The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-09-10
CHAPTER XVI,
The Music Again,

~ cabin that night, and the next |
day he would bury his old comrade. |
1t was dark when he came to the mar
row plain that lay between him and
the river. The sky was brilliant with
stars when he slowly climbed the big
barren ridge at the foot of which was
his home. At the summit he stopped
and seated himself on the edge of a
rock, with nothing but q thousand
miles of apace' between him and the
pale glow of the northern lights. At
his feet lay the forest, black and ST.
lent, and he looked down to where he
knew his cabin was waiting for him.
black aud silent too.
For the first time 1t came upon him
that this was home-that the forest
and the silence and the little cabin
hidden under the spruce tops below
held deeper meaning for him than
few hours before, when Kazan was
leaping, living comrade at his side.
Kazan was dead. Down there he
would bury him. And he had loved
Kazan. He knew now as he clrtched
his hands to his aching breast, that
he would have fought for Kazan-giv-
en- up his life for him-as he would
have done for brother. Hot tears
blinded Jams eyes, and he covered his
face with his hands, and sobbed as
he had sobbed years before, when
In the southern wilderness word came
to him that Melissa was dying.
"Melisse-M elisse"- He moaned her
name aloud, and stared through the hot
film In his eyes awaysin the north.
sobbing to her. calling to her in his
grief, and looking through that thou
sand miles of starit space as though
from out Of 1t her sweet face would
come to him once more. And as he
called there seemed to come to him
from out of that space sound, so
sweet and low and tender that his
heart stood still. and he stood up
straight and stretched his arms up to
heaven, for Jan Thoreau knew that it
was the sound of violin that came
to him from out of the north-that Me-
lisse, an infnity away, had heard his
call. his prayer, and was playing for
him and KaZan!
And suddenly as he listened his arms
fell to his sides. and there shot into his
eyes all of the concentrated light Of
the stars. for the music came nearer
and nearer and still nearer to him. I'M
Ill he caught KaZan In his arms and
ran with him down the side Of the
mountain II died now in the forest,
then rose again, softer and more dis
tant II seemed to him. Turing him on
Al, ..Il Isn, 20
ments consciousness of all else but that
sound remained with him only in a
dazed, half real way, and as John Cum
Minis had called upon the angels at
Lac Balm many years ago when he,
too. had gone ont into the night to
meet this wonderful music, so jan
Thoreau's soul cried to them now as
he clutched his dead dog, Kazan, to
him and stumbled on, Then suddenly
he came upon the cabin, and In the
cabin there was light!
Gently he laid Kazan down upon the
snow, and for full minute he stood
and listened and heard, lower ana
sweeter still, the gentle music of the
violin. Some one was In his cabin
ing hands were playing! After all, 1t
was not the spirit of Melissa that had
come to him In the hour of his deepest
grief and a sob rose in his throat. lie
went on, step by step, and ut the door
he stopped again, wondering II he was
mad, IL the spirits of the forest were
haunting him still, if-if-
One step more
The great God, he heard II now-the
low, sweet music of the old Cree love
song, played In the old. old way, with
all of its old sadness, Its whispering
10y, its weeping song Of life, of death
of love! With great cry lie nuns
open the door and leaped In, with his
arms reaching out, his eyes blinded
for a moment by the sudden light-nnc
with cry as piercing ms his own some
thing ran through that light TO NEE
him-Melisse. the old, glorious Melissa
crushing her arms about his neck SOD
bling his name. pleading with him II
her old sweet voice to kiss her, kis
her, kiss her-while Jan Thoreau 10
the first time In his life felt sweeping
over him a resistless weakness, ana II
this vision he knew that Jean de era
vols came to him, too, and held him II
his arms and that as the light fade
away from about him he still hear'
Melissa calling to him, felt her arm
about him, her face crushed to his own
And as the deep gloom enveloped hin
more densely and he felt himself SIiT
ping down through It he whispered I
the faces which he could no longer see
n-died-tonight"-
For long time Jan fought to throw
off the darkness, and when he sue
ceeded and opened his eyes again, u
knew that II was Melissa who was SIT
ting beside him, and that IL was MIC
lisse who flung her arms about MI
when he awoke from his strange slice
and held his wild head pressed agains