Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-25
CHAPTER XXVu.-Continued.

his breath escaping from him as though
he had been running.
Down in your world he would have
grown UP a man. he continued, speaking
more calmly. II have heard that-since.
1t is common down there to be two
legged carrion-a man or woman born
out of wedlock. 1 have been told SO, and
that it is curse not without hope But
here It is different The curse never dies
1t follows. day after day, year after year.
And this child-more unfortunate than the
wild things. was born one of them Do
you understand, msieur? If the winds
had whispered the secret nothing would
have come near hinl-the Indian women
would sooner have touched the plague
he would have been an outcast. despised
as he grew older, pointed at and taunted,
called names which are worse than those
called to the lowest and meanest dogs.
That is what it means to be born under
| that curSe--up here.
He waited for Thornton to speak, but
the other sat silent and moveless across
the table.
THE curse worked swiftly. m'sieur. 1t
came first--in remorse-to the man. 1t
Inawed at his SOUL ate him alive. and
drove him from place to place with the
woman and the child. The purity and
love of the woman added to his suffering,
and at last he came to know that the
The woman saw his grief, but did not
know the reason for It. And SO the curse
first came to her. They went north-far
north, above the barren lands, and the
curse followed there 1t gnawed at his
life until--he died. That was seven years
after the child was born.
The oil lamp sputtered and began to
smoke. and with a quick movement Jan
turned the wick down until they were left
in da rknesS.
M sieur. it was then that tho curse he
gan to fall upon the woman and the
child DO YOU not believe that about the
sins of the fathers falling upon others?
Mon Dieu, it is soft so. 1t came in many
small ways and then-the curse-it came
suddenIy-like this" JAMS voice came In
a Missing whisper now. Thornton could
feel his hot breath as he leaned over the
| table. and in the darkness JAMS eyes
shone like two Goals of fire. 1T came
like this" painted Jan. There was new
missioner at the post--a-a Christian from
the south, and he was great friend to
the woman. and preached God and she
! believed him. The boy was very young
and saw things. but did not understand
at first. He knew, afterward, that the
| missioner loved his mothers beauty. and
| that he tried hard TO win it-and failed.
| for the woman, until death, would love
| only the one to whom she had given her
self first. Great God. it happened then
| one night when every soul was about the
| big fires at the caribou roast, and there
was one near the lonely little cabin
| where the boy and his mother lived. The
! boy was at the feast. but he ran home
with a bit of dripping meat as a gift for
| his mother-and he heard her cries and
! ran in to be struck down by the mis-
soner. 1t happened then. and even the
boy knew. and followed the man shrek
ing that he had killed his mother. There
| was terrible calmness now in Jan s
voice M seur. 1t was true. She wasted
away like flower af%ar that night. She
died and left the boy alone with the curse.
A.,1 hot f.t St
! The woman was his mother.
| There was silence now, dead pulseless
| quiet, broken after moment by move
ment 1t was Thornton. cropping across
| the table. Jan felt his hands touch his
arm. They CROPPED farther in the dark
ness, until Jan Thoreau's hands were
casped tightly in Thornton's.
And that's all?" he questioned
':No. it is but the beginning" said Jan,
softly. The curse has followed me,
m'sieur, until I am the unhappiest man In
the world. Today I have done all that is
! to be done. When my father died he left
papers which my mother was to give to
me when had attained manhood. When
| she died they came to me. She knew
| nothing of that which was in them and
| I am glad. For they told the story that
| I have told 10 YOU, m sieur, and from his
! grave my father prayed to me 10 make
| what restitution I could. When he came
| into the north for good he brought with
| him most of his fortunc-which was large.
m sieur-and placed it where no one would
ever find tin the stock of the great
| company. half of it. he said should
! be mine. The other half he asked me to
return to his children and to his real wife,
| II she were living. ] have done more
than that. msieur. I have given up all
for none of it IS mine. half will go to
| the two children whom he deserted. The
other half will go to the child that was
unborn. The mother-is--dead."
After time Thornton said:
There is more, Jan
Yes, there is more, m'sieur." said Jan.
$50 much more that II l were to tell it
to you it would not be hard for you to
understand why Jan Thoreau IS the I'M
happiest man in the world. have told
you that this is but the beginning
have not told you Of how the curse has
followed me and robbed me of all that is
greatest in life-how 1t has haunted me
day and night, m'sieur. like a black spirit,
destroying my hopes, turning me at last
into an outcast. without people, without
friends, without-that-which You too,
will give up in this girl at Oxford House.
NJ sieur, am I right? You will not go
back to her. You will go south. and some
day the Great God will reward you
He heard Thornton rising in the dark
"Shall strike light m sieur?"
NO" said Thornton, close to him. In
the gloom their hands met. There was
change in the others voice now, some
thing of pride. of triumph. of a glory Just
achieved. JAN" he said, softly, Il
thank you Tor bringing me race to face
| with a God like yours. I have never met
| Him before. We send missionaries I'D to
save you, we look upon you as wild and
savage and with only half soul-and we
are blind. You have taught me more than
| has ever been preached into me- and this
| great. glorious world OF yours is sending
me back better man for having come
| into it. ] am gong-south. Some day I
will return. and I will be one of this
| world and one OF your people, I will
come and will bring no curse. If could
| send this word to her, ask her forgive
ness. tell her what I have almost been.
and that still have hope-faith-I could
| go easier down into that other world"
''You can" said Jan. IT will take this
| word for YOU m'seur and I will take
more for I will tell her what 1t has been
| the kind fate for Jan Thoreau to find in
the heart OF Mseur Thornton She is
| one Of my people, and she will forgive
and love you more for what you have
done For this, m'sieur. is what the Cree
| god has given to his people as the honor
| Of the great SHOWS. She will stir love
you. and If there is to he hope it will
burn in her breast. too. Msieur-"
| Something like q sob broke through
Thornton's lips as he moved back through
the darkness.
"And you'll win find you again?"
"They will know where T go from OK
ford House. I will leave Word-with her"
| said Jan.
| Goodbye" said Thornton huskilv
| Jan listened until his footsteps had died
| away, and for a long time after that he
sat with his head buried in his arms upon