The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-28
I he Honor
 By Dannes i. Oliver CUmFW@0@
(Continued.)

"Jan Thoreau.' whispered Jean soft ly. "have you forgotten that it was who killed the missioner for you, and that through all of these years Jean de Gravois has never questioned you about the fight on the. mountain top? Is there. -anything. Jean de Gravois can do?''
 He sat down opposite Jan, his thin, eager face propped i'll his hands. and watched silently until the other lifted his head. Their eyes met, steady, un- fiinching. and in chat look there were the oath and the seal of all that the honor of the big snows held for those two.
 Still without words Jan reached with m his breast and drew forth the little roll which he had taken from his vi0- lin. One by one he handed the pages over to Jean de Gravois. ta
 My God.' said Jean, when he had finished reading. He spoke no other words White faced. the two men stared, Jan's throat twitching, Gravois' brown fingers crushing the rolls he held
 
 missioner said Jan at last And that-that--sis why it could not signify that Meiisse has done up her hair" He gathered up the papers so that they shot back into the little cylinder shaped roll again.
 1T understand" replied Jean in a low voice. "I understand and I praise the blessed Virgin that it, was Jean de Gravois who killed the missioner out upon the ice of Lac Bain.''
 But the. other" persisted Jan 'the other. which says that f'%lzTE s4
 "Stop!r cried Jean sharply. He came around the table and seized Jan's hands in the iron grip of his 1.-the. brown fingers That is something for you to forget. It means nothing-noth- ing at all. Jan Thoreau!. Does any one know but you and me?"
 ''No one. I intended that some day Melisse and her father. should know. but waited too long. I waited until I was afraid. until the horror of telling her frightened me. I made myself for get. burying 1t deeper each year, until today-on the mountain"- &e
 And today in this cabin you will forget again, and you will bury it so deep that it will never come back. am proud of you, Jan Thoreau. love you, and it is the first time that Jean de Gravois has ever said this to a man. An, I hear. them comingv'
 With an absurd bow in the direction of the laughing voices which they now heard, the melodramatic little French man pulled Jan to the door Halfway across the open were Melisse and Iovaka carrying large Indian bas- ket between them and making merry over the task When they saw Gra- vols and Jan they set down their bur den and waved an invitation for the two men to come to their assistance You should be the second happiest man in the world, Jan Thoreau," ex- claimed Jean. s@The first is Jean de Gravoisw
 He setsofs like bolt from a spring gun in the direction of the two who were waiting for them. He had hoist ed the basket upon his shoulder by the time Jan arrived Rs & Are you growing old, too, Jan% bantered Melisse as she dropped few steps behind Jean and his wife. You come so s!owly.''
 ''I think Pm twenty-nine."
 He looked at her steadily, the grief which he was fighting to keep back tightening the muscles about his mouth.
 Like the quick passing of sunshine the fun swept from her face, leaving her blue eyes staring up at him. filled with a pain which he had never seen in them before. Tn a moment he knew that she had understood him. and he could have cut out his tongue Her hand reached his arm, and she stopped him, her face lifted pleadingly, the tears slowly gathering. in her eyes.
 Forgive mer' she whispered. her voice breaking into sob. Dear, dear Jans forgive me! Today is your birthday. Jan-yours and mine, mine and yours-and we will always have it that way. always, won't we. Jan?'
 Jan was glad when the evening came and was gone. Not until Jean and Iowaka had said good night with Croisset and his. wife and both Cum mins and Melisse had gone to their rooms did he find himself relieved of the tension under which he had strug- gled during all of his playing and that nights merrymaking in the cabin.
 From the first he knew that his nerves were strung by some strange and indefnable sensation that was growing within him-something which he could hardly have explained at first, but which swiftly took form and mean ing and oppressed him more as the hours flew by
 After the others had gone Cumnins sat up to smoke a pipe. When he had finished he went to his room. Jan was now sleeping in a room at the company's store, and after a time he rose silently to take down his cap and coat He opened the outer door quiet ly SO as not to. arouse Melisse. who had gone to bed half an hour before.
 As he was about to go out there came a sound, low, gentle, whisper cd word:
 "Janr
 He turned Melisse stood in her door. She had not undressed. and her hair was still done up in it's soft coils. with the crimson bakneesh shining in it. She came to him hesita tingly un- til she stood with her two hands upon