The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-09-06
Bio Shows Author of 1.-The
 Danger 1Tr@5I''

TOT you to understand why Jan Tho reau is the unhappiest man in the world. have told you that this is but the beginning. I have not told you of how the curse has followed me and robbed me of all that is greatest in lfe-how 1t has haunted me day and night, m'sieur, like a black spirit, de stroying my hopes, turning me at last into an outcast, without people, with out friends, without-that-whic you, too, will give up in this girl at Oxford House. M'sieur, am right? You will not go back to her. You will go south and some day the great God will re- ward you.''
 He heard Thornton rising in the dark.
 Shall strike light, m'sieur?''
 "No,'' said Thornton close to him. In the gloom their hands met. There was a change in the others voice now. something of pride. of triumph, of a glory just achieved. "Jan,'' he said softly, 'I thank you for bringing me face to face with a God like yours. You have taught me more than has 1 ever been preached into me. and this great. glorious world of yours is send ing me back a better man for having come into it. am going-south. Some day l will return, and will be one of this world and one of your people. I will come, and I will bring no curse. If I could send this word to her, ask her forgiveness, tell her what I have almost been and that still have hope -faith[I could go easier down into that other world"
 'sYou can," said Jan, q will take this word for you, m'sieur, and I will 4oJ- T will faif v-f,a has been the kind fate for Jan Tho .reau to find in the heart of M'sieur 1 Thornton. She is one of my people, and she will forgive, and love you more l for what you have done. For this, m'sieur, is what the Cree god has giv- en to his people as the honor of the great snows. She will still love you. and if there is to be hope it will burn in her breast too. Msieur"-
 Something. like sob broke through l Thornton's lips as he moved back 1 through the darkness.
 And you-I will find you again7"
 'They will know where go from Oxford House. I will leave word with her," said Jan-
 "Goodby,' said Thornton huskily. Jan listened until his footsteps had | died away, and for long time after that he sat with his head buried in his arms upon the little table. And Ka- gan, whining softly, seemed to know that in the darkened room had come to pass the thing which broke at last his masters overburdened heart. That night Jan Thoreau passed for the last time back into the shelter of his forests, and all that night he tray- eled, and with each mile that he left | behind him something larger and bold CT grew in his breast until he cracked his whip in the old way and shouted to | the dogs in the old way, and the blood | in him sang to the. wild spirit of the wilderness. Once more he was home To him the forest had always been home.
 And from above him the stars look ed down like a billion tiny fires kin dled by loving hands to light his way the stars that had given him music, | peace, since he could remember and that had taught him more of the silent power of God than the lips of man could ever tell. From this time forth Jan Thoreau knew that these things ] would be his life, his god. He had loved the forest-now he worshiped it. Tn it's vast silence he still possess ed Melisse.
 Nearly a month passed before he reached Oxford House and found the sweet faced girl whom Thornton low ed. He did as Thornton had asked and went on-tnto the north and east. He had no mission now except to roam in his forests. He went down the Hayes,
 getting his few supplies at Indian
 camps and stopped at last, with the
 beginning of spring, far up on the Gut away Here he built himself a camp 1 and lived for a time, setting dead falls 1 for bear. Then he struck north again and still east, keeping always away 1 from Lac Bain. When the first chill winds of the bay brought warning of | winter down to him he was filled for 1 a time with a longing to strike north
 and west, to go once more back to his l Barren Lands. But, instead, he went 1 south, and so it came to pass that a year after he had left Lac Bain he 1 built himself a cabin deep in the for
 est of Gods river, fifty miles from OK
 ford House, and trapped once more 1 for the company. He had not forgot
 ten his promise to Thornton, and at 1 Oxford HouseIeft word where he could 1 be found if the man from civilization
 should return.
 In late midwinter Jan returned te
 Oxford House with his furs. It was l on the night of the day that he came
 into the post that he heard a French
 man who had come down from the
 north speak of Lac Bain. None no
 ticed the change in Jan's face as he
 hung back in the shadows of the com
 pany's store. A little later he follow | ed the Frenchman outside and stopped 1 him where there were no others neal l to overhear.
 "M'sieur, you spoke of Lac Bain,
 he said in French. "You have beer
 there?"
 ''Yes," replied the other, "I was
 there for a week waiting for the first
 sledge snow"