A Little Girl in Old St. Louis

t it tired her to sit up among the pillows in her bed. And one day whe

rength gone to?" sh

eer, and the good woman ha

uire and sympathize and bring delicacies. Madame Renaud offered her services, but no one was really needed, though the cordial, smiling face d

nd of chair with a back that could be raised and lowered by an ingenious use of notches and wooden pins. He was getting so handy that he made various useful articles, for in those days in these upper settlements there w

e room and made her pale face a little rosy, "I had almost forgotten-you have been so ill it drove mos

Oh, wha

had a superstitious feeling about it.

his hand. It was very securely fastened with a twi

she begge

raise the cover. She held

about a girl who opened a box and

ndpère Antoine did not leave an

m and on it lay a golden chain and a cross, with a pearl set where the arms

ejaculated Mère Lunde. "A beautiful cross! I

anded i

uite moved with pity for you. I saw him again this morn

a startled light. "Did anybody t

d Denys with spirit, almost with joyo

s to him, and he clas

lled to sometimes," s

y as possible. Everybody has been having a merry time with th

ar seemed! Spring, a

mber clearly," trying to think, and studying the leaping blaze t

s with a queer expression and shook his head. Now he had let his hair grow

my head used to go round, I remember. Sometimes things stood on the ceiling

ripple of a laugh. Ah,

n can I

d, even the river is full of ice chunks. B

s ball?" i

. "When the Christ was born three kings came

unde. "Though why it should be given ove

ver go?" a

started for Canada. And the year

me abo

She was twisting the c

young girls, and they each choose a king and open the ball with him. Then they dance. But the old people and a good many of the children go as well. And there

put it back in the box. "And when I am we

be the right thing to

. "Tell me some of the stori

told you

xing tone. "Away up in the north and the en

rth Pole,

is that?

ntcrevier. I have never bee

't live in such

and they come down in the winter. And then there are island

absently as if she could hardly t

ns. Some day we wi

st live a long while to do it all," and a

d, little one. Yo

this. She was very glad she had not died, however, though she had no very clear idea about death, except t

ple, the main thing seemed to be the good times. No one troubled about education and there were no "higher branches" to vex one's sou

d see, dotted here and there with a cluster of wigwam poles and brown skins stretched on the outside for warmth. A little blue-gray smoke curled laz

e days the old mound was alive with them, then they were down to Chouteau's pond. The boys and often some girls went up the river in canoes. There was the old rock of Fort St. Louis with its story of a hundred years agone, of how La Salle had built a fort and planted an Indian colony, that, when

a great deal of trade. There was a continual loading and unloading of boats, the levee was thronged. Denys had to take in a clerk, and his evenings

and danced on the green. Marriages seemed an especially social affair. The families on both sides made the agreement and were mutually pleased. It was seldom a young couple disregarded the respect univer

s were not in much favor with the French. Now and then a trapper brought in one and stayed a few months, but she nearly always preferred to sha

met in two years, and the youth, who seemed but a stripling to Gaspard then, was now a fine young fellow, his slim figure filled out, his thin face rounded with certain lines of energy

a few new houses built, sundry additions made to older ones where families had increased. Colonel Chouteau was beautifying the house and grounds where his lamented chief and dear frie

river, but if no boats come down, what then? And we are the half-way house, the north and the south

chand. "You hear a good deal of talk up north. The fur dealers of New Amsterdam are quite sure the colonie

there!" nodding to the eastward. "If some fine day they descend upon us-well, we shall be wiped out, that is all about it! The government

ture the cities. Faith! it is a great and glorious country, and I hardly know which has the best,

ncement of commerce. The western em

ng face in the glow o

ould have been a

there. But I wonder what Louis le Grand could have been thinking of to allow himself to be despoiled of such a magnificent estate! And here we were all turne

ood friends wit

y do the mischief. Still, it is true that some day I may have

going bac

s highly ornamented with Indian work. Now and then in the intervals of talk he blew out a volume of smoke from his pipe, or made ri

were you ever very much in love? But no, that is a foolish question, for you are the sort of m

ad married," evadin

e a mother to her consented. But straightway there was trouble. Her brother had chosen a brave for her, a fellow noted for his fighting propensities and his love of drink. It was surmised that he was buying her. She shrank from him with horror. He had had two wives already, and rumor said he had beaten one to death. I was ready to leave with my men and pack, and she came to me in terror and despair. She would have killed herself, I know, before she could have gone to such a brute. We loved each other, and the old woman Nasauka pitied us, and had a strong liking for me. So it was ar

hough I think she would have chosen death rather. I have known of several instances. Yes, it will

her marry an Indian if I had to shut her up in a convent. But there are many charming Indian girls and kindly hearted squaws, true as s

l be glad to welcome you. To-morrow you will bring he

gh with his two pretty children. Ah, when you see my beautiful wife you wi

eneau! But would she have dared an unblessed marriage? And the

vely. "And if you want a staunch friend, here

story. It is not for every one, only the fact that I have

ent through to the other room. Mère Lunde was telling over some be

u?" with pretty imperiousness. "And I grew v

he is coming to-morrow to bring a pretty Indian wife that he found u

ng-as long as to the

t connects the big Lake M

he studies, and the only maps were th

lakes. Her thoughts were a

like Mat

. They will come to dinner to-morrow. Mère Lunde," raising his voic

many?" in a c

is wife, a pretty Indian girl. Unle

ometimes led to rather amusing episodes when a traveller mist

ked Renée, following

time. He was a young lad here i

held her beads, and picked up the end of her st

a boy. Had he v

as them still,

ities he has married an Indian. Yes, you shall have

since her illness, that seemed to have drawn them

th a drawer that held Mère Lunde's beads and some other choice articles, and had a shelf low down on which was kept a work-basket

he young girl had taken in her flight her beautifully ornamented dress that would have adorned any Indi

ite rose hue, while the lips were cherry red. Her long hair was brushed up from her straight, low brow, held with a band of glittering bead work, and falling about her shoulders like a veil, much softer and finer than ordinary Indian hair. Her short skirt had a band of shining white feathers overlapping each other, with here and there a cluster of yellow

forward his little protégé, who held up her head proudly and felt almost as

nkly. How could any one help adoring so much be

ands with glad pressure,

to Marchand. "Her son died, and at that junctur

pleasure at seeing her again, declaring that she had grown younger instead of older, w

id Marchand with cu

ents of her room. This and that had come from Mattawissa, who made beautiful articles that Uncle Gaspard sent to New Orl

little girl's chatter,

he still in with the river pirates? His goods must be hidden somewhere. He does not k

wife and his daughter were of a different kind. And

and n

and each other. Wawataysee, the Firefly, as she was called in her native language, knew a little French and a little English, and often confused them. Renée had picked up a few words of English, but the

nd gave them a cordial gree

his head close

s beautiful girl?" he asked a little

d father's signature and that of the witnesses.

in wallet. Tied securely in a little packa

"And she is a baptized Christian," he a

aid Marchand, "while I am changing about

ere, my son? St. Louis needs industry and ene

s. I have already met with a w

siege of Detroit. Indeed, many of the Hurons had participated in it. And here was the end of so mu