Part 28 (1/2)
”D-don't bla
He had no part in it”
Burrell wheeled back to the Frenchain ”Is this true?”
”Yes,” said Doret, in a restrained voice ”Dis ain' no work of mine”
”You're a liar!” breathed the Kentuckian, now fairly ith anger; but the other looked him squarely between the eyes and made no move
”M'sieu',” he cried, ”I'm livin' t'orty year, an' never took no nam'
lak' dat before, but dere's reason here w'y I can't irl, and before Burrell could break out again he checked hiht wit' lesser dan two people You've tol' entleman Wal, I ain' nobody but trapper an' trader, but I don' spoil de nairl, an' I don' quarrel in presence of lady, so entlery, Lieutenant?” irl whose sense of huear You mustn't quarrel over a SQUAW!”
She taunted hi beyond her control and the savage instincts of the wilderness were upperht,” he replied ”I ah is with you” His lips tried to frame a smile, but failed, and he added: ”Your wit is not ratulations on your nuptials Undoubtedly, you will be happy together; two people with such similar ideas of humor , walked out
The one she cried, breathlessly:
”You ot to do it now”
”Do you mean dat for sure?” he said
”Can't you see there's nothing else for it, after this? I'll show him that he can't make me a toy to suit his convenience I've told him I would marry you on Sunday, and I'll do it or die Of course you don't love me, for you don't knohat love is, I suppose; how--could you?”
She broke down and began to catch her breath ah they left her eyes dry and feverish
”I--I'ood--wife to you Oh, Poleon, if you only knew--”
He drew a long breath When he spoke his voice had the tih his words
”No! I don' kno'at kin' of love is dis, for sure De kin' of love I know is de kin' I sing 'bout in in to see it don' live nowhere but on de tarn' I waste here now--five year--but to-ain lookin' forup with startled eyes ”Not to-ether”
He shook his head ”To-o alone”
”Then you won't--htened voice
”No! Dere's wan t'ing I can't do even for you, Necia, dere's wan t'ing I can't geeve, dat's all--jus' wan on all de worl' I can't kill de li'l' God wit' de bow an' arrer He's all dat , an' de leaves w'isper to me; he's de wan li'l' feller w'at mak' my life wort' livin' an' keep music in my soul If I keel 'ioin' fin' h no s to 'im all alone onderneat' de stars beside o livin' wit' you in fine house an' let 'iet col' an' die”
”But I told him I'd marry you--that I had always intended to He'll believe I was lying,” sheain' no doin's wit'in dis worl' mus' live forever, an' dat's love--if we kill 'im den it's purty poor place for stoppin' in I'm cut off my han' for help you, Necia, but I can't be husban' to no woman in fun”
”Your foolish head is full of ro me a favor, but you're not Why, there's Runnion--he wants hter stabbed the irl in such a fix! I've been ht of a priest ood enough for a badout her aran to weep uncontrollably ”If--if--I only had a woman to talk to--but they are all men--all men”