Canada -- Fiction; Frontier and pioneer life -- Ontario -- Fiction
Two or three weeks went by very fast and one day Sophy McGurn, from
behind the shop-window, saw Hugo Ennis standing on the platform of the
little station at Carcajou. With him was big Stefan, clad in his best,
and the entire Papineau family. Most of the children were about to
take the very first railway journey of their lives and the excitement
was intense and prolonged. Finally the train came puffing along and
went away again, panting on the upgrade, while Miss Sophy bit her
nails hard.
There is no doubt that Stefan had kept still, since he had been
requested to. No one else in Carcajou knew anything as to the
inwardness of the girl's coming, of Sophy's share in it, or of the
discovery by the doctor of the latter's duplicity. And yet there was
an element in Carcajou that frowned upon the young lady. Her
accusation had been reported far and wide. To the settlers of the
place her suspicions had seemed uncalled-for and bespeaking a mean and
vicious disposition. Hugo, after all, had been everybody's friend. He
was now about to marry this young woman from far-away New York. This
utterly disproved Sophy's statements, wherefore she became more
unpopular than ever. A couple of hundred men had come over to work at
the sawmill, that was purring and grinding and shrieking again, all
day and night. In the course of events they were learning all about
the matter, and some of the more ribald asked her jocular questions.
It was annoying, to say the least, to have a big logger come in and
ask what were the news of the day, and if there was any more murdering
going on. She projected to leave Carcajou as soon as she could, and
made her parents wish she would, as soon as possible.
The party reached their station and walked over to the church, that
stood in what looked like a pasture, with great stumps of trees still
dotting the ground. About it was the very small beginning of a
graveyard. With the years it would grow but always it would be swept
by the winds blowing aromatic scents from the forests beyond the lake.
And about the church itself grew simple flowers, some of which were
beginning to twine themselves upon the walls. Madge came up the aisle,
attended by Stefan and the doctor. Hugo met them, the emotion of the
moment having caused some of the pallor to return to his cheeks.
It was soon all over. At the doctor's house there was a little repast,
followed by some simple words that sounded hopeful and strong. An hour
later the couple left, but not for a honeymoon in the towns. It was in
a place reached after many hours of paddling, where the red trout
abounded and the swallows darted over the waters. Here in their tent
they could do their own cooking, beginning the life that was to be one
of mutual help, of cheerful toil, of achievement and of happiness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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