Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-24
I he Honor
BY James
Oliver CWrW00@
CHAPTER n,
Little MelIsse.

at The foot Of a giant spruce,
towering sentinel-like to the sky. they
lowered her into the frozen earth
Gaspingly Williams. the old factor.
stumbled over the words on a ragged
page that nad been torn from a Bible
The rough men who stood about him
bowed their wild beads upon their
breasts. aud sobs broke from them.
At last Williams stopped his reading.
stretched his long arms above his head
and cried chokinGly:
The great God keep Mees Cum
minsv'
AS the earth fell there came from the
edge OF the forest the low. sweet music
OF Jan ThoTeaus violin. No man IN all
the world could have told what he
played. for IL was the music OF JAMS
soul. wild and whispering OF the winds.
sweetened by some strange inheritance
that had come TO him with the pic
ture which ne carried 10 his throbbing
heart
He played until only the tall spruce
and John Cummins stood over the lone
grave. When he stopped the man
turned 70 him. and they went together
TO the little cabin where the woman
had lived
There WAS something new in the cab
IN nova tiny white. breathing thing
over which nm Indian woman watched.
The boy stood beside John Cummins
looking down upon 1t and trembling
"Ah." be whispered. his great eyes
gelr'
'It is the little Melisse." replied the
man.
He dropped upon his knees with his
sad face close to the new life that was
60 take the place OF the one that had
Just gone out Jan felt something tug
ging in a strange way at his heart. and
he. too. fell upon his knees beside John
Cummins in this first worship Of the
child
From this hour OF their first kneeling
6efore the little life in the cabin some
thing sprang up between Jan Thoreau
and John Cummins which IL would
have been hard for man TO break
That night when Jan picked up his
violin to 20 back to Mukee's cabin
Cummins put his two hands on the
boys shoulders aud said:
Jan. who are you and where did
you come from"
Jan stretched bis arm vaguely to the
north.
Jan Thoreau." he replied simply.
"Thees IL my violon. We come alone
through the beeE snow. We starve
seven day in the beeg snow. My violon
keep the wolf OF AT night"
Look again. Jan Didn't you come
from there or there or there?''
Cummins turned slowly. facing first
90 the east and Hudson's bay. then 10
the south. and lastly 10 the west. There
was something more than curiosity in
the tense face that came back in star
ing inquiry to Jan Thoreau
The boy hunched his shoulders. and
his eyes flashed
at eos not lie that ian Thoreau and
heeS viOlOu come through the bepE
snow" he replied softly. 1T ees not
Ker'
There Is plenty OF room here now"
said CUmmiuS huskily. will you stay
with the little Melissa and me?'
with the leetle Melissa Easped the
boy. "I-l-stgy with the Ieetle white
angel Tor ever and ever"
No man learned more % Jan than
had Cummins Even 10 MUSpr his his
tory was equally simple md short Al
ways he said that he came from out Of
the north. which meant the Barren
lands aud the Barren lands meant
death. No man had ever come across
them az Jan Ind come. aud at another
time and under other circumstances
Cumm,us aud his people would have
believed him mad
But they knew thar Jan Thoreau had
come like u messenger from the angels.
thar rive wOWGu'S Soul had gone ont 10
meet him. md that she had died sweet
~ or lolu o uumiuS' breast while he
played. 81 the boy. with his thin. sen
sitive face and his great beautiful
eyes, became u pnrs OF what the wo-
man had left behind for them TO love.
In way he made up tor her loss
The woman had brought ~rurthng
new ana sweet into their barren lives,
and ne brought something new and
sweet-the music or his violin. He
played for them IN the evening To the
factors Office and at these tunes Trey
knew that Cumnius' wife was very
near 70 them aud that she was speak
ing 10 them through the things which
Jan TbOrenu played
There were hours or triumph for Jan
IN tue factors office. but u was the
audience In the little ahin that Jan
liked best. amt most OF All. he loved
TO nave the httle Melissa alone As
the days or early spring trapping ap-
proached ana the wilderness for a nun.
dred miles around the post was criss.
crossed with the traits OF the Cree and
thippewayuE FUR seekers. Cummiur
was anss.ui for DAYS AT ttr1e
strengthening The Cumpany's friend
ships ana bargaining tor the catci
that would oe coming TO market sDou
eight weeks later.
lnis was a year OF intense rivalry
for the French competitors or tn
company had established a post ~
miles 10 the west. and rumor sprea'
that they were 10 give sixty pound
OF nour 10 the company, forty an