of Michel twisted with anger. "You lie. you have plenty shell !" he replied, fiercely, returning to English for Steele's benefit "You travel here to mak' trouble wld your beeg talk of de Windlgo." And the long arm of the exasperated headman shot out a crushing blow In the face of the Ojibwny. As the Indian staggered back with a cry from the attack of the Infuriated Iroquois, Steele stepped between them, and pushing Michel aside, ordered sternly: "That's enough !" The cowed Indian, nursing his bleed ing lips, and protesting his Innocence, left the men on the beach and Joined the post people who were excitedly discussing the coming of the stranger and bis reception at the hands of Michel. "Evidently you don't like that Pierre," laughed Steele. "What made you so mad?" "I t'ink he cum here to talk to was the significant reply. "Dey weel mak' de medicine tonight to scare tie Windlgo." "What, Is he a shaman a conjuror, too?" "He claim he ees beeg medicine man. one of de Midewiwln, so I t'ink he put de devils een me now." Then Michel related what had passed between him and Pierre. "But yon can't blame him for fearing the Windlgo, or for coming here If It Is nearer his hunting grounds than Ogoke." The Inscrutable Iroquois faced Steele with snapping eyes. "Many long snows fall, m'slen, seence de Mibwny starve out on de Walling riviere. Maybe ten maybe more. Many die all tru dees cmnfree dnt long snows, for ect was de year of de rabbit plague nnd dere were no moose. Dees Pierre cum to Fort dat spreeng an sny bees woman die, but I go to hees camp dut summer, an' I fin' her bones een de bush oen two, three place all romi. He keel hees woman and left her Id de mow for de wolverines an' fox b nevnlre starve. He een no good. He mm here to mak' de trouble nn' scare our people." Tcte-Boule- ," Pierre also apparently has part In the conspiracy. Is Laflamme back of the Windlgo caret (TO BB CONTINUED.) Change in Men's Dtett The wig and the pigtail went out of fashion early In the Nineteenth century and gentlemen wore their hair rather long and freely oiled. Loose coKsnck trousers, vests, :ind voluminous cravats were In fashion, the shirt coIIhT was often worn lurned up with the points showing above the cravat. The coat cut away squarely In front went out of date late In the Nineteenth century. hlgh-wslste- d OCT By George Barr HcCulcheon Continued But the minister's wife was still a vividly handsome woman. She had taken good cure of herself; she had made a business of keeping young In looks as well as in spirit. In a clear, full voice, trained to reach remote perches In lofty theaters, she spoke to her husband from the coach steps: "Herbert, dear, have you the checks for my baggage, or huve I?" "I I will attend to the trunks" he began huskily, only to be Interrupted by the Indefatigable Sammy. - "Don't give 'em another thought, Mr. Sage. I'll see to everything. Give me the checks and right tills way, please, Mrs. Sage." , "Thank you thank you so much," said Mrs. Sage graciously, and. as Sammy bustled on abend. Inquired la an undertone of Jane at whose side she walked : "Is that the wonderful Oliver October I've been hearing so much about?" "No, mother that Is Sammy Parr. I I I don't see Oliver anywhere. wrote him the train we were coming" A few pace ahead Sammy was explaining loudly to Mr. Sage : "I guess something Important of a political nature must have turned up to keep Oliver from meeting the train. We had It all fixed up to meet you with my car and he was to be here at four sharp. Doc Lansing's up at Harbor Point, Mich., for a little vacation. Won't be back till Sunday week. Muriel's out here In the car, Mr. Sage. She'll drive you home while I see about the baggage." Mr. Sage had recovered bis composure by this time. lie leaned close to Sammy's ear and said gravely: "Lugga ge, Sam my ugga ge." "Sure I get you," said Sammy, winking. "But just the same I'll call it baggage till I've got It safely out of the hands of Jim O'Brien, the baggage master. Here we are! Hop right In, Jane. Permit me to introduce myself, Mrs. Sage. I am" "I remember you quite well," Inter rupted the great actress (pronouncing It "quate"). "You are Sammy Purr little Sammy Parr. "I say, Herbert, old thing, you can't make me believe this is Itumley. You are deceiving me. I don't recognize a Oh, yes, I do! I take It all single back. I would know that man if I saw him In Timbuktu. The old Johnnie in the car we Just passed. It was Gooch the amiable Gooch and, my word. what a dust he was raising!" Oliver, pedaling furiously, arrived at the parsonage ten minutes behind the Sages. The minister greeted him as he came clattering np the front steps. "Sh!" he cfrntioned, his finger to his lips. "Don't make such a noise, OH ver If you please. She's she's rest Ing. Sh! Do you mind tiptoeing, lad?' "Where Is Jane, Uncle Herbert?" broke in Oliver, twiddling his hat. He was struck by the dazed, beatific, and yet harassed expression In the minis ter's eyes. "Jane? Oh, yes, Jane. Why, Jane Is upstairs with her dear mother helping her with her hair, I think. I nm sure she will not be down for some time, Oliver. After the hair I thin!; she rubs her back or something of that sort Do you mind strolling around the yard with me, Oliver? I was on the