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Show The House iii The Ragged k&ntfe A S .. A DRAMA OF THtt GREAT NORTHWEST ., ,, , , , It stobd capping tho crest Of a sand hlU, ratlins tho South. UoloW It n fringe or s mod pinos mado Boietim music when A v. ldorlng wind awaked them. Arid here rrom tho house on tho sariU hill Pierre Molina, tho trnppbr, piled his proritahlc trndo onll dronmed or what tho house hold. For tho house, rino aB It was Tor tho wlldnoss, was hut tho wrought coskot ror a gem; tho gom wos such a woman Plorro had hohcld hut onco In his llfo, when ho had mot hor at her rathor's house on tho Mackenzie. A madnoss hntl possossod tlit man With his rirst sight or hor and hn Dad approached ap-proached tho sharp, hard Old man Who owned tho trading- storo and hargalilod with all tlio Northland at Goery's landing. Plorro, who was a Btral&cl, loaned on tho counter amid tlrlod prunes and stacks ofMnowiy bought1 pons ami biew-whirft or smoko Into tho air. "M'sieuV' ho Said carolossly, "If there W till) tlnio to spare, will you ho bo good.ms to look into tho paoktfoudor by tho door?" Then had tho Dill trader rallcn to trembling, his boady oyos grown into twin points or oupldlty, Tor out or that small pack ho had unrolled a rortuno such as a man boholds onco In his span or yoars. Three skins or tho silver rox, whoso worth is almost abovo prlcol "Norn do Dloul" bo whispered in awo. "Precisely, M'siou'," said Plorro by tlio uountor. Tlion ho smiled. "And thoy havo a prlco, M'siou', which only you can pay." Old nouyor licked his lips and blinked in nmaze. "You have a daughter, M'sioii'? said Plorro, and now his own voleo sndok With that oupldlty which burnfed thft old man on tho floor bofdrtt tho polls. "Vor good. Ono for tho othor, oven up." And from that mohtont tho ratte or bols, lnnnmlng amid imr work m the cabin bo-hind bo-hind tho stortit Was sealed. "But lhoro Is another," whined old Bouyor; "she waits but now tho return from tho Wlntakkak Plats or one who has her promise a Scotchman by namo Anson Douglas." Tho huge, black-broWcd trapper rrom tho ragged lands scowled at this nows and boat with Ills ringers upon tlio counter. Thon arior a tlmo ho saltl coldly, "What manor, If I havo tho maid rirst?" "Ho will follow, M'siou', this Anson Douglas, Tor ho Is a man or stool." "Il'm," said Ploro, and prosontly he struck, tho noto or tragedy. "What is ono man In tho "Wlntakkuk Flats? And I will tako tho maid to tho south; travol and a now conquest will hual tho wound of slighted faith. Meanwhile Mean-while tho throo polts remain with you." So Plorro wont confidently about his trapping as tho "Wlntor came on and tho snows Toll, and ir ho over gave a thought to tho Wlntakkuk Flats It was with a scqbq of good work well tlono, and novor a qualm dlsturbod Ms days. But to a woman, scarco past her grlil-hood, grlil-hood, tlio dismal gray or tho loworlng gklos boenmo tho pago of Donth and tho rough rioor or tho cabin became worn and shiny boforo tho box In the cornor whore hung tho plttturo or tho Virgin. To Lois tho woot woman eyes were full or undor-hmdlng undor-hmdlng and a profound pity, antl she poured out her soul to thorn as sho rocked OA hor knees with claspod bands and aohs that shook hor slight rorm. "Mary Mother!" she bogged "sond Thou that some day I may bo gtvn to behold him once again Just to seo htm arar oven to know that ho Ilvos! If ho lives and is happy I can enduro. Guard him, Thou lender Molheri That was a good year nil throughout the nagged Lands and the ptles of fur In the corner of the cabin represented unlimited un-limited credit on the ractor's book at Fort aiuaorne. Pierre gloaiofl over UlBin tolling her lri uWall wnat of hhory thoy would buy tor her at tho Spring tradltig", 16 vftllch sho listened in apathy, scarce hearing what ho said. It was thon that sho behold In the mld-dlstanco mld-dlstanco an object that rioundorod grotesquely. gro-tesquely. Was it nHnlmal'lhtlt "hinrral-lon "hinrral-lon tindor the Lockagee, tho strange Wlntor Wln-tor madness? Slio tirow hor brows togctner and iook-cd iook-cd hard, and shook hor head. Then sho loanod forward, and presently sliti rose Blowiy to lior foot, for Bho know at last thrtt it was a man. A tail man with shoUldci'B that had once been poWcrfUI, bltt' Which BhlintGd MtluWlBo now aB hlB body lurched to tho swiny of his laboring labor-ing gatO. Ho cadic brt, over a llttlo rlBOi arid suddenly tho Watching Woillart filing a India to 'hor thl-Oat and t6rb oped tile triirlllb'nt that stfriod her. Tho world grow bltrt:k duil sho caught at tho Window ror support. She crept to tho door and pulled it open anil faced him, Anson Douglas, In