Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-17

had tramped all the way from the Bar
rem Lands to attend the new public
school, he at once invested himself
with the responsibilities Of private
tutor.
The school opened in November, and
Jan found himself one of twenty or
so gathered there from 10000 square
miles of wilderness Two white
Youths and half breed had come
from the Etawney, the factor at Nell
son House sent up his son, and from
the upper waters Of the Little Church
III there came three others.
From the first JAMS music found
him n premier place in the interest Of
the tutor sent over by the company.
He studied by night as well as by
day, and by the end Of the second
month his only competitor was the
youth from Nelson House. His great
est source of knowledge was not the
teacher. but Macdonald. There was
in him no inherent desire for the learn
ing Of the people to the south that he
was storing away, like faithful ma
chine. for the use Of Melissa. But
Macdonald gave him that for which
his soul longed-a picture Of life as 1t
existed in the wonderful world be-
yond the wilderness, to which some
strange spirit within him. growing
stronger as the weeks and months
passed, seemed projecting his hopes
and his ambitions.
Between his thoughts Of Melissa and
Lac Balm he dreamed of that other
world, and several times during the
winter he took the little roll from the
box Of his violin and read again and
again the written pages that It con-
tanned
Some time will 60" he assured
himself always-"some time when
Melissa is little older and can go
too"
To young Macdonald the boy from
Lac Balm wss a "fnd." The Scottish
youth was filed Wuh an immense
longing for home. and as his home
sickness grew he poured more and
more into JAMS attentive ears his
knowledge Of the world from which he
had come.
In the spring Jan went back to Lac
Balm with the company's supplies. The
next autumn he followed the school to
York factory, and the third year he
joined 1t at Nelson House. Then the
company's teacher died, and no one
came to fill his place.
In midwinter of this third year Jan
returned to Lac Balm. and. hugging
the delighted Melissa close in his arms,
he told her that never again would he
go away without her Melissa, tight.
ening her arms around his neck. made
his promise sacred by offering her lit
tie rosebud of mouth for him to kiss
Later the restless spirit slumbering
within his breast urged him to speak
to Cummins.
when Melissa Is little older should
we not 60 with her into the south?' he
said. "She must not live forever in a
place like this"
Cummins looked at him fol an in
slant as If he did not understand
When JAMS meaning struck home his
eyes hardened, and there was the vi
brant ring Of steel in his quiet voice.
Her mother will be out there under
the old spruce until the end Of time
he said slowly, land we will nevel
leave her-unless. some day. Melissa
goes alone"
From that hour Jan no longer looked
into the box Of his violin. He strug
gled against the desire that had growr
Il bo hoif <kr< n
had crushed it and stamped 1t out OF
his existence. In his life there came tc
be but one rising and one setting Of the
sun. Melissa was his universe. She
crowded his heart until beyond her hi
began to lose visions Of any othel
world
Each day added to his joy. He call
ed her my little sister" and witt
sweet gravity Melissa called hin
brother Jan" and returned in full
measure his boundless love. He mark
ed the slow turning of her flaxen hail
into sunny gold and month by montl
watched joyfully the deepening Of tina
gold into warm shades of brown. Sht
was to be like her mother. JAMS sou
reJoiced, and in his silent way Cum
minis offered up wOrdless prayers OF
thankfulness.
So matters stood at Post Lac Bali
in the beginning Of Melisses nintf
year, when up from the south ther,
came a rumor.
RumOr grew into rumor. From thu
east, the south and the west they mul
tiplied, until on all sides the Paul Re
veres Of the wilderness carried new
that the Red Terror was at their heels
and the chill Of great fear swept lik,
a shivering wind from the edge of civ
ilization to the bay.
Nineteen years before these same I'll
mOrs had come up from the south, ant
the Red Terror had followed. The hor
rOr of 1t still remained with the fores
people. for thousand unmarked
graves. Stunned like pestilence ant
scattered from the lower waters o.
James bay to the lake country Of tn,
Atha basca, gave evidence Of the toll 4
demanded.
From DuBrochet. on Reindeer lake
authentic word first came to La
Balm early in the winter. Henderson
was factor there, and he passed up tn,
warning that had come to him from
Nelson House and the country to thu
southeast
There's smallpox on the Nelson" hi
messenger Informed williams, land l
has struck the Crees ON Wollaston lake