point of taking Henry the Eighth out for a little exercise." "Henry the what?" Inquired Oliver, still gripping the pastor's hand. "The Eighth," sjild Mr. Sage, looking about the porch and shifting the position of bis feet In some trepidation. "Bless my soul, what can have become of l.Ini? I hope I haven't been standing on him. I should have squashed him The Ah, I remember! ' what he Is after. It Is possible that a good many people will hesltute about voting for a man who Is suspected of WNU Service Copyright. Bell Syndicate Josephine was silent for a long time. Suddenly she lifted her head and looked up Into her daughter's face. "My dear," she said, with a wry little twist at the corner of her generous mouth, "I've come home to stay. I daresay you will find me capuble of taking things as they are. I did It once before, and I can do It again." The express wagon with Mrs. Sage's tranks arrived as Oliver, in despair, was preparing to depart as he had come, on Marmaduke Smith's bicycle. He took fresh hope. Here was a chance to see Jane after all. "Where do you want the trunks. Jane?" he shouted from the bottom of the stairs. There was no answer. Where shall we put them. Uncle Her bert?" he asked, bis hands jammed deep In his pockets. "Bless my soul, I I haven't nn Idea," groaned Mr. Sage, passing his band over his brow. "Unless you put them In my study," he suggested brightly. Fifteen minutes later, the trunks being piled high in the pastor's little study, Oliver mopped his brow and expressed himself feelingly to Mr. Sage from the bottom of the porch steps. "Uncle Herbert, I think Jane might have been allowed a minute or two to d 1 bat-rac- k The Windows Are Open, Oliver." "Sh! say hello to a fellow. Good Lord, sir, is is this to be Jane's Job from now on?" "Sh I The windows are open, Oliver." "Is she to be nothing but a lady's maid to Aunt Josephine?" "We are so happy to have her with ns, my dear boy, that er nothing er " "I understand, Uncle Herbert," broke in O.Iver contritely, noting the pastor's distress. "I'm sorry I spoke as I did. Tell Jane I'll call her up this And please tell Aunt Joevening. sephine I am awfully keen to see her. I used to love her better than anything going, you know." Then he pedaled slowly away on Manmiduke's wheel, looking over his shoulder until the windows of the parsonage were no longer visible. !" He dashed Into the hall, followed by Oliver, and there was Henry the Eighth suspended from Ihe hatrack by his leash In such a precarious fashion that only by standing on his hind legs was lie able to avoid strangulation. "I am so murmnrvl Mr. Sage, rather plaintively. "Pour docile! Was he being hanged like a horrid old murderer? Wus he " "I saj. Uncle Herbert, don't you think Jane may have finished er rubbing Mrs. Sage's bark by this time?" Interrupted the impatient Oliver. "Possibly," said the other. "Come aloi g, d'ggle lets romp a bit." Meanvdiile, Jane, liming brushed her mother's hair, was now employed In absent-minded- ." the more laborious task of rubbing the lady's back. "You have n great ileal of magnetism In your bands, my dear," droned Mrs. Sag", luxuriously. "As I say, my maid always did It for me In London, but she never bad the touch that you have. The right shoulder now, please." "I think Oliver Is downstairs with father," began Jane wistfully. "She was my dresxer, too," went on Mrs. Sage drowsily, "lioally, I wonder now that I endured her as long ns I did. And I Shouldn't If she hadn't been so kind to Henry the Eighth. 1 do hope yor.r father Is giving blin a nice little romp In the front" "Shall I run down and see, mother?" broke In Jane enterly. "Presently, my dear, presently. I Shall be taklnjt my tub In a few you say we -have a bathroom now? Pear me, hove- the house has grown. How miivif servants have we?" "One," said Jane succinctly. "Oner gt.'ed Josephine. "I never beard of such a thing." "One Is ill we need, and besides one Is all we can afford. I am aTrald you will have lot to put tip with, mother CHAPTER VII Oliver Is Worried e days later, the sheriff of the county served papers on Oliver October. The prosecuting attorney had refused to lay the matter before the grand Jury, as requested by Horace Gooch, but had grudgingly ucceded to bis demand that an official Investigation be instituted ami curried to a definite conclusion by the authorities. "I want you to understand. Oliver," explained the sheriff, "that this Is none of my doing. Gooch has obtained an order from the court, calling for a search of the swamp nnd your premises, basing his affidavit on the suscame to picion that his brother-in-labis death by foul means and er so on. lie agrees to pay all the costs arising from this Investigation In case nothing comes of It. On the other band. If your father's body Is found, and there Is any evidence of foul play, the county naturally Is to assume all the costs.. The old man has hired two detectives to come down here and take active charge of the work. I hope you won't have any hard feelings toward me, Baxter. I nm only doing my duty as ordered by the court." "Not the slightest feeling In the world, sheriff," said Oliver warmly, "1 wish you would do me a favor, The next time you see my uncle, please remind him that my offer to give $.",( Ml