tlJ. flesh. "Lolsl" ho said harshly. "Oh, Lflial" And then tho woman drew him in, pushed him upon a chair ami foil ow hot1 knees before him, a towonl of Words pouring pour-ing from hor lips, hor fluttering hands caressing him in tt paBston. "Oh, beloved," Bite Jorkotl bOtWeCll llDr Robs, "my falhor yOd will know that Ho forced mo, will you not? And thoy said you had broken faltli! I knew that thoy lldd, but lie, my rather, was too strong. And, oh, mon Dieu' how they lihrried mo and t could not wait, thuugh 1 Would havo Waltolt to thb end or my llfo. nut that was It ilioy did to you? What kept you from mo, oh my beloved?" Her oyos fcntteatbd afld she waited, Opon-moUthcd, while ho pushed back tho yellow hair from his temple and dlsclosod a hideous ragged scar, whlte-hoaled and ropulslvo. "This," he said hardly "and this." He thrust forward his right leg, a cum-bros cum-bros thing sttrrcnetf by n blade of -white ash laBlied hchlnll thb ltnbct ''Thoy trailed mo In the Wlntakuk Flats, two lmlf-breetN or your rather's and they hamstrung mo." Sho gasped and coworod. It was an old trick or tho half-breeds. "1 killed them both arterWards," ho said with set lips, "and 1 cuwlod ror hroo weeks. Then I lay sick In a trapper's trap-per's hut. Thon I wont to your fathor'B hduso on tho McKenzIo. Tlion I camo horo. And now I shall tako you aWay, for yon tiro mlno." "Heart of my heart 1" whifiporod Lots on hor knocs. "Vc6, 1 am yoifrs aild 1 win go with you, for thoy boi1 mo nko a bundle of skins for throo sllvor roxds." "Eli?" said Anson Douglas. "I will make that father of yours ont thoso stiver fovos, so help mo Iloavcii! "Hut hurry, thou ono of tho wondrous won-drous oyos," ho loaned to kiss her hungrily, 'Tor wo must bo gone. I have dogs and a sledge at tho forest's skirt." So, with tho light or rroodlng liro and ecstasy in hor eyes tho woman sprang to do his bidding. As sho passed tno worn shrlno that her pleading hands had polished polish-ed sho dropped roi a moment bororo It AVllli bowed head and stioamlng eyes or Joy. "Mary . . . Mother . . . knoSv Thou my heart!" she wept brokoljly. As she rose there was a' sharp sound tit tho door, tho click or the latch. Sho whirled upon it, dismayed. Pierre Mollne stood in tho opening. "So?" lie said slowly. "So"' There was a moment of stillness m the house on the sand hill. Then the man In hli chair got to hts feet, cuinbrously. "Yes so," bo said coldly, "i havo coirio to collect, M'sleu,' and as you owe you shall pay." Ha was throwing off his snort fur coot as lie spoke, lib tirow froth hlsbblt a) long huntlrig knifb and calmly tTCned Its ' ho dtow forth from his bucFskln shirt a , .palruori-forgod hdoks (hit hllng togcthbll byralvb). ljetj lial hubil bOiillhg all "tiioio montiii and lie wYs rcatly. "Pieparo," he commanded stoiWy.' The truppor had stood still In tl'id1 dolor-way, dolor-way, hte eyes, beginning to glow Willi' a lire that chilled lior, r listened on tho Roman's Ro-man's face. Now he stepped lri, tbVpVlng off his coat antl drawing his knlfo as the other had dono. ' , Thoy lrt'cd their heads alid m'oaSflr6d oaeh other with their uyos and took doop ' breatji for tho struggle ror tho ' wVrfian , of prlco watched thorn from the corribr hy , the shrlno, her lips apart in anifuilV tilUl oho hand at her thrOat. Tlmn Budtleiiiy came tho oliailce, add swirt ab light the irappor kicked tho cumhroiiB foot from hehealh tho dllibl' , and fell heavily dpuil lilill. As Uoifglti) fefl thO hand th.it held his knlfo si HI eft hard against thb wail, llirustln It fb-ward. fb-ward. Relentlessly iMene Jaiillhcd ltt hacl ' and the tautened back cords loosed ( thO ' gripping llngeis, so that the knife roil clattorjng upon the Hoor.1 t ' ' ' ' Winded, packed as In a vise a'gafhst"tif6 wall, the Scotchman lay Mil.1 flieft I'lOrro raised his bloodshot cyc ' aid j lookod at Lolfl. u. . "Sol" he panted, "uo: Now,' ifl.idntn6, j t shall kill him!" "ltal" he said. "Promises arc brittle. Wo ljrilsh this now.' Hut ob ho Spoke a giliri rtgiiro dni'tnd trplll tllO prdlfcellng shadoW or thb ShMhO and snatched the Scotchman's knife flOTTI r the loor. The blade circled, and the ' end or lis curve nnlshcd brilliantly across tho trapper's knees behind. It was tho j half-biood's trick. flits Woman stood trembling With' 'Her iiapdp , across lior byes, roi' lonijhtffe ' was no dtllJ: I'hljil, Ahs,jil DjJilaS ldUscil tjib yrlttilng-. cllrsing liguro frpiTT Ml? holt and lot It slide to tho Poor. Ho pjek-od pjek-od up his coat and put It on, thon hp , look a heavy blanket rrom tho bed 'aiul roltlotl It tonderly about Lois. "Come," ho said gently, "tho slcdgp ' waits and the twilight wanes." ( I Vln-lo L. HoQ. : i i |