Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-07

strengthening tue conpaDyis friend
ships and bargaining for the catch
that would be coming to market about
eight weeks later
This was a year of Intense rivalry.
for the French competitors OF the
company had established a post 3OU
miles TO the west. and rumor spread
that they were to give sixty pounds
Of fiour 10 the conpany's forty aud
four feet OF cloth to the yard This
meant action among williams and his
people. and the fnctor himself. his sou
and all his men plunged into the vii.
| derness.
The exodns left desoIate Ilfelessness
at the post
In the silence and Iifelessness Jan
rhorean felt new and ever iRcreas.
my happiness TO him the sound Of
life was thing vibrant with harsh
uess: quiet the dead. pulseIess quiet
of iifeIessness- wax beautiful He
dreamed in II. and II was then that his
fingers discovered new things IN his
violin
He often sent Mabaila. the Indian
woman who cared for AieIlsse. TO gos-
sip with williams chlppewayan wife.
so that he was alone great deal with
the baby. At these times. when the
door was safely barred against the
outside world, 1t was a different Jan
Ih0reau who crouched upon his knees
beside the cot His face was atiame
with a great. absorbing passion which
at other times be concealed.
.Ah. re sweet leetie white angelT
be would cry as she tugged and kick
ed. u Inf you SOL luf you an will
stay always an play re violon. All.
you will be re gr-r-r-eat beautiful
white angel lak--herp'
He would laugh and COO like moth
er and talk. for at these times Jan
Thoreau's tongue was as voluble as his
violin. His voice grew SOFT and low.
and his eyes shone with soft mist as
he told her those things which John
Cummins would have given much to
know.
.Some day you shall understand
why It happened. sweet Melissa" be
whispered. bringing his eyes 90 near
that she reached up an inquiring finger
to them. '-Then you win luf Jan Tho
reauF'
Once. when Melisse Strengthened her
self for an Instant and half reached
up her tiny arms to him. laughing and
cooling into his face. be gave glad
cry, crushed his face down to hers and
did what he had not dared to do be-
fore kissed her. There was something
about II that frightened the little Me-
lisse, and she set up wailing that
sent Jan In panic Of dismay for Ma
balla. It was q long dme before be
ventured to kiss her again.
It was during this fortnight Of desp-
lation at the post that Jan after short
absence one day discovered the big
problem Cor himself and John Cum
MINIS
Upon her knees n front Of their
cabin he saw MabaIIa. industriousIy
rolling the half mixed little Melisse
about in q soft pile Of snow and doing
her work. as she Hrmly believed. In a
most faithful and thorough manner.
With shrek. Jan threw Oh his pack
and darted toward her like q wild
thing.
.'Sacre bieu--you keel keel re leetie'
Melisser be cried shriliy. sDatching upl
the half frozen child. mon Dieu. she
ees not papoose: she ees ceevilize Gee
vilize.- and be ran swiftly with her
into the cabin. finging back a torrent
Of Cree anathema at the dumbly be-
wildered Maballa.
AT last Mahalla went into an ecstasy
or understanding. Melissa was not TO
be taken out and rolled In the snow:
so she brought in the snow and rolled
II over Melissa.
When Jan discovered this his tongue
twisted itself into sounds 50 terrible
and bis face writhed so 6efcely that
MabaIla began to comprehend that
thereafter no snow at all. either out
doors or'in. was to be used In the phys
ical development Of the little Melissa.
This was the beginning OF the prob
lem, and It grew and burst. forth in
all its significance on the day before
Cummins came In from the wilderness
For week MabaIla bad been drop
ping sly hints Of wonderful thing
which, she and the factors half breed
wife were making for the baby. On
the day before cummins' arrival Ian
came In from chopping wood. Melissa
was smiling and making queer. friend
" little signals to him from the table.
She was standing upright. wedged In
coffin shaped thing from which only
her tiny white face peered out at him.
and Jan knew that this was Maballa's
surprise. Melisse was in a papoose
slingl
Melissa. / say you shall be no pa
Doosess he cried running TO the liable