Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 183 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. — ee es wwe ae eee eee _ 24. Ee i gn sale ae ( Gilbert, the Guide. _-- rye ee ——————————————————————————————eeee——ees_ dear meen Daerenned steed hetces ie. ae emy, bis fierce eyes glaring living fires; an en he forned upon his heel and struck off into the thless forest with slow, hesitating steps. Gaeses looked after him a moment, and then struck bis trail, which he followed with patient vigilance through the woods, Morena remained upon the headland watchin the fugitive Indians. Some of them recogni her in passing, and their faces showed that they remembered her counsels for peace, and they felt that they would have done well to listen to the Queen of the Lake, now that it was too late. She saw among them men who had been kind to her, as kind as was possible in men of their stoical natures, and she felt grieved for them, but knew that the lesson was a salutary one, and that they would not forget it. She was thinking of Gandelion and the words he had spoken when they last met. She _be- lieved that he loved ber; but, understanding the difficulties under which he labored, with sublime self devotion she had determined to cast him off if he came to her and spoke of love again. She would not drag him down, but leave him to work out his future as he might, unshackled by her love. For she did love him; all thestrength of her pure young heart was in _the passion, and she felt that for such a man it would be glorious to die. ‘Who am I?” she murmured. ‘' My heart tells me that I am not all an Indian, and that I was born for a better life than this. No matter; whatever may come to me in the after years, i am glad to think I have done some good to my kind, This beautiful girl, Helen, will not leave me. She is in McKay’s power, and I must and will take her from him. I know that he set them to seize her, but where has he taken her?” She sat for some time in silence, with her head bowed upon her knees, lost in thought. Then she arose, and saw that the shades of even- ing were gathering about her; and not carin to spend the night alone in the woods, advance at a rapid pace, and soon saw the walls of Fort Miami rising against the evening sky. <A party of Indians, scattered about the beach, gave way at her eperoees and she passed through, greet- ing them kindly. A canoe lay upon the beach, and entering it, she paddled boldly toward the other shore, and landed just below the work. A sentry challenged her, and she gave her name, not having the word. * There is the corporal,” said the soldier. ‘‘I don’t know whether .e will pass you in or not.” ** Colonel McKay would pass me if he heard I was waiting,” she declared. ‘‘ Let him know that Morena wishes to enter.” ‘The colonel is not here,” replied the man, . ‘* Corporal!” soldier holding that grade in the service came up, and seeing who it was, passed her at once, “T suppose you do not know that Madame snarenge is in the fort,” he said. She came up from York* with the last regiment to Detroit, and came from Detroit yesterday. I’ve got orders to admit you at once, for she longs to see you. Morena uttered a little cry of delight. Mad- ame Lagrange was the lady who had taken’ so much s to teach her, and who had earnestly entreated her to give up the tribe and become her daughter. But Morena regarded it as her a, to faithful to the tribe, and had re- used, The qerign was all under arms as the passed in, for Wayne still continued hostile demonstrations outside, and they did not know but the fiery leader might take it upon bimself to assail them. The open space within the fort was full of armed men, and among others she saw the broken force of Canadian militia which had guided the Indians against Wayne. Several small houses had been built under the walls for the accommodation of the officers. The corporal entered one of these, and knocked at an inner door. A lady who was within epruig up as they entered, and with a cry of joy caught Morena to her arms and pressed her to her heart. “Tam glad to meet you again, my darling,” she said. ‘‘ How could you stay away from me so long?” CHAPTER XXII. MORENA’S PROMISE—A TERRIBLE DILEMMA. MADAME LAGRANGE was a woman in the prime of life, and of that rare personal beaut which clings to some women, even thoygh ad- vanced in Yet a look at her face would have convinced any one that hers had beena life of sorrow, for leaves his mark upon all a pst dark , es had - them a look of auntin ef, and her pale face was inexpress- ibly me and tender, "incena had a loving heart, and the manner of her reception was touching in the extreme. “You love me, then?” she