, 1911-10-05

hair n then the passionate pressure
Of her lips on his own. He lifted his
eyes. and In the doorway hi n Jear
Croisset and behind him a wild, beard
ed face-the face that had been over
him when life was almost choked from
him on he great north trail. And be-
yond these two he saw still others.
shining ghostly and indlstinct in the
deeper gloom Of the outer darkness.
He strained Meleese to him, and when
he looked down into her face he saw
her beautiful eyes flooded with tears
and yet shining with a great JOY. Her
lips trembled as she struggled to speak.
Then suddenly she broke from his
arms and ran to the door. and Jean
Croisset came between them. with the
wild. bearded man still staring over
bis shoulder.
"M'seur. will you come with us?"
said Jean.
The bearded man dropped back into
the thick gloom, and without speak
ing Rowland followed Croisset, his
eyes on the shadowy form of Me-
leese. The ghostly faces turned from
the light, and the tread Of their re-
treating feet marked the passage
through the blackness. Jean fell back
beside Rowland. the huge bulk Of the
bearded man three PAGES ahead. A
dozen steps more and they anne to a
stair, down which a light shone. The
Frenchman's hand fell detainingly on
Howland's arm. and when a moment
later they reached the top of the stairs
all had disappeared but Jean and the
bearded man. Dawn was breaking.
and a pale light fell through the two
windows of the room they had enter
ed. On a table burned a lamp. and
near the table were several chairs.
To one of these Croisset motioned the
engineer. and as Rowland sat down
the bearded man turned slowly and
passed through a door. Jean shrug-
ged his shoulders as the other disap-
peared.
mon Dieu. that means that he
leaves II all to me-" he exclaimed. Il
don't wonder hat II is hard for him to
talk. m'seur. Perhaps you have begun
to understand"
"Yes. a little" replied Rowland. His
heart was throbbing as If he had just
finished climbing a long hill. That
was the man who tried to kill me. But
Meleese-the"- He could go no fur
Their. Scarce breathing. he waited for
Jean to speak.
at is Pierre Thoreau." he said. "eld-
est brother 10 Meleese. 1t is he who
should say what | am about to tell
you. m'seur. But he is too full of grief
to speak. You wonder at that? And
yet | tell You that a man with a better
soul than Pierre Thoreau never lived.
though three times he has tried to kill
you. DO you remember what you
asked me a short time ago. m'seur-n
| thought that you were the John
Rowland who murdered the father of
Meleese sixteen years ago? Gods
saints. and | did until hardly more
than half an o ago, when some one
came from the south and exploded a
mine under our feet 1t was the young
est of the three brothers. M'seur. we
have made a great mistake. and we
ask your forgiveness"
In the silence the eyes of the w
men met across the table. To How
land it was not the thought that his
life was saved that came with the
greatest force, but the thought of Me-
leese. the knowledge that In that hour
when all seemed to be lost she was
nearer to him than ever. He leaned
half over the able. his hands clinched.
his eyes blazing. Jean did not under
stand. for be went on quickly.
IL know it Is hard. m'seur. Perhaps
1t will be impossible for you to for.
give a thing like this. We have tried
to kill you-kill you by a slow torture,
as we thought you deserved. But
think for a moment. m'seur, of what
happened up here sixteen years g
this winter. | have told you how /
choked life from the man 6end. So |
would have choked life from you If 1t
had moi been for Meleese. l. too, am
guilty. Only six years g we knew
tha the right John Howland-the son
of the man | slew-was In Montreal.
and we sent to seek him this youngest
brother. for he had been a long time at
school with Meleese and knew the
ways of the south better than the 9th
ers. But he failed to find him at that
time. and it was only a short while ago
that this brother located you.
las our Blessed Lady Is my wit.
ness. m'seur. 1t Is not strange that he
should have taken you for the mau we
sought. for 1t is singular that you bear
him out like a brother in looks, as l
remember the boy. 1t is true that
Francois made a great error when he
sent word to his brothers suggesting
that II either Gregson or Thorne was
put out OF the way you would proba-
bly, be sent into the north. swear
by the Virgin that Meleese knew moth
ing of this. m'seur. She knew nothing
of the schemes BY which her brothers