Show gp I 1 e wi 4 h op W 0 m 0 e n by HUGH A author of kings of the missouri pay gravel A virginia scout etc by hufh huch rondo ater 1 1935 W ti rw u CHAPTER XIV continued Is 18 she find difficulty dini culty in adjusting sonic some twigs of the hedge to her liking and her voice was so low I 1 could scarcely hear it as she said 1 I told you once that should you feel eel the same as you did that time on the river that second time on tile the second river there could be no harm ali ah I 1 put shame on myself to speak peak more and I 1 repeat I 1 am a very foolish man and must have love where I 1 love I 1 starn stammered such a hard danl man I 1 she alie sighed with a quick uplift of tier her eyes and I 1 could swear she bho was laughing at me you broglia me here to have me propose marriage to you I 1 bluntly demanded it Is shameful shanie ful to make roe me bay any that hut but it la Is true she mumbled even then I 1 feared she was dicing herself to me because of isome absurd sense of gratitude but your pride enough of that word I 1 she fler fiercely cely cried clutching both my hands and turning eyes filled with tears tor for my inspection then humbly does monsieur find pride in me now inow or does he find it a poor home less leea homesick k girl with no friends no people my arms would have closed about tier her slim form lind had she not had a second thought withdrawing from me and holdin tier her hend head high and haug haughty lity she accused me you dared to think wrong of me on that island off you dared to think weakness of me because I 1 came ame on that terrible ship I 1 nut not a word monsieur 1 I 1 will listen to no defense i As poor joe labrador would have said bald 11 ah alit that mademoiselle dalila ga ardol in tier her moods site sho ni as irresponsible ns as a butterfly and ns as irresistible as it a sunbeam I 1 lied bravely and sternly ernly bt and severely lectured tier her for presuming to rend read my thoughts and then to convict tile me on whatever conclusions elio might happen to form tile the rigidity of tier her pose gradually relaxed whilo while I 1 talked by the time I 1 had finished it discourse on tho the evilness of arido sho she was quite limp and when nhon tor for the third time I 1 asked tier her to marry tile mo slie did not refuse our wedding was two weeks old tin and I 1 was still as ardent a believer I 1 in fairytales fairy tales as any frenchman then my host hopt demanded my attention and informed me that the man who was so insistent on oil seeing mrs Brar opton was again calling 1 I believe the fellow roust must be crazy william but its for you to dispose of 0 him ue he bothered tier her some before you cattle came I 1 vowed I 1 would scalp him and directed the butler to bring idin him into the rose garden back of the louse ile he come came and behold lie he was wag the man who had bad yelled to tile me as I 1 furiously galloped up tile the plantation road in harch of a wife what aliat was more astonishing he was wa jules mattor matter my boatman when I 1 escaped from Pasca pascagoula goula bay I 1 sternly inquired his business with mrs and with much illuce squirming and twisting ho told me how he had brought tier her a message from biloxi it being written by no one less than his excellency de Ble aville und and monsieur I 1 have waited six weeks and she will give mo me no anwer to carry back if I 1 go without an answer its hla excellency will believe I 1 did not do his business and lie will use a hard hand mademoiselle would not give me an answer cannot cannot roon mon bleur who Is so big and strong induce madame to write just a word I 1 sent a boy to fetch mrs brama ton the entered the beliele beheld mattor matter she smiled slightly but there was nothing but happiness in tier her face madame this man jules says saya he brought you a mes message stige from bleur de Bl enville and fears lie he will be punished if he returns without an ailster answer ails so she softly answered then lie he should have an answer and has monsieur my husband been told what the message contained 1 I 1 doubt if the messenger knows I 1 certainly have not asked him 1 I turned aside and became inter antt r ested in a rosebush rose buah with a swish of skirts was at my side bide and ex tile the found out directly after I 1 sailed word came by the very boat which followed the malre the very boat Blet ivIlle went out to the island to meet that night light you from think of it I 1 that very night tile had lila hlo orders front from my the marquis and if you hild been bean n day late they would have bundled me back to france arance ani you f would have no little wife ilfe to make you liappa i this day y 1 I gaw gaped at her stupidly and rout mut it terpe the tran la Is very blind madame roa daroe I 1 find a sign here and there foolish onet I 1 knew it gjul frield towe ome in vale time that was why 1 t was to marry you learned the truth aye well you did it because I 1 feared that once you learned tho the truth your silly english pride would send you back to the tor ter biblo forest and that abominable river find and I 1 would return n to aran france e or stay hero here unwed here la Is the mes sago sage read head it she pulled a paper from the bosom of tier her gown but I 1 hefti refund aed it suggesting that she toll tell me whit what elie ehe would she settled herself primly on n rustic settee and made tin an imperious little gesture genturo for me to be seated it la Is like this my love my mother was a do baude a distant kinswoman of comte de frontenac