Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-11

Minis 10 the door 1t was the fifth day
after Williams had gone south.
There was no smoke this morning and
looked through the window" shouted
CroiSset. Nuke and the old man are
both dead. I'm going To burn the cabin
\ stified groan OF anguish fell from
Cummins' lips as he went like a daZet
man 10 his cot and flung himself face
downward upon il. Melissa could see his
strong frame SHAKING. If he were cry
ing like child; and twining her arms
tightly about his neck, she sobhed out her
passionate grief against his rough check.
She did not know the part that Mukes
had played in the life of the sweet woman
who had once lived in this same little
cabin she knew only that he was dead.
that the terrible thing had killed him, and
that. next To her father and Jan. she had
loved him more than any one else in the
world
Soon she heard strange sound and ran
TO the window. Mukec's cabin was in
flames. Wild-eyed and fearless with hor-
ror, she watched the fire as IL burst
through the broken windows and leaped
high up among the black spruce. In those
flames was Mukee, She screamed. and
her father sprang To her with a strange
cry. running with her from the window
into the little room where she slept
The reNt morning. when Cummius went
Ia awaken her. his face went white AZ
death. Melisse Was not asleep. Her eyes
were wide open and staring AT him. and
!
OF fire.
You are sick. Melissa" he whispered.
hoarsely. You are sick"
He fell upon his knees beside her and
| lifted her face i'm his hands. The touch
IF it sent chill To his heart-such as he
had not felt since many years ago, i'm that
other room few steps away
Il want JAM. she pleaded. Il want
Jan to come back 10 me-,
/ II Will send for him. dear. lie VIII
come back soon. ! will 90 out and send
crosset
lie hid his face from her as he dragged
himself away. Croisset saw him coming
and came out of the store to meet him. A
hundred yards away cummins stopped.
Croisset, for the love OF God, take "a
| team and go after Jan Thoreau. he
called. Tell linn that Melissa is dying
of the plague. Hurry, hurry
Might and day" shouted Croisset.
Twenty minutes later, from the cabin
window. Cummins saw him start.
Jan Will be here very soon, Melissa.
he said. running his fingers gently
| through her hair.
1t fell out upon the pillow in thick
brown waves. and the sight of it chokei
| him with the memory of another vision
which would remain with. linn until the
| end OF time. 1t was her mothers hair.
! shining softly i'm the dim light; her moth
er's eyes looked up at him as he sat be-
! side her through all this long day.
Toward evening there came change.
Tile fever left the childs cheeks. Her
| eyes closed and she fell asleep Through
| the night Cummins sat near the door. but
| in the gray dawn. overcome by his long
vigil his head dropped upon his breast
| and he slumbered.
/ When he awoke the cabin was filled
with light. He heard "A sound and, star
/ tied, sprang To his feet. Melissa was at
| the stove building fire.
| I'm better this morning, father Why
| didn't you sleep until breakfast was
ready
| Cummins stared Then he gave a shout.
! made a Push for her. and catching her
| up in his arms, danced about the cabin
| like a great bear. overturning the chairs
and allowing the room to MI with smoke
! in his wild joy.
It's what YOU saw through the window
that made you sick, MeliSse, he cried.
| putting her down at last. Il thought"
! He paused ard added, his voice trem-
| bling: Il thought you We're going TO be
| sick for more than one day. my sweet lit
| tie woman
| He opened one of the windows to let I'm
the fresh air of the morning.
When Croisset returned he did not find
a red flag over Cummins' cabin: for did
he bring word of Jan. For three days he
| had followed the trails to the south with
out finding the boy. But he brought back
other news Williams was sick with the
plague in a Cree wigwam ON the lower
Porcupine. II was the last they ever
heard of the factor. except that he died
| some time in March and was burned by
the Crees.
Croisset went back over the Churchill
trail. and found his wife ready to greet
him with open arms. After that he joined
Perez. who came in from the north ia
another search for Jan. They found
neither trace nor word of him after pass
| ing the Gray Otter and Cummins gave
up hope.
1t not for long that their fears
could he kept from Melissa. This first
bitter grief that had come into her life
fell upon her with force which alarmed
CumminS and east him into deep gloom.
She no longer loved to play with her
things in the cabin For days "A; q time
she would not touch the books which Jan
, had brought from Churchill and which
he had taught her I" read. She found lit
tie to interest her in the things which had
been her life a few weeks before.
Go Ice continued tomorrow