gf-RANDALL PARRISH
A Romance of Early Days
in the Middle
Authorof "Keith of the Border,'M,My Lady
of Doubt," "The Maid of the
SYNOPSIS.
Adelo la Chesnayne, a belle of New
France, ia among conspirators at her un
cle's house. Cassion, the commlssalre,
has enlisted her Uncle Chevet's aid
against La Salle. D'Artlgny. La Salle's
friend, offers his services as guide to Oas
eion's party on the journey to the wilder
ness. The uncle Informs Adele that he
has betrothed her to Cassion and forbids
her to see D'Artlgny again. In Quebec
Adele visits her fenS, Sister Celeste,
who brines D'Artienv to her. She tells
ihlm her story and h vows to release her
from the bargain with Cassion. D'Artig
I ny leaves promising to see her at the
J J i r . . - . T 1 . , 1,
uaince. passion escorts Aueie xo me nuu.
She meets the governor, La Barre, and
hears him warn the commissaire against
D'Artlgny. D'Artigny's ticket to the ball
has been recalled, but he gains entrance
by the window. Adele informs him of the
governor's words to Cassion. For her
eavesdropping at the ball Adele is ordered
by the governor to marry Cassion at once
and to accompany him to the Illinois
country. He summons Chevet and directs
that he attend them on the journey. They
leave In the boats. Adele's future depend
ing: on the decision of D'Artlgny whom
she now knows she loves. Cassion and
D'Artlgny have words. Uncle Chevet for
the first time hears that his niece is an
heiress, and begins to suspect Cassion's
motives. Adele refuses to permit her hus
band to share her sleeping quarters.
Young Madame Cassion comes
to the conclusion that she alone
will be unable to cope with her
husband who has designs on
both her fortune and her per
son. She knows he has plotted
against her and feels free to
plot against him. Developments
in the dramatic situation are
here told vividly.
Adele has just declined to share
sleeping quarters with her husband.
He Is furious when she refuses even
to kiss him.
CHAPTER VIII. Continued.
Furious as the man was I felt no
fear of him, merely an Intense dis
trust that his hands should touch me.
an indignation that he should offer
me such Insult. He must have read
all this in my eyes, for he made but
the one move, and I flung his hand
aside as easily as though It had been
that of a child. I was angry, so that
my lips trembled, and my face grew
white, yet It was not the anger that
stormed.
"Enough, monsieur go!" I said, and
pointed to where the fires reddened
the darkness. "Do not dare speak to
me again this night."
An Inctnnt hpsit.lfpd trvinc to
Inraster courage, but the bully in him
Mailed, and with an oath, he turned
"Enough Monsieur Gol"
away and vanished. It was nearly
dark then, and I sat down on a
blanket at the entrance, and waited,
watching the figures between me and
the river. I did not think he would
come again, but I did not know; it
would be safer if I could have word
with Chevet. A soldier brought me
food, and when he returned for the
tins I made him promise to seek my
. uncle and send him to me.
My only faith in Hugo Chevet rested
in his natural resentment of Cassion's
treachery relative to my father's for
tune. He would feel that he had been
cheated, deceived, deprived of his
rightful share of the spoils.
I had been alone for an hour, al
ready convinced that the soldier had
failed to deliver my message, when
ray uncle finally emerged from the
shadows, and announced his presence.
He appeared a huge, shapeless figure,
t his very masslveness yielding me a
feeling of protection, and I arose and
joined him. Ilis greeting proved the
uabappiness of his mind.
"v.o you sent for me why? What
West
Forest," etc.
C. MtClURO co '
has happened between you and Cas
sion?" "No more than occurred between us
yonder in Quebec, when I informed
him that I was his wife in name only,"
I answered quietly. "Do you blame
me now that you understand his pur
pose in this marriage?"
"How know you the truth of all
you have said?" he asked. "Where
learned you of this wealth?"
