Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-11-14

ahead of him, Jan passed on. ana as
the last door opened to let them out
into the pale winter sun Thorhtoh
heard the mufiled sobbing or MS
breath. Ills fingers gripped JAMS arm.
His eyes were blazing.
.Jf you're getting the wrong end OF
ANYTHING M there" he cried Hereby;
"if voure in trouble. and they're TAX
ING the blood out Of you. tell me. and
ri mt the clamps on EN-! They'll
buck the devil when they buck Jack
thornton. and II 1t needs money To
show 'em SO I've got half million to
teach 'em the camel"
..Thanks, msieur." struggled Jan,
striving to keep a lump out of his
throat. ats nothing like that. don't
need money. Half a million would just
about buy what I've given away up
there"
He clutched his hand for an instant
to the empty pocket where the papers
had been.
That night, leaving Thornton still at
supper In the little old Windsor hotel,
Jan slipped away and. with Kazan ut
his heels, crossed the frozen Saskatch-
evan to the spruce forest on the north
shore. He wanted to he alone to think.
to fight with himself against desire
which was almost overpowering him.
Once. long ago. he had laid his soul
bare to Jean de Gravois and Jean had
given him comfort Tonight lie longed
hn hoI ~
Jean and to tell BIN the same story
and what had passed that day in the
office Of the subcommissloner In his
heart there had grown something for
Thornton that was stronger than friend
shlp-something that would have made
him fight for him and die for him as
he would have fought and died for
Jean de Gravois. 1t was feeling &C.
mented by belief that something was
troubling Thornton; that he. too was
filed with loneliness and grief
which he was trying to conceal And
yet he fought to restrain himself from
confiding in his new friend. 1t would
do no good, he knew. except by reiev
ing him of part of his mental burden
A week-it might be ten days, the
subcommlssioner had told him-and II
would be over. Lights were out. and
people were in bed when he and Kazar
returned to the hotel, but Thornton was
up, sitting by himself in the gloom. as
Jan had first seen him at lie Pas. Jar
sat down beside him. There was ar
uneasy tremor in Thornton's voice
when he said:
Jan, did you ever love n woman
love her until you We're ready and will
ing to die for herr
The suddenness of the question wrun.
the truth from JAMS lips in low, chok
. ing voice. For an instant he though
, that Thornton must have guessed hi
secret.
, Eyes, m'sieur."
, Thornton leaned toward him. grir
ping his knees, and the misery in hi
g face was deeper than Jan had eve
seen 1t before.
;. II love a woman-like that" he Wen
d on tensely. "A girl-not woman. ant
: she is one Of your people. Jan-of tn
e north. as innocent as q flower. NOR
7. beautiful to me than-than all the VIC
n men l have ever seen before. She
Y at oxford House. | ;... >.'..., home t
|. to save myself"
d "Save YOURSELF. cried Jan. doe
she not love you?"
"She would follow me to the end q
the earth"
- UT,bn,u
n Thornton Strengthened himself an
wiped his pale face. Suddenly he ros
h to his feet and motioned for Jan to 70
4 low him. He walked swiftly out int
q the night and still faster after that VI
4 til they passed beyond the town. Fror
D where he stopped they could look owe
the forests far into the pale light @
the south.
" That's hell for mel" said Thornton
e pointing. IT'S what we call civilizt
3 tion-but it's mostly hell. wish t
! God l could stay herDalways"
! you love her." breathed Jan. "Yo
can stay"
II can't" groaned Thornton. II can
/. unless
. "What. m'sieur?"
i UNLESS lose everything-but her. "
JAMS fingers trembled as they sougt
;. Thornton's hand.
And everything is-is-nothing whe
Q you give It for love and happiness"
y urged. THE great God. know
y Everything" cried Thornton. don
you understand? said everything
L He turned almost f1ercely upon hi
l companion. I'D give up my name
;. for her. I'd bury myself back there
- the forests and never 60 out of them
a for her. I'd give up fortune, friend
lose myself forever--for her. But
9 can't. Good God, don't you unde
stand?"
v Jan stared. His eyes grew large an
8 dark.
K 1--WE spent ten years Of worse tina
hell down there with woman" wer
d on Thornton. 1T happens among L
9 frequently, this sort Of hell. cam
up here to get out Of It for a tim
h You know now. There is a woma
II down there who--who Is my wifi
She would be glad II I never returned
It She is happy now when l am ava!
o and / have been happy for a time.
know what love Ia. have felt 1t.
d have lived 1t. God forgive me. but
e am almost tempted to go back to her
l. He stopped at the change which IN
d come in Jan. who stood as stralgl
e and as still as the blank spruce b.
L.