Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-03
THE HONOR OF
THE BIG SHOWS
JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD
CHAPTER III.
Little Melissa.
Copyright. 1911. The Bobbs-Merrill
Company.)


| The passing of Cummins' wife was as
| quiet as had been her coming. With bare
! heads. their shaggy hair falling wildly
about their faces, their lips set tight to
choke back their grief. the few at the posi-
went, one by one into the little cabin
and gazed for the last time upon her face.
There was but one sound other than the
gentle tread of their moccasined feet,
and that was a catching, sobbing moan
that fell from the thick gray beard of
| Williams. the old factor.
After that they carried her to where
clearing had been cut in the edge OF the
| forest. and at the foot of a giant spruce,
towering sentinel-like to the sky, they
, lowered her into the frozen eartn. Gasp
ingly. Williams stumbled over the words
on a ragged page that had been torn
from a Bible. The rough men who stood
about him bowed their wild heads upon
their breasts and sobs broke from them.
At last WiiiiamS stopped MS reading,
stretched his iong arms above his head
and cried chokinglv:-
The great God keep MecS Cummins!
AS the earth fell there came from the
! edge of the forest tho low, sweet music
of Jan Thoreau'S violin. No man in all
the world could have told what he played,
for it was the music of Jan soul. wild
and Whispering of the winds. sweetened
| by some strange inheritance that had
come to him with the picture which he
| carried in his throbbing heart
| He played until only the tall spruce
| and John Cummins stood over the lone
grave. When he stopped the man turned
| to him. and they went together to the lit
| tie cabin where the woman had lived
| There was something new in the cabil,
| nova tiny. white. breathing thing, over
| which an Indian woman watched The
! boy stood beside John Cummius, looking
down upon il ard trembling.
"Ah.'' he whispered. his great eyes
/ glowing. 1T ees the Iectle white ANGEL
! 1T is the little Melisse,' replied the
man.
| He dropped upon his knees. with his sad
| face close to the new life that was TO
take the place of the one that had just
gone out. Jan felt something tugglng in
/ a strange way at his heart, and he, too
fell upon his knees beside John Cunmins
in this first worship of the child.
| From this hour Of their first kneeling
! before the little life in the cabin some
! thing sprang up between Jan Thoreau
and John Cummins which it would have
been hard for man to break. Looking
! up after many moments contemplation
OF the little Melissa, Jan gazed straight
| into CumrninS face, and whispered Softiy
| the word which in Cree means father.
This was JAMS first word for Melissa.
| When he looked back the baby was
wriggling and kicking as he had seen tiny
! wof-whelrs wriggle and kick before their
| eyes WEI open. His beautiful eyes
| laughed. AS cautiously as if he were
| playing with hot iron. he reached out
| thin hand. and when one OF his ringers
| suddenly fell upon something very soft
and warm, he jerked it back as quickly
as If he had been burned.
! That night. when Jan picked up his vlo-
| lin to go back to Mukee's cabin, Cum
! minis put his two big hands. on the boys
! shoulders and said:
ian. who are you and where did you
come from?'
! Ian stretched his arm vaguely to the
north.
Jan Thoreau," he replied. simply.
"Thees is my vioon. We come along
through the beeg snow
! Cummins stared as If he saw wonder
| full picture in the boys eyes He dropped
| his hands and walked to the door. When
| they stood alone outside he pointed up TO
the stars, and to the mistlike veil OF Sill
yer light that the awakening aurora was
spreading over the northern skies.
"Get your bearings and tell me again
| where you came from, JAM.
| Unhesitatinsly the boy pointed into the
north.
| I'VE starve seven day in the beeg snow.
NV yiolon keep the wolf off at night.
| Look again, Jan! Didn't you come
from there, or there. or there?"
| Cummins turned slowly, facing first to
| the east and Hudson bay, then to the
| south and lastly to the west. There was
| something more than curiosity in the
tense face that came back in staring IN
quiry to Jan Thoreau.
| The boy hunched his shoulders and his
| eyes flashed.
| '1t ees not lie that Jan 1horeau and
| hees violon come through the beeg snow, -
he replied. softly. 1T ees not ie!'
There was more than gentleress in John
| Cummins' touch now. Jan could not I'M
| derstand it, but he yielded to it and went
| back into the cabin. There was more
than friendship in Cummins' eyes when
he placed his hands again upon the boys
shoulders and Jan could not understand
| that.
There is plenty of room here-now.'
| said Cummins, huskily. will you stay
! with the little Melissa and me?
/ with the leetle Melisse!" gasped the
boy Softly he sped to the tiny cot and
kneIt beside it, his thin shoulders hunched
| over, his long black hair shining lustrous-
ly in the lamp-glow. his breath coming
| in quick. sobbing happiness. 'I-1-stay
with the leetle white angel forever and
ever!" he whispered. his words meant
| only for the unheariEg ears of the child.
| Jan Thoreau will stay. yes-and heeS
violon, l give it to you-and ze museek!'
| He laid his precious violin across the
| foot of the cot