"By overbearing conversation while
hidden behind the curtain in La
Barre's office. He spoke freely with
his aide, and later with Cassion. It
was my discovery there which led to
the forced marriage, and our being
sent with this expedition."
"You heard alone?"
"So they thought, and naturally be
lieved marriage would prevent my
ever bearing witness against them.
But I was not alone."
"Mon dieu! Another heard?"
"Yes, the Sleur d'Artlgny."
Chevet grasped my arm, and in the
glare of the fire I could see his ex
citement pictured in his face.
"Who? That lad? You were in
hiding there together? And did he
realize what was said?"
"That I do not know," I answered,,
"for we have exchanged no word
since. When my presence was dis
covered D'Artlgny escaped unseen
through the open window. I need to
meet him again that these matters
may be explained, and that I may
learn just what he overheard. It was
to enlist your aid that I sent for you."
"To bring the lad here?"
"No; that could not be done with
out arousing the suspicion of Cassion.
The two are already on the verge of
quarrel. You must find some way of
drawing the commissaire aside not
tonight, for there Is plenty of time
before us, and I am sure we are being
watched now and that will afford me
opportunity."
"But why may I not speak him?"
"You!" I laughed. "He would be
likely, to talk with you. A sweet mes
sage you sent him in Quebec."
"I was drunk, and Cassion asked it
of me."
"I thought as much; the coward
makes you pull his chestnuts from the
fire. Do you give me the pledge?"
"Ay! although 'tis not my way to
play sweet, when I should enjoy to
wring the fellow's neck. What was
it La Barre said?"
"That just before he died my fa
ther's property was restored to him
by the king, but the royal order was
never recorded. It exists, but where I
do not know, nor do I know as yet
for what purpose it was concealed. My
marriage to Cassion must have been
an afterthought, for he is but a crea
ture of La Barre's. It is through hira
the greater villains seek control; but,
no doubt, he was a willing tool enough,
and expects his share."
"Why not let me choke the truth
out of him tiieo? Bah! it would be
easy."
"For two reasons," I said earnestly.
"First, I doubt if he knows the true
conspiracy, or can lay hands on the
king's restoration. Without that we
have no proof of fraud. And second,
coward though he may be, his very
fear might yield him courage. No.
Uncle Chevet, we must wait and learn
these fafct.s through other means than
force. 'Tla back in Quebec, not in this
wilderness, vre will find the needed
proofs. What I ask of you is, pretend
to know nothing; do not permit Cas
sion to suspicion that I have confided
in you. We must encourage him to
talk by saying nothing which will put
him on guard."
"You you will try, as his wife, to
win confession?" he asked finally,
grasping vaguely the one thought oc
curring to him.
"No; there is a better way. I de
spise the man; I cannot bear that he
touch me. More than that, if I read
him aright, once I yield and confess
myself his property, he will lose all
Interest in my possession. He is a
lady killer; 'tis his boast. The man
has never been In love with me; It
was not love, but a desire to possess
my fortune, which led to his proposal
of marriage. Now I shall make him
love me.
"We shall be alone in the wilderness
for months to come. I will be the one
woman; perchance the only white
woman into whose face he will look
until we return to Quebec, I am not
vain, yet I am not altogether ill to
look upon, nor shall I permit the hard
ships of this journey to affect my at
tractiveness. I- shall fight him with
his own weapons, and win. He will
beg and threaten me, and I shall
laugh. lie will love me and I shall
mock. There will be jealousy between
him and D'Artigrsy, and to win my
favor he will confess all that he
knows. Tonfght he sulks somewhere
yonder, already beginning to doubt
his power to control me."
"You have quarreled?"
"No only, that I asserted lndepend-H
enee. He would have entered this tent
as my husband, and I forbade his do
ing so. He stormed and threatened,
but dare not venture further. He
knows me now as other than a weak
girl, bflt my next lesson must be a
mctc oureone. Tis partly to pre
pare that I sent for you; I ask the
loan of a pistol the smaller one, to
be concealed in my dress."
