CLANCY OF THE MOUNTED POLICE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 24 November 1923, Page 8

CLANCY OF THE MOUNTED POLICE.

STORY OF LIFE IN THE NORTHWEST. (By OTTWELL BINNS). It has been a frightful business, I can tell you, and just now when you encountered us, I was in the very depths of despair. I felt I couldn’t keep going much longer; and I knew that if I went down, the madman would drag me at the tail-end of the sled rather than stop. When you hailed him, I didn’t know who you were; but you were like a great angel of light to me.” He broke off. and waited a moment as if expecting some comment, then he added quietly, “ You’ve heard the story, Clancy. 1 hope you don’t blame

ine overmuch?” For one fleeting second Clancy seemed to hesitate; but it was only that he might look at Mollie Elkington; and when he met her eyes with the lovelight shining in their depths, he answered from his heart. “Not in the least, Mr Elkington!” “ Then shake hands, boy.” They shook hands heartily, and after a little time the cider man asked, “ Wlfat are we going to do now, my son?”

The corporal looked at Dubose, who for the moment had sunk into somnolence, then he replied, “ It’s my first duty to get that murderer down to the post." “ And after?” “ Well,” replied Clancy, “ my second will be to buy mystelf out ol the police; for it will be years before f should earn sufficient there to— to—” ‘‘Keep Lady Clancy in a state that becomes her, hey?” Clancy laugher!. “ Well, when I joined the force I hadn't any notion of there ever being a Lady Clancy to support,” “ No, I guess not. One dollar twentyfiv a day doesn’t run to the contem plation of matrimony,” answered the other, laughing with him. " And alter —again?”

“ Then I think I shall avail myself ■ of the partnership you were good enough to offer me, sir; and come up here after that gold which undoubtedly exists.” “Partnership! The gold’s yours more than it is mine, boy! I’ll stand in as sleeping partner if you like, anu find the necessary dollars; but you won’t get me on this side of the Arctic Circle again, if I can help it.” Clancy laughed. “ An arrangement of that sort will do very well for me. You find the money for development, and I’ll hnd the gohl, which my father found before me. And in two years I shall be in a position to ask Mollie to ” “ Two yeans 1” John B. Elkington Laughed at some, thing which was not clear to Clancy al llie time, but which became clear when they arrived at Old 1’ ort Malsun on the southward journey. There, whilst they were resting a couple of days, Pere Molineau, a missionary priest ol famous name in the North arrived; amt after a joyous dinner, in the course of which the priest told many stories grim and gay and adventurous, John B. Elkington asked suddenly : “ Pere Molineau, what’s the biggest fee you ever had for a wedding?” “ Twenty-five dollars,” answered the priest with a laugh, “ but why do you ask?” " Because I’ve a mind to pay you one of a thousand right now!” tor a moment Pere Molineau s merry face wore a puzzled look, then he caught sight ol Mollie Elkington’s face in which the warm blood was vivid; and looking fi om her to the corporal, whose lean face indexed mingled embarrassment and anticipation, the jolly priest laughed ln s undeistanding. “ Monsieur, I would much like to earn so great a fee. My mission on the river is a very sponge that soaks up dollars as other sponges soak up watel,” Elkington laughed. “ From what you have aid here to-night it’s a sponge that deserves plenty ot fluid to soak in, and—well —l’d 1r... you to have that thousand dollars. He glanced humorously at his daughter’s scarlet face, and from her to the corporal. “ I don’t know the rules of your service, Terence,” he said suggestivly, “ But—»vell now, you’ve heard Father Molinau. Don’t '.mi think that he de serves that thousand dollars?” “ For so great a fee,” said the priest smilingly, “even the rules of th Mounted Police may be broken, my gon; and for so charming a young

lady, even I myself might ventuie to break a rule.” Clancy laughed to hide his embarrassment and quoted the only rule he could remember that had any bearing upon the matter. “ Married men will not be engaged.” “And engaged men will not be married, hey? A clear case for taking the law into one’s own hands, particularly as you’re coming out. You can leave it to me to explain to your inspector ” “ And if you don’t, I will not the task take to explain to your charming lady, why I should be denied so great a fee. Non !” Clancy looked at Mollie and saw a glint of laughter in her eye. Then suddenly he laughed himself. “Then I will not rob you, Pere Molineau. To-morrow you shall earn

your ‘ so great a fee.’ ” And on the morrow, a s it chanced, Pere Molineau more than earned it; for when he was making out the certificate and the corporal gave his name and state, the good priest suddenly checked his writing. “Terence Clancy. Baronet! Tiens! 1 remember. Long ago 1 did write to you about your father, .surely?” “About my father!” cried Clancy. “I have had no letter about my father from you.” “But I did one write, ten years ago!” Clancy stared bewilderingly. “ I have never heard from you in my life, father. Nor since my father was lost ” “ He was lost, but I found him, my son- 1 took him to my mission on the river, for he was very weak and nigh to death. I heard his confession, and when he died 1 buried him with my own hands, and set a little cross above him. Also I write ” He checked himself suddenly. “ Now I remember That year a mail-sled was lost in the river, and the mail-carrier also. Tiens! that I should forget! I grow old. But I did write, my son, I did write! But in so great a matter I ought again to have written. It was a great neglect of my duty, for which I beg

forgiveness.” Clancy looked at the bowed head of the priest, who clearly was distressed at what he conceived a fault, then greatly moved he spoke. “ There can be no question of forgiveness, Pere Molineau. From the hands that blessed my father, rather should 1- ask a blessing, and one day I will come to ydlir mission on the river and you shall show me my father’s grave.” •That will I. my son! And you will be very welcome.” And when, that same night. Terence Clancy and his bride stood outside the old stockade of the fort watching the flashing of the aurora above their heads, Mollie suddenly made her first request of her husband. “Terence?” “ Yes, my dearest ” “When you go to Pere Molineau s Mission on the river. I should like to go too! May I?” “Yes.” he answered with a little break in his voice “ les!” I “ Perhaps he will know that— that we are there together?” “ Please God, yes.” And. when the day came, two years later, with bowed heads they stood together by the little wooden cross that Pere Molineau had carved; and their hearts were not wholly sad, since they were assured that the lost Sir Terence knew ami understood. The End.