Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-19


Orf<t'e r.; }~n'nu wnitrd. N hon
.asstd and -! tie door did not r"
rem The rIaI ~ TIE desk rlan-cG
r";ously ~ Thorn ~. Two girls a.!
'y"pwritrFs exchanged whispered opin-
in;, s's - VINO mip hi he this "! u lOok-
'r:' creature from the north who was
,uTtNg ~ IN boar % tie SrIh.onmIs-
SirnPr'S time NearIy two hours pass
Sod h"fcrp jan aUrcarrd. Thornton.
sill pHi!cut. rosr rs the door opened.
His ewes first er~ ouatered thu staring
fare Of The SHlrUmmiSSinHer. Then
Jan Cu.ur ont He bid aged tiv" years
IN tT;u hours. There was II tired st0Op
"a Us shoulders. Il strange pallor In his
cheeks. 70 Thornton his thin fare
seemed Ia have grown thinner. With
bowed head, looking nowhere hut
ahead Of him. Ian passed on. and as
TIE last door opened to let them out
into the pale winter sun Thornton
heard the muffied sobbing Of bis
breath His fingers gripPed JAMS arm.
His eyes were blazing.
IF you're getting the wro1g end Of
anything up there" he cried fiercelv:
IF you're in trouble, and they're TAX
ing the blood ont Of you, tell me. and
I'll put the clamps on EN-! Theyi!
buck the devil when they buck Jack
Thornton. and If it needs money to
show 'em so I've got half a million to-
teach 'em the gamer
Thanks. m'sieur." struggled Jan,
striving to keep lump out Of his
throat. ITS nothing like that. don't
need money. Half million would just
about buy what I've given away up
there" III g..
: He clutchod his hand for an instant
to the empty pocket where the papers
had been. ~ 81.
That night, leaving Thornton still at
supper In the. little old Windsor hotel.
Ian slipped away and. with Kazan at
his heels. crossed the frozen Saskatch-
evan to the spruce forest on the north
shore. He wanted to be 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 he longed
TO go to Thornton as he had gone to
Jean and to tell him the same story
ard what had passed that day, In the
Office of the subeommissioner. In his
heart there had grown something for
Thornton that was stronger than friend
ship something that would have made
him fight for him and die for him as
he would have fought and died for
Jean de Grayois. II was a feeling ce-
mented by n belief that something was
troubling Thornton: that he. too. was
filed with a loneliness and grief
which he was trying to conceal. And
yet be fought to restrain himself from
confitllng In his new friend. 1t would
do no good. he knew. except By RELIEF
Ing him of a part of his mental burden,
A week 1t might be ten days. the
subcoinnlissioner had told hin-and 1t
would be OYER. Lights were oHf. and
people were In bed when he and Kazan
returned TO the hotel bur Thornton was
up. sitting by himself IN the gloom, as
Jan hid tirst seen him at lie Pas. Jan
sat down beside him. There was an
uneasy tremor in Thornton's voice
when he said:
ian. did YOU ever love a woman
love her until you were ready and will
ing to die for herr"
The snddenness of the question wrung
the truth from Jams lips In low. chok-
ing voice. For-an Instant he thought
that Thornton must have guessed his
secret.
"Yes. m'sieur."
Thornton leaned toward him, grip
ping his knees. and the misery in his
face was deeper than Jan had ever
seen II before . i.
II love a woman-like that" he went
on tensely. "a girl-not woman. and
she is one of your people. Jan-of the
north. MS innocent as a flower. more
beautiful to me than-than all the wo-
men have ever seen before She ia
ut Oxford. House. am going home to
Ito save myself" ..5.. :
]. Save yourself.' cried Jan. Does
she not love yDu?"
"She would follow me to the end OF |
The earthr' ]
Then
Thornton Strengthened himself and
wiped his pale face Suddenly he rose
to his feet and motioned for Jan to fol-
low him. He walked swiftly. out into
the night and still faster after that un-
III they passed beyond the town. From
where he stopped they could look over
The forests far into the pale light Of
the south
That's hell for mel" said Thornton,
pointing. Its what we call ciTIliza |
tion-but it's mostly hell! I wish t.
God could stay here-alwaysr'
You love her." breathed Jan. "YoV |
ran stay"
Il can't" groaned Thornton. 81 CAM
unless
What. m'Sieur?'
Unless lose everything-but her."