"You would kill the man?"
"Pooh! small danger of that. You
may draw the charge if you will. For
him to know that I possess the weapon
will protect me. You do not grasp
my plan?"
He shook his head gloomily, as
though . It was all a deep puzzle to
his mind, yet his great hand held forth
the pistol, the short barrel of which
gleamed wickedly in the fire glow as
I thrust it out of sight.
" Ti9 not the way I front enemies,"
he growled stubbornly, "and I make
little of it. Mon dieu! I make them
talk with these hands."
"But my weapons are those of a
woman," I explained, "and I will learn
more than you would with your brute
strength. All I ask of you now, Uncle
Chevet, is that you keep on friendly
terms with Monsieur Cassion, yet re-
Cassion Endeavored to Be Entertain
ing.
peat nothing to him of what I have
said, and gain me opportunity for
speech alone with Sieur d'Artlgny."
He growled something indistinctly
in his beard, which I interpreted as
assent, but I watched his great form
disappear in the direction of the fire,
my own mind far from satisfied; the
man was so lacking in brains as to
be a poor ally, and so obstinate of na
ture as to make it doubtful if he
would long conform to my leadership.
Still it was surely better to confide in
him to the extent I had than permit
him to rage about blindly and in open
hostility to Cassion.
CHAPTER IX.
We Attain the Ottawa.
It was not yet dawn when the stir
in the camp aroused me, and the sun
had not risen above the bluffs, or be
gun to tinge the river, when our laden
canoes left the bank and commenced
their day's journey up stream. D'Ar
tlgny was off in advance, departing in
deed before I had left the tent, the
chief seated beside him. I caught but
a glimpse of them as the canoe round
ed the bend in the bank, and slipped
silently away through the lingering
shadows, yet it gladdened me to know
his eyes were turned toward my tent
until they vanished.
A new distribution had been ar
ranged, Chevet accompanying the ser
geant, leaving the commissaire and
me alone, except for the pere, who had
position in the bow. I observed this
new arrangement from underneath
lowered lashes, but without comment,
quietly taking the place assigned me,
and shading my face from the first
rays of the sun.
At noon we landed in a sheltered
cove, brilliant with wild flowers, and
partook of food, the rearward canoes
joining us, but D'Artlgny was still
ahead, perhaps under orders to keep
away. To escape Cassion I clambered
up the front of the cliff, and had view
from the summit, marking the sweep
of the river for many a league, a
scene of wild beauty never to be for
gotten. I lingered there at the edge
until the voice of the commissaire re
called me to my place in the canoe.
It is of no consequence now what
we conversed about during that long
afternoon, as we pushed steadily on
against the current. Cassion en
deavored to be entertaining and I
made every effort to encourage him,
although my secret thoughts were not
pleasant ones. He had set out to over
come my scruples, to conquer my will,
aLid3is merely btding his time, seek
ing i.wearn the best point of attack.
It vj-Jvi 7Ji this end in view that he
kep Vv to himself, oanisning (jhevet,
and compelling D'Artlgny to remain
well in advance. He was testing me
now by his tales of Quebec, his boast
ing of friendship with the governor,
his stories of army adventure, and
the wealth he expected to amass
through his official connections. Yet
the very tone he assumed, the conceit
shown in his narratives, orfy served
to add to my dislike. This creature
was my husband, yet I shrank from
him, and once, when he dared to touch
my hand, I drew it away as though
it were contamination. It was then
that hot anger leaped Into his eyes,
and his true nature found expression
before he could restrain the words:
"Mon dieu! What do you mean, you
chit?"
"Only that I am not won by a few
soft words, monsieur," I answered
coldly.,
"But you are my wife; 'twill be
well for you to remember that."
"Nor , am I likely to forget, yet be
cause a priest has mumbled words
over us does not make me love you."
