Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-09
CHAPTER X-Continued.

deep breathing of Cumm.nS. unloihhS
the cloth a. he watched. until he had
spread ont upon the table before hun
number of closely WriJtrl. pages 81 panel
lie vei-hte5 them al uoe end with his
violin and held them dow. a ia" other
WITH his hands The Writing was ~
French several of the pages "er' IA d
heavy masculine hand. in" words ran
iaZ one upon another SO closely tilat III
places they seemed la he connected. an"
from them Jan TOOK his fingers. :" that
they rolled mp ike a SpriEG- over the
others he bent his head. and there came
from him low sobbiaG breath
on these RACES the writing was that Of
a woman. ana from the paper there still
rose Il faiu;. sweet scent ot he1o'ropn.
For half an hour Jan =azed upon them.
rtaein. the words slowly. U1tu ..r cam"
L. the last page
When there came g movement from
over AGAINST the wall Ire lifted toi az AZ
slant a IatT ol startled eyes. 'diiih}i,'>
was turning III ms sleep Soun6iea'l[
Jan tiptoed across zine Hnor opc&ed tiie
door, without disturbing t.'r : -'-il'e'iH IN
man and went cUt intp jlc night a
TIE south and east there S!oWed q soft
blaze az fire whore lie blk spring moon
was coming up over Tie forest. IS san
turned niS face toward u q new al"
strange longing crppt into his heart. He
stretched cut his arms. with III" payers
ami his violin -.CtCbeI II MS rdnhS- a.
Il from out 81 that -roVlue glory won
derful spirit Mas calling Ia him
.or ire fil~t tune n his tpI}riE ne =
came 10 hiIn th5~ cali Of the great WO.ld
l,vrrd the wilderness. and suddenly Ht'
t-..-shed tire t,omaa'S letter To his lips and
rs voice r,.rSt rom him in Whispering
thrilling caLerTcsS.
II vii. come II yo@-$"l"e cav en- u
!s..tfc AIei5sse come tJot
lie relied tae written Passes together.
~ a4.ed them IN the FADED ed cloth. ami
ca-,.ealed them again in the box OF ms
.ef-r Ecfcrt. ne re-eutered the cabin.
T1e next morning Cumrnins stood i'll tho
co and said
5- are Going. Jan. is sprinS. Wen
ousa the sicdEes today md begin Feeding
fta .oZS CU fish.
..acl! dav thereafter The sun rose earlier.
re Gay Wa Longer ani the an "i.S
warmer. aCd Wi!A The warmth there now
am TIE sweet scents az the budding
car.: q d The :0yrlad sounds Of the deep.
l-.>eeu titc of he forest. ava keDiHS from
- long SIur7her in its bed o. SNOW.
Moose !trds c-irped their mating songs.
40 Cried from morning u~tii night in
Rough ard an; ravens f'sffea themselves
IN :He S,I3. ana STCwhi rds-ittic black
and white beauties that were wont to
v'fi~k about Ike many flashing gems
changed their colo" from day 10 day I'M
II thCy became new creatures III new
world.
until they snlit like over-fas peas The
mother bears come out OF their winter
Gcns accompanied ~ little ones born
weeks before, and taught them how TO
pull down the slender SaplnCs for these
same buds. The moose returned from
the biizzarIv tops of the great ridges.
where fer =OGi rca sons theE had passed
tho wiptcr. followed by the wolves. who
fe,l uTDn Their weak ard sick. Every
where We're the rushing torrents e melt
ing snow. The cTac!Ile OF cTUm ding ice.
II" diving frost cries of rock ami earth
ard tree. and each night he pale glow
Of the aurora horealis crept farther and
farther toward the pole in lis failing
Cldry.
Tho post fell back into its Old ways.
Now and then a visitor came in from ont
of tn" forest. but he remained for only
day two. taking back into the sOli-
'U,ie with hirn n few Of The accessories
Of life Williams was busy preparing his
books Eor the coming Of the companys
chief agent from London. and Cumnlins.
who helping The factor. had a good
deal of extra time on his hards-
EeCcre the last of the snow was gone
hc ana Jan began dragging IN logs for an
addition which they PLANNED for the lit
tie cabin EaskinG OUt in the sun. with
huge feaTskn for 4 floor. Melissa looked
UpCr fhc new home building with Won
6crfHl demonstrations Of interest Cum
Mrs face Glowed with pleasure as she
kicked and scrambled on the bearskin
and gave Shrin-voiced approval of their
effor;s
Jan was tie hapTiest youth i'm the
world II was certain that the little Me-
liSse understood what they were doing
aId thc word passed from Cummins ard
Fan 10 The others at the post. that it
happened frequently during the building
operations that AIukee and Perez and
even Williams himself, would squat for
~ kour a a time in the snow near Me
sc. marvclirE at the early knowledge
which the great God saw fit To put into a
white hahy's brain This miracle came
- he matter Of deep discussion in
which there were the few words hut
much thought of men born to- silence
o7c day Nukee brought two little Indian
hal'ies and set them on the bearskin
where they continued to sit in stole indif-
ference clear proof OF the superior de-
VclODmcnt of Melissa.
y wouldn't be surprised TO hear her
begin talking at any time" confded Cum
,uius 20 Jan one evening when the boy
was tuning his violin. she is nearly six
months old.
DO YOU suppose she would begin in
French" asked Jan, suddenly stopping
tho tightening of his strings.
Funmins stared.
Jan dropped his voice To an impressive
whisper.
Because have heard her many times
saw. 'Bonhon oonbon - bonbon - which
means candoe: and always | have given
her candee. an NOW re leetle Melissa say
'bonhon' all Of 70 time"
veil, SAID tNfHUlllS, eNelnS nm III
half belief, could it happen?''
Like a shot Jan replied:
Il began in E,nGleesh. an Jan Thoreau
IS French
He began playing but Cummins did not
hear much of the music. He went TO the
door and stared In lonely grief al the top
Of the tail spruce over the grave. Later
3le said 70 Jan:
1T would be bad if that We're so. Give
iler no more sweet stuff when she says
'bonbon. Jan. She must forget
The next day Jan tore down the sapling
barricade around the woman'S grave, an /
from noon until almost sunset he skirted
the sunny side OF great ridge TO the
south When he came back ne brought
with him a basket of the early red snow
flowers. with earth clinsing to their roots
These he planted thiCkly over the mound
under the spruce. and around its edge he
put VOWS of TIE young shoots OF Labra-
dor tet. and backncesh.
As the weather grew warmer and spring
charged mo ~Cmmer, ne took Mel sse
rpon short exc "siors with him into the
foree,~ and together they picked great
a1rnf - 80 flowers and arctic ferns. The
crave t,ls n.rcr without fresh offerings,
4 4 cabin win IS new addition COM
D. etc. ra~ :sIua,-~ iI'sd with the beautiful
r''r-= tia.l' ring - ont Cf the Garth
J1r @Hd No Sc veT" happy; and in the
..> hose two eye was pleasure 70"
- % .-t ..-- - -A~ rgst. - there had been
- -rr, e- FL. trc I~C=anoc ~ the woman.
~. ....,f re rHan-Cs cf spring and
10. t..