Pr Idel I 1 exclaimed beginning to ito understand her eich family would have none ot of tier her because sho she married a danils after both she and my father died an uncle was named its as my guardian lie ile la Is a friend of monsieur le ie regent begent and being a marquis and having great wealth ho Is a very sad find dog ills tastes and monsieur le ie Ile gents are the same the two plan to marry me to tin an execrable creature cren turo who hns bilio much gold a great family I 1 4 aki t you brought me hero here to have me ale propose marriage to you I 1 bluntly demanded name mime and the morals of the devil I 1 refuse to marry the beant terrible times follow I 1 nm am fresh brorn tile the convent I 1 know little of the world I 1 am terrified when my uncle tile the marquis says it Is the lie regents will that I 1 marry ills his choice at once they bring the mail to tile me lie ile Is hideous and old enough to be my fattier father I 1 swear I 1 will not wed him aly uncle the marquis says I 1 i liall I 1 am nearly insane but there ire are wonderful stories being told about the lie mississippi country every one Is ii making inking a mountain of gold just by buying john 1 las as stock the very ery ervanna hervanta her er vanta gossip about thi tha magic of Loul slann livery every one Is kind there Is nothing but happl happiness nek the day draws nearer the hateful wedding I 1 can kill myself Belf yes but life Is young II 11 lie c la Is sweet it if not polson dd 1 I 1 dress in a maids gown and take a few of my jewels and escaped to the coast the day I 1 reached the port I 1 learn tin an immigrant ship Is about to still sail I 1 go aboard just as they tire are about to start all ali such women wolves v vero ere in it I 1 then that island and biloxi I 1 then that odious la noua velle die orleans the second parisi paris t I 1 war crazed with fear and horror nion mon slur so I 1 wrote to you that Is all very good I 1 am rind glad it la in cleared up nothing from those experiences experience can ever come into your ufa life to make mak sad bad she rose and asked are arc there no questions my dear no questions sweetheart she glanced down at the letter and litia laughed glied aloud as a child does docs when immensely pleased clell clel I 1 hut but I 1 forgot do de bd n villes letter I 1 I 1 have told you nothing of it I 1 must have no secrets secreta from my husband it seems his orders are arc to place rao me on the first ship returning to france lie ile Is much concerned to have me go back monsieur le ie regent la Is vastly interested and that means meana las will do anything to get me back D n them allt all france cant get you back 11 I 1 1 I cried O o o I 1 and she drew back in a pantomime of fear benr such terrible words my husband speaks I 1 but 11 ls excellency writes most moat polite lie ile the samo same us aa says I 1 shall dictate my own future A ship will take me from charles town or pensacola Pensa coln as I 1 wish I 1 it Is arranged with the english government erni tient I 1 may go in an english ship it if I 1 wish I 1 ava am warned not to return by way of the river its as it would be too dangerous you should feel very proud to find me a woman of so BO much importance Import rince now you know all will you keep me against nil all europe Eu ropel I 1 I 1 told tile the top of her head she struggled free and cried hut but you never ask about the old pirate such a polite husband husbands hus bandl I 1 I 1 know you die of curiosity ile he wile was nn an at my uncles country I 1 place ile he saw me steal away from home find and he followed me ile he was a very wicked old man ile he followed mo me on board the ship planning to make a fortune out of my disappearance ile ho knew there would be a arost search anil and a ba big sum in gold ile ho would wait in the new world till lio lie could drive the best bargain then lie would betray me ile he wa was very wicked it was all told I 1 felt humble and meek but took rare care it should not show so I 1 urged tier lier to get rid of matter by sending an answer to bleu blen ville nn ma foil As your wife I 1 think it would be better for mr air brampton Binm to wilto the answer slie she replied else why did I 1 keep tills this poor man walting waiting until you came here and married me 0 0 0 weve traveled far together since those old brave days and many of i the myths have been killed out of the valley A miracle she never wearies of contemplating Is our twin boys I 1 called them english find and she flared up and declared them to be french and before I 1 could join the issue she aha wes we I 1 in tears and saying they were neither french nor english but were americans aud and so she brought them up to consider themselves A second miracle she could scarcely comprehend was waa their astounding growth until they were my equal in stature and her pride I 1 it towered above all other pride she had ever felt as the heavens overtop nn an anthill ant hill their obedience i and reverence when with their mother was very beautiful for me to watch I 1 As aa they became Aroa ricans and carried tier her along with them I 1 ceased callin ing myself english for one must go with ones folks or else feel very lonely and Ln labrador bredor six fingers i and danisan tile rox fox the good and the bild bad yet the ali might inight river utilized both elements nit to g give I 1 ve m me my wife and I 1 wonder if its other othe I 1 seemingly blind purposes may not contain some hidden good for those who ultimately build cabins in the valley ETHE THE END |