"Sacre!" he burst forth, yet careful
to keep his voice pitched to my ears
alone, "you think me a plaything, but
you shall learn yet that I have claws.
Bah! do you Imagine I fear the cox
comb ahead?" ,
"To whom do you refer, monsieur?"
"Such innocence! to that bootlicker
of La Salle's to whom you give your
smiles and pretty words."
"Rene d'Artlgny!" I exclaimed pleas
antly, and then laughed. "Why how
ridiculous you are, monsieur. Better
be jealous of Tere Allouez yonder, for
of him I see far the most. Why do
you pick out D'Artlgny on whom to
vent your anger?"
"I like not the way he eyes you,
nor your secret meetings with him in
Quebec."
"If he even sees me I know It not,
and as for secret meetings, knew you
not that Sister Celeste was with me
while we talked?"
"Not in the governor's palace."
"You accuse me of that then," in
dignantly. "Because I am your wife
you can Insult, yet it was your hand
that drew aside the curtain and found
me alone. Do you hope to gain my
respect by such base charges as that,
monsieur?"
"Do you deny that he had been with
you?"
"? Do I deny! It is not worthy
my while. Why should I? We were
not married then, nor like to be to
my knowledge. Why, then, if I wished,
was It not my privilege to speak with
the Sieur d'Artlgny? I have found
him a very pleasant and polite young
man."
"A pauper, his only fortune the
sword at his side."
"Ah, I knew not even that he pos
sessed one. Yet of what interest can
all this be to me, monsieur, now that
I am married to you?"
That my words brought him no com
fort was plain enough to be seen, yet
I doubt if It ever occurred to his mind
that I simply made sport, and sought
to anger him. It was on his mind
to say more, yet he choked the words
baak, and sat there in moody silence,
scarce glancing at me again during
the long afternoon. But when we fin
ally made landing for the night, it was
plain to be seen that his vigilance was
in no wise relaxed, for, although he
avoided me himself, the watchful
Jesuit was ever at my side, no doubt
in obedience to his orders. As we
were eating a party of fur traders,
bound east, came ashore in a small
fleet of canoes and joined the men
below, building their fires slightly up
stream. At last Pere Allouez left me
alone and descended to them, eager to
learn the news from Montreal. Yet,
although seemingly I was now left
alone, I had no thought of adventur
ing in the darkness, as I felt con
vinced the watchful priest would never
have deserted my side had he not
known that other eyes were keeping
vigil.
From that moment I never felt my
self alone or unobserved. Cassion in
person did not make himself obnox
ious, except that I was always seated
beside him In the boat, subject to his
conversation and attentions. How
ever it was managed I know not, but
my uncle never approached me alone,
and only twice did I gain glimpse of
Sieur d'Artlgny once, when his canoe
returned to warn us of dangerous wa
ter ahead, and once when he awaited
us beside the landing at Montreal. Yet
even these occasions yielded me new
courage, for, as our eyes met I knew
he wras still my friend, waiting, as I
was, the opportunity for a better un
derstanding. This knowledge brought
tears of gratitude to my eyes and a
thrill of hope to my heart. I was no
longer utterly alone.
We were three days at Montreal,
the men busily engaged in adding to
their store of provisions. I had scarce
ly a glimpse of the town, as I was
given lodging in the convent close to
the river bank, and the pere was my
constant companion during hours of
'Jsylight.
We departed at dawn, and the sun
was scarce an hour high when the
prows of our canoes turned Into the
Ottawa. Now we were indeed in the
wilderness, fronting the vast unknown
country of the West, with every
league of travel leaving behind all
trace of civilization. There was noth
ing before us save a few scattered
missions, presided over by rflcged
priests, and an occasional fur trader's
station, the headquarters of wander
ing couriers du bois. On every side
were the vast prairies and stormy
lakes, roamed over by savage men
and beasts through whom we must
make our way in hardship, danger and
toll.
