e pointed, and Barry raised
himself slightly that he might follow the direction of the gesture.
Faintly, through the glass, he could see something white, rearing
itself in the shadows of the heavy pines which fringed the cabin,--a
cross. And it stood as the guardian of a mound of earth where pine
boughs had been placed in smooth precision, while a small vase, half
implanted in the earth, told of flowers in the summer season. Ba'tiste
stared at his palms. "Julienne," came at last. "My wife." Then, with
a sudden impulse, he swerved about the bed and sat down beside the sick
man. "Ba'teese--" he smiled plaintively--"like to talk about
Pierre--and Julienne. Even though eet hurt."

Barry could think only in terms of triteness.

"Have they been gone long?"

The big man counted on his fingers.

"One--two--t'ree year. Before that--_bon_!" He kissed his fingers
airily. "Old Ba'teese, he break the way--long time ago. He come down
from Montreal, with his Julienne and his Pierre--in his arm, so. He
like to feel big and strong--to help other people. So, down here where
there were few he came, and built his cabin, with his Pierre and his
Julienne. And, so happy! Then, by'm'by, Jacques Robinette come too,
with his petite Medaine--"

"That's the girl who was here?"

"Ah, _oui_. I am _l' M'sieu Doctaire_. I look after the sick for
ten--twenty--thirty mile. Jacques he have more head. He buy land." A
great sweep of the arm seemed to indicate all outdoors. "Ev'where--the
pine and spruce, it was Jacques! By'm'by, he go on and leave Medaine
alone. Then she go 'way to school, but ev' summer she come back and
live in the big house. And Ba'teese glad--because he believe some day
she love Pierre and Pierre love her and--"

Another silence. At last:

"And then war came. My Pierre, he is but eighteen. But he go.
Ba'teese want him to go. Julienne, she say nothing--she cry at night.
But she want him to go too. Medaine, she tell funny stories about her
age and she go too. It was lonely. Ba'teese was big. Ba'teese was
strong. And Julienne say to him, 'You too--you go. You may save a
life.' And Ba'teese went."

"To France?"

Ba'tiste bowed his head.

"Long time Ba'teese look for his Pierre. Long time he look for
Medaine. But no. Then--" his face suddenly contorted "--one night--in
the cathedral at St. Menehould, I find heem. But Pierre not know his
_pere_. He not answer Ba'teese when he call 'Pierr