asked, in a voice of * Toronto. ~ touching , pation ‘The poor Indian gir! is not all forgotten?” ‘Forgotten, my child! Oh, that you would be my child indeed! I would be so tender of you and so loving that you would forget this wild life, and love the one I would give you. In my desolation, your face has haunted me, and has been the sweetest recollection of a sor- rowful past.” ‘‘You are too kind to me,” said Morena, “and perhaps I may one day accept your kindness, and come to you, never to leave you more. As events are shaping themselves, I can see that I must soon be forced to break my con- nection with the tribe, and find with you a shel- ter and a home, When that time comes, you will receive me and shelter me in your arms?” ‘¢T came here for that, Morena. Gandelion has written to me, and begged me to come and take you away from this life. You have no idea how much he cares for you, or how it grieves him to see you as you are.” A vivid flush stole up into the brown cheek of the forest maiden, and it seemed to her that her kind benefactress must hear the beating of her heart. Then Gandelion had been so tender in his love for her that he had sent for this good lady to take her into her heart and home! ‘*Gandelion is very kind, and I thank him, if only for the sight of your face once more. But the time is not yet. There is work for me to do, and I cannot pause until it is accomplished. A woman, beautiful and good, whom 1 love, is a prisoner in the hands of Indians led by McKay, and when I have saved her, I will bid good-by to the tribe, and come to you.” ‘*'You promise this?” ‘Yes; and you know I never break a pro- mise,” ‘“T can trust you, my darling,” she said. ‘‘But I do not like to let you go out again into the forest, into the danger which is before you. My life has been very sad, and your love has made it brighter. Some day I will tell you my story, and why I am alone in the world. Once I had children who loved me, whose innocent prattle made my heart glad, but the sods of the valley have lain upon them, and fresh flowers have blossomed over them, for many a weary oe ‘And your husband?” *‘He, too, is dead. ‘After life’s fitful fever, he sleeps well.’ Alas, my husband, that I can- not even find your grave, and tell you that, in all my sorrows, the remembrance of our short but happy life together has been very dear to me!’ Morena stole closer to the side of Madame Lagrange, and laid her cheek against that of the sorrowful woman. ‘Do not grieve,” she said, softly. you,” ‘‘T know you do, my sweet one. You must stay with me to-night, and I will hold you to my heart, and think you one of those dear chil- dren I lost solong ago. Who is there? Come “T love An orderly appeared at the door, touching his - ‘‘ Major Gandelion is here, and wishes to call upon you.” Morena started up quickly. ‘‘Hide me somewhere, mother,” she said, using that ten- der name as though she had the right. ‘I can- not see him now.” ‘Wait without, sir,” said Madame Lagrange. ‘‘T will send Major Gandelion his answer soon.” The man saluted again and went out, and Madame Lagrange drew the trembling girl closer to her side. ‘‘ What is it?’ she eaid. ‘*T cannot meet him,” sobbed Morena. “And why? Do you know that he loves you?” ‘Yes, mother. At least he says so.” ‘Call me by that tender name always, my sweet child, for you are to be my daughter in- deed. Are you afraid to meet Herbert? Do you not like him?’ ‘* Why should I keep my heart hidden from you? I love him as only a daughter of the for- est can love, but he hasagreat future before him, and do you think I would drag him down to my level? “Such love as yours ennobles any man,” re- plied Madame Lagrange, ‘‘ Herbert surely has not dared to speak to you except as a gentleman should speak to a lady?” **Oh, no, no!” cried Morena, “Then why will you not meet him?’ “I have told you. Because I love him so that, if I hear his voice, I shall find it very hard to do my duty and cast him off. Let me go away, and do not tell him that 1 am here, or, if he knows, do not let him meet me.” Madame Lagrange arose, and led the way through a little hall into another room, which was fitted upfor alady. ‘‘ Stay here,” she said, ‘and I will meet Gandelion alone.” She kissed the lips of the blushing girl and walked quickly into the other room, and sent the orderly to admit her visitor, who came in with a flushed face, and excited air, and greeted her warmly, as they were related, and much of his advancement in the service was due to her influence, —_——————— oe ee eg S sess S-ssssssSssssslSSsslt=sttt>~— — ——---—_—_--_ --—_—_-_-— eS ? eens eee 4 =} See “T am glad to see you, Herbert,” she said offering her cheek to