Part 3 (1/2)

”I shall marry no one but the white girl,” he answered, with set lips. ”If she will not marry me, I shall never marry, so the Straight-Shots will have our t.i.tle, anyway.”

The door closed behind him. It was as if it had shut forever between him and his own.

But even with this threatened calamity looming before her, the old Indian mother's hurt heart swelled with a certain pride in his wilful actions.

”What bravery!” she exclaimed. ”What courage to hold to his own choice! What a _man_!”

”Yes,” half bemoaned his father, ”he is a red man through and through. He defies his whole nation in his fearlessness, his lawlessness. Even I bow to his bravery, his self-will, but that bravery is hurting me here, here!” and the ancient chief laid his hand above his heart.

There was no reply to be made by the proud though pained mother.

She folded her ”broadcloth” about her, filled her small carved pipe and sat for many hours smoking silently, silently, silently. Now and again she shook her head mournfully, but her dark eyes would flash at times with an emotion that contradicted her dejected att.i.tude. It was an emotion born of self-exaltation, for had she not mothered a _man_?--albeit that manhood was revealing itself in scorning the traditions and customs of her ancient race.

And young George was returning from his father's house to the Mission with equally mixed emotions. He knew he had dealt an almost unforgivable blow to those beloved parents whom he had honored and obeyed from his babyhood. Once he almost turned back. Then a vision arose of a fair young English girl whose unhappy childhood he had learned of years ago, a sweet, homeless face of great beauty, lips that were made for love they had never had, eyes that had already known more of tears than they should have shed in a lifetime.

Suppose some other youth should win this girl away from him?

Already several of the young men from the town drove over more frequently than they had cause to. Only the week before he had found her seated at the little old melodeon playing and singing a duet with one of these gallants. He locked his teeth together and strode rapidly through the forest path, with the first full realization that she was the only woman in all the world for him.

Some inevitable force seemed to be driving him towards--circ.u.mstances seemed to pave the way to--their ultimate union; even now chance placed her in the path, literally, for as he threaded his way uphill, across the open, and on to the little log bridge which crossed the ravine immediately behind the Mission, he saw her standing at the further side, leaning upon the unpeeled sapling which formed the bridge guard. She was looking into the tiny stream beneath. He made no sound as he approached. Generations of moccasin-shod ancestors had made his own movements swift and silent. Notwithstanding this, she turned, and, with a bright girlish smile, she said:

”I knew you were coming, Chief.”

”Why? How?” he asked, accepting his new t.i.tle from her with a graceful indifference almost beyond his four and twenty years.

”I can hardly say just how--but--” she ended with only a smile. For a full minute he caught and held her glance. She seemed unable to look away, but her grave, blue English eyes were neither shy nor confident. They just seemed to answer his--then,

”Miss Bestman, will you be my wife?” he asked gently. She was neither surprised nor dismayed, only stood silent, as if she had forgotten the art of speech. ”You knew I should ask this some day,”

he continued, rather rapidly. ”This is the day.”

”I did not really know--I don't know how I feel--” she began, faltering.

”I did not know how I felt, either, until an hour ago,” he explained. ”When my father and my mother told me they had arranged my marriage with--”

”With whom?” she almost demanded.

”A girl of my own people,” he said, grudgingly. ”A girl I honor and respect, but--”

”But what?” she said weakly, for the mention of his possible marriage with another had flung her own feelings into her very face.

”But unless you will be my wife, I shall never marry.” He folded his arms across his chest as he said it--the very action expressed finality. For a second he stood erect, dark, slender, lithe, immovable, then with sudden impulse he held out one hand to her and spoke very quietly. ”I love you, Lydia. Will you come to me?”

”Yes,” she answered clearly. ”I will come.”

He caught her hands very tightly, bending his head until his fine face rested against her hair. She knew then that she had loved him through all these years, and that come what might, she would love him through all the years to be.

That night she told her frail and fading sister, whom she found alone resting among her pillows.

”'Liza dear, you are crying,” she half sobbed in alarm, as the great tears rolled slowly down the wan cheeks. ”I have made you unhappy, and you are ill, too. Oh, how selfish I am! I did not think that perhaps it might distress you.”

”Liddy, Liddy darling, these are the only tears of joy that I have ever shed!” cried Elizabeth. ”Joy, joy, girlie! I have wished this to come before I left you, wished it for years. I love George Mansion better than I ever loved brother of mine. Of all the world I should have chosen him for your husband. Oh! I am happy, happy, child, and you will be happy with him, too.”