eu!"

And with her voice McElroy felt the arrested blood rush back to his
heart again, for it held no anger. Instead it was full of that startled
wonder, and it was as gold to him.

"Maren," he said, the emotion choking him; "Maren--" and with that new
courage he put both hands on her shoulders and drew her near, looking
down into the eyes so near on a level with his own.

Deliberately, slowly, that she might fully catch the meaning of what he
was about to do, he drooped his lips until they rested square on the red
mouth.

This was the thing he had left the factory for, this was what had drawn
him, unconsciously perhaps, to the path along the river's bank, that had
made him follow deliberately the light trail of the girl into the woods.

"Maren," he said, so thrilled that his words shook, "from this day forth
you are mine. Mine only and against the whole world. I have taken you
and you are mine."

He was full of his glory, dominating the dark eyes that had never left
his own, and his soul was big within him. He was still very much a boy,
this young factor, and the crowning moment of life had him in his grip.

He knew no fear, no thought of her next word or action touched him until
she, as deliberately as he had acted, reached up and took both his hands
from her shoulders.

"Adieu, M'sieu," said Maren Le Moyne quietly, the excitement of that
breathed "M'sieu! M'sieu!" quite lost in the calmness that was her usual
characteristic, and turning she walked away down the glen toward the
river bank, the little spots of sun dancing on her black head like a
leopard's gold as she passed in the checkered shade, and not once did
she turn her head to see the factor of De Seviere standing where she had
left him beside the forest giant.

CHAPTER IX GOLD FIRE

If that time in the tuneful spring was crowded full to the brim of
emotions scarce bearable to McElroy, how much more wonderful was it
to Maren Le Moyne, for the first time in her life trembling in all her
being from the touch of a man's lips?

To the outward world there was no sign of the tumult within her as she
came and went about the business of the new cabin by the stockade wall,
but in her virgin heart there stirred strange new things that filled her
calm eyes with wonder.

In the seclusion of the little room to the east she spread out on the
patchwork quilt the Indian garment and looked at it with a new meaning.

Never before in her life had she thought