If he finds my poor father dead or alive still holds. You can start digging whenever you are ready, sheriff. If any damage Is done to the property, however, I shall he obliged to compel my uncle to pay for It. Don't forget to tell him. that, will you?" The slieriff grinned. "I wonder it this old bird knows how many votes he's going fo lose by this sort of thing." Oliver frowned. "Ills scheme Is to throw snsnlclon on me, sheriff. That's Tli-e- bow-eve- killing his own father." "Don't you worry, Oliver," cried the sheriff, slapping the young man on the back. "Things are coming out all right for you !" Fully a week passed before a move was mude by the authorities. The newspapers devoted considerable first page space to the new angle in the unsolved Bnxter mystery, but not one of them took the matter up editorially. Notwithstanding the reticence of the press, the news like wildfire that Horace Gooch was uctually charging his nephew with the murder of his father. The town of Itumley went wild with anger nnd indignation. A few hotheads talked of tar and feathers for old man Gooch. And yet deep down in the soul of every 'one who cried out against Hor ace i.oocn s malevolence lurked a strange uneasiness that could not be shaken off. The excitement over the return of Mrs. Sage was short-liveon account of the new and startling turn in the Baxter mystery. Acute interest in the pastor's wife dwindled Into n mild, almost Innocuous form of curiosity. Ladles of the congregation, after a dignified season of hesitation, called on her that Is to say, after forty-eigh- t hours and were told by the servant that Miss Judge was not at home. She would be at home only on Thurs day from three to six. Some little confusion was caused by the name, but this was satisfactorily straight ened out by the servant, who ex plained that Miss Judge and Mrs. Sage were one and the same person, and that she was married all right and proper except, as you might say, In name. Mrs. Screpta Grimes, being an old friend, was one of the first to call. And this Is what she said to Oliver October that same evening: "You ask me, did I see her? I did. I told the hired girl to say who It was, and In a minute or two she came back and told me the barefacedest lie I ever heard. She said Mrs. Sage wasn't at home. Well, do you know what I did, Oliver? I Just said 'Pooh' and walked right up the stairs and into her room. She got right up and kissed me five or six times and well, that's about all, except I stayed so long I was afraid I'd be late for supper." "Did you tee Jane?" broke In Oliver. Do you want to hear "Certainly. what Josephine said about you?" "N , I can't say that I do. By the way. Aunt Serepta. there is something I've been wanting to ask you for quite a while. Do you think Jane is pretty?" Mrs. Grimes pondered. "Well," she said judicially, "it depends on what Do you mean, you mean by pretty. is she beautiful?" "I suppose that's what I mean." "What do you want to know for?" "Kb?" "! mean what's the sense of asking You wouldn't beme that question? lieve me If I said she wasn't pretty, would you?" "Well, I'd just like to know whether you agree with me or not." "Yes, sir," said she, "fixing him with an accusing eye, "I do agree wltn you absolutely." "The strange, thing about It," he pursued defensively, "is that I never thought of her us being especially until recently. Funny, isn't it?" "There are a lot of things we don't notice," said she, "until some one else plru'hes us. Then we open our eyes. I guess some one must have pinched It hurts more when a man you. pinches you "specially a big, strong fellow like Doc Lansing." A pained expression came Into Oliver's eyes. "The trouble Is, I've looked upon her as a well, as a sort of sister or something like that. We grew up Just like brother and sister. I low was I to know that she was pretty? A fellow never thinks of his sister as being pretty, does he?" "I suppose not. But, on the other bund, he never loses bis iippelite and hopes and has the blues If bis sister happens to take a fancy to a man who Isn't her brother. That's what you've been doing for two or three weeks. If you had the least bit of gumption, you'd up and toll her you can't stand being a brother to her any longer and you'd like to be something else If It Isn't too late." "Gee!" exclaimed he ruefully. "But suppose she was to say it la too late?" "That's a nice way for a soldier to talk." said Mrs. Grimes scathingly. Oliver saw very little of Jane during the days that followed Mrs. Sage's return. Her mother demanded much of her; she was constantly In attendance Oliver the pampered lady. upon chafed. lie complained to Jane on one of the rare occasions when they were alone together. r. good-lookin- g TO UK CONTtN'CSn The Notorious Line Hale Holden, the railroad magnate, told a railroad story at a banquet In New York. "once upon n time," he said, "there whs a railroad line about 12 miles long that was notorious for Its dis- comfort, bumps and dirt. "A train on this line pulled Into the terminus one morning, late as usual, and a man said, as be rose and brushed off the coal and dost and soot : "'Well, thank goodness, the worst part of my Jonrnry Is over.' "Coin' far? said the conductor, "'Madagascar' said the ronn. . |