him to kiss. ‘‘ Where have you been?” ‘*On the bel “mel he replied, gayly, ‘“‘and my ragamuffins have been as beautifuly whip- ped as you could wish to see them. Upon my word, it was a sight to see Wayne’s legion w through them!” ‘TI told you how it would be,” said Madame Lagrange, warmly. ‘‘ You have no business upon this side of the line in the least, according to the treaty.” ‘Policy, my dear madame; policy. I obeyed orders simply, and the Government let my worthy friend McKay—whose nose I intend to ull as soon as I meet him—do all the planning. ou know well enough how averse I was to the bP an, “ And the result has been famous. Wayne chased the Indians up to the very walls of the fort, and I thought at one time he was going to make a mistake and take the fort itself. ‘‘ We will be forced to give it up in the end,” added the major, amet b ‘“‘The truth is, we have no leader here who has the prestige of An- thony Wayne, the hero of Stony Point. Let that pass; we bave made a blunder and must take the consequences, be they what they may. Did you get my letter?” ‘‘ Certainly; I came here upon thestrength of it, and am ready to do what you ask.” ‘“‘T was afraid you would laugh at me, dear cousin,” said Gandelion, taking her band. ‘I ought to bave-known you better, but I supposed that your pride of race, which seems to bea part of our family nature, would revolt against the idea of honorably loving a girl like Morena,” ‘‘Did you ever meet her equal in beauty and grace, sir? Is she not pure, brave of heart, and at the same time tender as a little child? You ought not to have wronged me by thinking I would object.” ‘‘Then listen tomy plan. Morena is young, and a year or (wo in your society will teach her all those little points of breeding in which she is lacking, and then no living man dare point the finger at her. Even as it is, I would be pleased to meet a man bold enough to doit. It isa strange thing,” he added, slowly, ‘‘how m love has strengthened for that sweet girl. 1 haye watched her in ber daily path—pure, beautiful, and good—and I felt that here was a nature thrown away upon ignorant savages. Yet she has done much to Christianize them, and they love her, and it will be a good day in the tribe when they know she is to leave them.” ‘*'You know her position among the tribes, then?” . “Yes; she was as a queen among them. They built her a cabin upon an island upon Miami Bay, and that spot was sacred to her. Not an Indian dare set his foot upon it without her permission. Four of the most beautiful women of the ME pp nation lived with her there, and aided her in her work as queen and rophetess. It was from her living upon this sland, and going to and fro in a canoe, that she gained her title of Queen of the Lake. It was there I first saw her, when 1 was sent to the tribe upon an embassy, and she took her place in the council, an honor seldom granted toa woman in the Wyandot nation. I was certain then that she was not an Indian, and subsequent knowledge of her taught me that this was true. Whatever ber parentage, she has been among the tribes since she was a little child, and they look up to her as to a higher power. She is here, is she not?” “Who told you so?” ‘*No matter. I must see her, and hope to couvince her that it is not right for her to go out into the woods again.” ‘‘lam afraid that will be useless. She says that a woman has been taken by the Indians and that she will not rest until she has saved her. Who is this prisoner?” “A young lady called Helen Carlyon, the daughter of an American officer in the army of Wayne, who owns a large estate and stockade upon one of the rivers about one hundred miles east of the Miami. She was coming to the army for safety when she was captured by a chief called Darromed, and is now a prisoner somewhere,” ‘Have you seen ber?” ‘*No; but a scout with whom I have come in contact a great deal lately, says that there isa wonderful resemblance between her and Mo- rena; and bis opinion is strengthened by that of others, who are now upon her track, deter- mined to save her or perish.” ‘* Morena has seen her?” “‘No; there has been a strange fatality in that; and these two, who resemble each other so closely, have never met.” ‘‘It is a strange thing. What did Morena say about McKay? She seemed to intimate that he had some hand in the abduction of this young lady.” “I believe it, too. The fellow proposed for her upon one or two occasions, and was refused. He is a man to remember a slight of that kind, and the consequence is, he has laid this plot to insnare her.” ‘The cowardly villain! I will uphold you in your design of quarreling with him, and hope CORTICLOOOKES (E(@) = of -“f- ‘. ;