Our progress up the Ottawa was so
slow, so toilsome, the days such a
routine of labor and hardship, the
scenes along the shore so similar, that
,7, lost all conception of time. Except
'for the Jesuit I had scarcely a com
panion, and there were days. I am
sure, when we did not so much as
exchange a word.
The men had no rest from labor,
even Cassion changing from boat to
boat as necessity arose, urging them
to renewed efforts. The water was
low, the rapids more than usually dan
gerous, so that we were compelled to
poicage more often than usual. Qnee
the leading canoe ventured to shoot a
rapid not considered perilous, and had
a great hole torn In Its prow hy a
sharp rock. The men got ashore, sav
ing the wreck, but lost their store of
provisions, and we were a day there
making the damaged canoe again ser
viceable. This delay gave me my only glimpse
of D'Artlgny, still dripping from hi
involuntary bath, and so busily en
gaged at repairs as to be scarcely con
scious of my presence on the bank
above him. Yet I can hardly say that,
for once he glanced up, and our eyes
met, and possibly he would have joined
me, but for the sudden appearance of
Cassion, who swore at the delay, and
ordered me back to where the tent
had been hastily erected. I noticed
D'Artlgny straighten up, angered that
Cassion dared speak to me so harshly,
but I had no wish then to precipitate
an open quarrel between the two men,
and ao departed quickly. Later, Fa
ther Allouez told me that in the over
turning of the canoe the young sieur
had saved the life of the Algonquin
chief, bringing him ashore unconscious,
helpless from a broken shoulder. This
accident to Altudah led to the trans
ferring of the injured Indian to our
canoe and caused Cassion to join
D'Artlgny in advance.
It was five days later, and in the
heart of all that was desolate and
drear, when the long-sought opportu
nity came in most unexpected fashion.
We had made camp early, because of
rough water ahead, the passage of
which it was not deemed best to at
tempt without careful exploration. So,
while the three heavily laden canoes
drew up against the bank, and pre
pared to spend the night, the leading
canoe was stripped and sent forward,
manned only with the most expert of
the Indian paddlers to make sure the
perils of the current. From the low
bank to which I had climbed I
watched the preparations for the dash
through those madly churning waters
above. Cassion was issuing his orders
loudly, but exhibited no inclination to
accompany the party, and suddenly
the frail craft shot out from the
shore, with D'Artlgny at the steering
paddle, and every Indian braced for
his task, and headed boldly into the
smother. They vanished as though
swallowed by the mist, Cassion and
a half dozen soldiers racing along the
shore line in an effort to keep abreast
of the laboring craft.
It was a wild, desolate spot In which
we were, a mere rift in the bluffs,
which seemed to overhang us, covered
with a heavy growth of forest. The
sun was still an hour high, although
it was twilight already beside the
river, when Cassion and his men came
straggling back to report that the ca
noe had made safe passage, and, tak
ing advantage of his good humor, I
proposed a climb up an opening of
the bluff, down which led a deer trail
plainly discernible.
"Not I," he said, casting a glance
upward. "The run over the rocks will
do me for exercise tonight."
"Then will I assay it alone," I re
plied, not displeased at his refusal. "I
am cramped from sitting in the canoe
so long."
" 'Twill be a hard climb, and they
tell me the pere has strained a tendon
of his leg coming ashore."
"And what- of that!" I burst forth,
giving vent to my indignation. "Am I
a ten-year-old to be guarded every step
I take? Tis not far to the summit,
and no danger. You can see yourself
nil
We Departed at Dawn.
the trail is not steep. Faith! f will
go now, just to show that I am at
liberty."
He laughed, an unpleasant smmd to
it, yet made no effort to halt me. The
rude path I followed was narrow, but
not steep enough to prove wearisome,
and, as it led up through a crevice
In the earth, finally emerged at the
top of the bluff at a considerable dis
tance above the camp I had loft. Thick
woods covered the crest, although there
were open plains beyond, and I was
obliged to advance to the very edge
in order to gain glimpse of the river.
