Annette - The Metis Spy

"Ah Julie, your chief, or our own Metis, might admire us in this

costume, but the ladies of Captain Stephens' acquaintance would

shrink from doing that in which we see naught amiss. He may think it

indelicate and--." Once more the blood came stinging with a thousand

sharp points in her temples; but Julie interposed: "Nay, mademoiselle; if you have done anything unlike what white

ladies do, it was for the sake of Captain Stephens; and if you did

not adopt disguise, you could not have saved him."

"True, sweet Julie; you fill me with courage;" and then she set

about preparing the meal.

Captain Stephens was amazed at the deftness with which the young

scout prepared the repast; and he lay upon the grass, with his eyes

rivetted upon the nimble, noiseless, graceful lad. It puzzled him

that the mysterious youth should persistently keep his head averted,

and he was the more strongly decided to discover his identity. When

the meal was ended Annette whispered, "Julie will come with us; I never could tell him in the light of the

fire." Then turning towards Captain Stephens, with eyes looking

timidly down, "If monsieur will walk forth a little with me and mon

frere, I shall tell him something."

Certainly, he would go, and was upon his feet beside the mysterious

boy, whose colour had now become most fitful, changing from pale

olive to the dye of the damask rose. They went beyond the bluff, and

out upon the prairie, Stephens marvelling much, though speaking no

word, what the handsome boy had to say to him.

"Monsieur," she began in a soft, trembling voice, "has wondered who

I am, and thinks he has heard my voice before. He has heard it--at

the cottage of my father."

Captain Stephens turned around and gazed with amazement at the lad.

"He has heard it elsewhere, too," Annette went on--"he heard it on

the brimming river; he saved me from death below the chute."

"Heavens, Annette Marton! Sweet, generous, noble girl, why had I not

guessed the truth," and he stood rapt with gratitude and admiration

before her. Kindly dusk of the starless prairie that hid the blushes

and confusion of the girl!

Then in a low tone, as they walked aimlessly about upon the plain,

she told him the story of her adventures, all of which my reader

already knows. Then they returned; and when they neared the camp

fire, Annette with a shy little run disappeared into her tent,

murmuring softly, "Au revoir, Monsieur."

Her dreams were bewildering, yet delicious, that night; but there

ran through them all a feeling of shame that he should have detected

her in those unwomanly clothes. Indeed, the embarrassment went

further than this; and once she imagined, the dear maiden, that she

was by the edge of an amber-green pool fringed with rowan bushes and

their vermillion berries, and that as she was about to step into it

for a bath, there occurred what happened in the case of Artemis and

her maids, the one upon whom her heart was set taking the place of

Actaon. She gave a great scream and awoke, to find Julie sitting up

and looking with wide affrighted eyes through the dusk at her

mistress.