Joyce of the North Woods

d with a snake-like motion, and then let it fall back again upon his fo

and the fussy little river rambling throu

or trusting things-then it would stumble against a rock or pile of loose stones, wake u

but still dreamily. Children's laughter sounded far below; a slouching man or woman making for the

s head and gave that

e and set the world in a jangle. The child's impish words had struck the s

dirty knees as he squatted by Jude's door; "him and her is s

d trained him to use until he was second only to Gaston himself for marksmanship

hack; I listened outside the winder once-he reads to her and tells her t

laugh that set eve

d, mingled with his canny Scotch inheritance, rose i

him at the woods, the sky, the highway and the dejected houses-nothing was familiar

" The gun fell limply

s arms out, and him a-laughing like, and Joyce she kinder run inter his arms and he held her, like this-." The close embrace

tasy of portrayal. Suddenly, however, he reeled into sanity, for Jude had struc

id, "and more like it if you stand ther

way and nursing his smarting face; "he di

lse and," he came nearer to the shrinking child, "I swear I'll choke yer

wear I won't, Jude; don't-don

leaning, his breath coming hard and fast meanwhile, and then, taking the gu

Gaston's shack from a distance; as

, and Gaston himself only returne

ept close to the broad window to see what Gaston was doing in there where no foot but Gaston's own, so it was said,

too? What you after, big game or-what?" Jude rose to his feet. He was trem

ng-thought I would lo

s up?" Gaston leaned from t

in't anything

until he was lost in the shadows, then he drew the heavy wooden

oors and a drizzly rain was falling. Night again found him on guard; and now he lay on Beacon Hill in the hot sun, n

idly described was enacted again and again, unti

, and after the first few months of observation he had aroused no interest. He had minded his business, paid his way, taken his turn in camp at

s dog and gun. The idea had not roused him much, but it had been a pleasurable conclusion to arrive at; and now? Every nerve was aching and the boy's hea

p was touched by the sun, but in the meadow

g was happening down there below

and waved it as if in greeting. From the opposite direction a girl was approaching. She wore a blue-checked gown, and her pale hair seeme

an met. He stretched out his arms,

it! Jude was burning and palpitating. He strained his hearing, forgetting

she bowed her head, and once she passed her hand across her eyes as if to wipe away tears. Then the man drew her close

ted. The man stood with bared head watching the slim, drooping figure as it retraced its steps with neve

rilled a vesper hymn as it felt its way along the dark rocky path-and then tears came to Jude's relief, impotent, boyish, weak tears, such tears as he had not shed since

ave done. He went down the hill an

ten memories rose sharply and kept him c

ab that seemed the only possible wearing-colour of the place. Occasionally, though, the sameness had been relieved by a vivid touch, but only f

a woman she had been! What a menace

ed, clothed and cared for, had not counted to her credit one jot among the powers that be. Her husband was not safe on the man's side of the Black Cat screen. At ten o'clock, did Riddall brave his chances to that hour, Marsena wou

where a man was an absolute necessity unless there was money to take his place. Jude grimly smiled as he recalled how the men and boys gav

e upon the deserted and decaying cottage where once

as he might, even now, in this disordered moment, Jude heard the

vied with the Black Cat in popularity. Pierre was a noted card player, but, oh! Lola's song sounded above the slap of pasteboard and the click of glasses. How pretty

uette, alouet

te, chante

, je te

chantez

, je te

lumerai

lumerai

e b

e b

uet

uet

l blow, and the song fled from her lips; then taking warning from a well-directed signal from Beacon Hill, he had so

Jude, now, it was painfully evident as he again plunged forward; it followed him sweetly, mockingly as it used to whe

rsonality that heretofore he had not suspected. Even as jealous anger spurred h

re of a power in Joyce-a power he had unconsciously, perhaps,

he heard a song. It was that song! It met the rhythm in his

uet

uet

reparing the evening meal, stepping lightly between table and stove as s

not he, and Joyce but a girl

ceased, and the singer st

er?" No answer

came into

late. I never wait for him a

e to the Hillcrest school as long as paternal a

uttered Jude, slouching in and droppin

him, and the glow from the

nness, but there were no awkward ang

ss, but of a wondrous softness. Her hair was of that shade of gold that suggests silve

ked, as a child might have asked

u something, and

out for the evening meal with the brown bowl of early asters set in the centr

know, Jude? You

he leaned forward, "it's about you and-and him. I saw you in the Long Medder. I saw him hold you

ce's silence, her apparent discomfort, gave him a

fervently. The question with her, now, was how best to voice herself-the self that Jude in no wise knew. Womanlike, she did not want to plunge into

inctive relish for the best wherever she saw it. Whatever the future held she was not inclined to thrust Jude from it. In success or failure she would rather have him

gain Jude spoke, and this time a to

ised her eyes. They did not hold the expression Jude might have expected from her disturbed s

rned upon him; she threw her head back and her sli

iss me, Jude Lauzoon, you'd like to do

ing her weak, woman's w

sounded above the rush of blood that made him giddy. He got to his feet and staggered around the table. He held to it, not so much to steady himself

yer that kind I'll take-my share an

at stood afar and alone; a something quite different from the beast who spo

sit down o

e had the effect those quiet words had, combined

e. If she could not down the beast in the man

t-then Jude backed away and droppe

from the safer distance. Presently the girl spoke, lay

Jude Lauzoon, to com

lurted out, "to make me th

ou thought it because you-wan

ow, and a stifled sob r

God knows I didn't, Joyce, it

bad when he sees what

delirious joy, it also, she was beginning to understand, brought a terror she had n

er take yourself to the Black Cat; you'l

isibly cow

kiss you?"

gave him

right? I mean the right first-and last?" Jude was gaining ground, but n

d hanging her head. For the moment

ard her over his ha

the Black Cat, because you asked me to. I've gone following after you kinder heedless-like till-till he gave me a blow twixt the eyes, with his hand-holding and kissing. It drove me crazy. I ne

erstitious-the fun of the game died in her, and she felt weak and nauseated.

turally was kind and he let me go to his shack to read. Sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't. He just thought about me as if I was a little girl-Maggie Falstar used to go sometimes-he

e was sensing the situation

n the book too. We looked at each other, and-and I was frightened and I guess he was-for I was grown up all of a sudden. Jude"-the girl was appealing to the familiar in him, the comradeship that would stand with her and for her-"he too

." But the move was a wrong one. Joyce

," she cried, "you ca

," Jude returned illogic

and-and all wrong, but he wouldn't let me feel that way. He acted like I was a little girl to him again-only different; and-I'm going to tell you something." The pink flush dyed even the white throat now. "He said he wished I would

me about J

Angé hurtling around Joyce? "Jock Filmer-why-

ant me-I guess-they would-if I wanted them!" The girl was worn out; racked b

is time he walked steadily, and he was quite

Joyce-God

id you

ho

r. Ga

en why in thunder

dashed agains

l-until I told

rung from her in order to make Gaston think he himself had not been deep

jealousy, feeding upon a new hope, rose, defiantly. "You told him you cared-and then he kissed you, damn him

auzoon." Yet as she resented the implied insult, the primitive

't want yer hurt? No one ain't going to hurt yer!" He had clutched her to him roughly bu

hysterically aga

n't know things. You're no older than you was when y

e pressed it closer against him. He had to be co

om him. A sickish odou

t from the stove and ruefully carried it outside. "Nothing left,

e authoritatively; "that's wha

I need-sleep. I'm alm

udden happy ending of his torture

new, thrilling way, but she was fo

ll go down to the Black Cat, and see

ckward to the ch

urmured; "I certai