Once there, however, with footing
secure on a flat rock, the scene out
spread was one of wild anJ fascinat
ing beauty. Directly below me were
the rapids.
On this rocky eminence Adele
finds 'opportunity to draw her
web more tightly around Com
missaire Cassion. What sud
den turn of events do you be
lieve is Imminent?
TO BE CONTINUED.)
ONE
TOW
ELPS
GUARD - THE WATER SUPPLY
Subject That Is of Immense Impor
tance In Every Home In
the Country.
in thousands of farm homes It Is
now possible to find up-to-date water
systems, providing both hot and cold
water for the bathroom, thw laundry,
the kitchen sink, and various other
parts of the house and barn.
When a water system is once in
stalled the farmer and his family usu
ally wonder how they ever managed
to get along without it before, and
seldom regret the cost. Yet, in spite
of the comparative easw with which
the average farm home can be
equipped with many of these conven-
A Well Properly Protected From Sur
face Water. Brick Laid In Cement
and Backed Up With Puddled Clay
Makes a Practically Impervious Cas
ing. iences, how often do we find the coun
try household still depending upon
the distant spring, the open well, or
at best the out-of-doors lift pump to
supply the hundreds of tons of water
required for each household every
year?
Inquiry usually develops the fact
that the old methods are still retained
for one or the other of the following
reasons, namely: The cost of sewer
systems Is assumed to be prohibitive,
or else the possibilities of fully uti
lizing the existing water supply have
never been carefully explained and
brought to the farmers' notice.
A well can be protected from pollu
tion by extending the tight casing or
lining six or eight Inche3 above the
ground and covering with a water
tight concrete curb having a slope
away from the center inevery direc
tion. This cover should extend at
least one foot beyond the edge of a
dug well, and should never be less
than seven feet in diameter for a
driven well. A 'drain trough should,
of course, he provided to catch the
drip and convey it away to a safe dls-.
Sand-Box Filter for Cistern. All Wa
ter Entering the Cistern Must Pass
Through the Filter. The Sand Can
Easily Be Removed and Replaced
With Clean Sand.
tance. An open drain passing around
the well at a distance of four or five
feet from this curb and leading off to
the drip drain tile will help prevent
the entrance of surface waters that
wash down from a higher point.
In many cases, however, the diffi
culty is of a more serious nature. The
stratification of the clay, gravel and
rocks through which the well is sunk
may be such as to cause percolating
water from a nearby source of infec
tion to be led directly into the well.
In other instances the soil surround
ing the well may become so thorough
ly and so constantly saturated with
polluted seepage waters that it will
no longer perform its function as a
filter, and germ-laden waters are al
lowed to pass into the well. For these
reasons the location of the well is of
prime importance.
Considered from the standpoint of
convenience, the well should be locat
ed as near the kitchen as possible..
But whenever Buch location would in
volve any danger of contamination due
to surface drainage or to -an inade
quate kitchen sewerage disposal sys
tem, a location on higher ground and
above thi3 source of contamination
should be selected. Select a site
where drainage and seepage from
barnyards, stock pens and manure
Mts lead away from the well rather
than toward it.
Gardens In Crowded Cities.
Nothing brings the country more
near to the city than a garden.
The vacant-lot gardens are good la
congested places.
But there are few who can have a
vacant-lot garden compared to those
who can have window boxes. ,
Get ready to put up the window
boxes in the crowded sections and
thus gladden thousands.
Gay geraniums and graceful vines
that trail their leaves over the sides
of the box are the things to plant.
The window-box garden should also
contain saucy geraniums, wide-eyed pe
tunias and bright verbenas.
The placing of window-box gardens
In crowded city streets Is one of the
happiest ways of easing the lot of
those who must live and work ia the
city all summer.
V Sir I I