Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-14

less as they grow oIder?"


less as they grow oIder?"
Sometimes they love the sister less
and the other girl more. Melissa" came
! a quick voice from the door. and lean
| de Gravois bounded in like a playful
| cat. scraping and bowling before Me
/ lisSe until his head nearly touched the
/ floor Lovely saints Jan ThOre8u.
/ but she Is woman. just as my Iowa
ka told me-
! You're terribly in love. lean" cried
Melissa. laughing until her eyes We're
I wet: 'iust like some OF the people in
/ the books which Ian and read''
! And always shall he. nv dear"
( Melissa flung the red shawl over her
head, still laughing.
Il will 20 TO see her lean"
Well" said Gravois. looking search.
/ inGly AZ Ian when she had left. shall
[ ! give you my best wishes. Jan Tho
! reau? Does il siGnifyT"
Signify WHAT"
/ The little Trenchman's eyes snapped
why, when our pretty Cree maiden
becomes engaged she puts up her hair
for the first time; that is all. my dear
Ian"
He stopped suddenly. startled into
silence by the strange look that had
come into the Others face For full
minute IAN stood az il the power Of
movement had gone from him.
NO: Notwithstanding" he said
finally. speaking as II the words were
forced from him one by one. He drop
ped into chair beside the table like
one whose senses had been dulled by
an unexpected blow.
Jan Thorpau." whispered Jean soft
~. have you fOrgOtteu that II 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 dog"
He SAT down opposite Ian. his thin.
eager face propped IN his hands. and
watched silently until the other lifted
his head Their eyes met. steady. un,
dinching. and in that look there were
the oath and the seal OF al thar rhp
two
Still without words Ian reached with
in his breast and drew form the little
roll which ne had taken from his vio-
lin. One by one he handed the pages
over TO Jean de GravOiS.
My Cod" said Jean. when he had
finished reading. He spoke no other
words. White faced. the two men
! stared. JAMS throat twitchins. Gravois'
brown fingers crushing the rolls De
held
: That was why ! tried 10 kill the
missioner" said Jan at last And
thst-thAt-is why IL could not signify
that Melissa has done up her hair u
l. he gathered up the papers so that they
: shot back into the little cylinder shaped
5 roll again.
: II understand" replied Jean in a low
voice. 81 understand and | praise the
blessed Virgin that II was Jean de
e Gravois who killed the missioner out
upon the ice OF Lac Balm
D But the other" persisted Jan. ''ths
:. other. which saws that p
a ''Stopr' cried Jean sharply. He came
Z around the table and seized Jams
Z hands in the iron grip OF his htbe
d brown fingers. THAT is something FOL
, you 10 forget. II means nOthing-uoth
r ing at al. Jan Thoreau! Does any one
q know but you and meT'
No one. intended that some day
}, Melissa and her father should know
but / waited too long ! waited until
:. was afraid. until the horror Of tellin:
|. her frightened me. ] made myself for
n get. bIrytng it deeper each year. unit
q tOday-On the mountain
+ And today in this cabin you vii
{ forget again. and you will bury IL s.
deep that IL will never come back
r am proud OF you. Jan Thoreau low,
you. and IL is the first time that Jeal
. de Grsvois has ever said this TO
man. All. hear them coningr'
With an absurd how in the direction
! of the laughing voices which they nov
D heard. the melodramatic little French
! man pulled Jan 10 the door Halfws
d across the open were Melissa an,
D Iowaka carrying q large Indian has
ket between them and me- king merr
4 over the task. When they saw Ora
e vols and Jan they set down their bui
:. den and waved an invitation for tn
two men IN come 10 their assistance
o "YOu should he the second hsppies
u man IN the world. Jan Thoreau." ~
a claimed Jean The first is lean d
o GrnvoiS,~
; He set OF Ike bolt from a sprin