ing may never, never more through another's
infatuation reach our hearts, or yours.

I was at length aroused from my reverie by our Indian
visitor. I caught a glimpse of him just as he emerged from
the woods, and before I could go down to announce his coming,
he was within, and by his noiseless footfall had taken my
cousins greatly by surprise. Maria was smoothing her rumpled
hair and looking rather annoyed at the unceremonious
intrusion, while cousin John and his visitor were deep in the
mysteries of "jargon," which being interpreted by my humble
self was truly startling and shocking.

He stated that two "pale faces," were lying a short distance
off, frozen to death. His supposition was that they had
indulged too freely in "fire water."

Cousin John immediately accompanied him to the spot, and
found indeed two men cold and stiff in death, and the empty
bottle found upon their persons gave evidence of the cause.
The Indian recognized one, having seen him with my dead
brother, and said he was "no good pale face," and his name
was Prime Hawley. They found in the pocket of the other an
old letter addressed to "Hiram Green, Chimney Rock." You may
possibly know something about the latter.

"Fanny Green's father, and Mrs. Hawley's husband," ejaculated Little
Wolf. "Hark, Louise," she added in a whisper, "they have heard it
all."

Sounds of distress were heard in the adjoining room where Mrs. Hawley
was engaged in putting her little charge to rest. Both she and Fanny
had heard every word of the letter and the news of the unhappy death
of the husband of the one, and the father of the other, burst suddenly
upon them, and deep and tearless groans of Mrs. Hawley and Fanny's
heart breaking sobs mingled together.

"Put the letter away Louise, _do_," said Little Wolf, turning her face
away with a heart truly sick.

CHAPTER XXIV.

A CRISIS--PRIDE AND FOLLY.

For weeks Antoinette's letter lay in the drawer where Louise had
hastily thrust it, and no one had read it to the end.

Mrs. Hawley's health, which had been feeble for a long time, rapidly
declined after the news of her husband's death, and in a few days she
took to her bed, and shortly after died. The sickness and death of a
member of her family, combined with her own sufferings so absorbed the
mind of Little Wolf, that at the time she thought of but little else.
But whe