Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-11-12

"Forgive meV' she whispered, ner
voice breaking into a sob. "Dear,
dear Jan, forgive me! Today is your
birthday, Jan-yours and mine, mine
and yours-and we will always have it
that way, always, won't we, Jan"
Jan was glad when the evening
came and was gone. Not until Jean
and Iowaka had said good night with
Croisset and his wife and both Cum
Minis and Melissa had gone to their
rooms did he find himself relieved of
the tension under which he had strug-
gled during all of his playing and that
nights merrymaking in the cabin.
From the first he knew that his
nerves were strung by some strange
and indefnable sensation that was
growing within him-something which
he could hardly have explained at first,
but which swiftly took form and mean
ing and oppressed him more as the
hours flew by.
After the others had gone Cummins
sat up to smoke pipe. When he had
finished he went to his room. Jan
was now sleeping in a room at the
company's store, and after a time he
rose silently to take down his cap and
coat. He opened the outer door quiet
ly so as not to arouse Melissa, who
had gone to bed half an hour before.
AS he was about to go out there
came sound, low, gentle, whisper
ed word:
"Janw
He turned Melissa stood in her
! door. She had not undressed, and her
hair was still done up in it's soft coils,
with the crimson bakneesh shining in
it. She came to him <hesitatingly un-
til she stood with her two hands upon
his arm, gazing into his tense face
with that same question in her eyes.
"Jan, you were not pleased with me
tonight" she whispered. "TeIl me
why"
81 was pleased with you, Melisse,"
he replied.
He took one of her hands that was
clinging to his arm and turned his
face to the open night. Countless stars
cleaned in the sky, as they had shone
on another night Fifteen years ago.
Suddenly there leaped up from Jan
Thoreau's breast a breath that burst
from his lips in low cry:
"Melisse! Melissa! 1t was just f1f-
teen years ago that / came in through
that forest out there, starved and dyl
ing, and played my violin when your
mother died. You were little baby
then, and since that night you have
never pleased me more than noww
He dropped her hand and turned
squarely to the door to hide what he
knew had come into his face. He
heard soft, heartbroken little sob be-
hind him
"Jan, dear JAM"
She laughed, happy and trembling,
her lips held up to him.
81 didn't please you today" she whis.
pered. Il will never do up n.E hair
AGAIN.
He kissed her, and his arms dropped
from her shoulders.
Never, never again-until you have
forgotten to love me-" she repeated.
"Good night, Brother Janp'
Across the open, through the thinned
edge of the black spruce, deeper and
deeper into the cold, unquivering life
lessness Of the forest, Jan went from
the door that closed between him and
Melissa, her last words still whisper
ing in his ears, the warm touch of her
hair on his cheeks and the knowledge
of what this day had meant for him
swiftly surging upon him, bringing
with it torment which racked him to
the soul.
He went on until he came to where
the beaten trail swept up and away
from a swamp. He plunged into it,
picking his tangled way until he stood
upon giant ridge, from which he
looked out through the white night into
the limitless barrens to the north.
She was no longer the little Melissa,
his sister, he thought. And yet
He was almost saying her last words
aloud:
"GOod night, Brother Janv
She had come to him that day to let
him kiss her as she had come to him a
thousand times before, but he had not
kissed her in the old way. 1t was a
different love that his lips had given,
and even now the hot blood surged
again into his face as he thought of
what he had done. In that which had
stirred his blood, thrilling him with
strange JOY as he held her in his arms,
he saw more than the shadow of sin
sacrilege against a thing which was
more precious to him than life
D NYrTJTFN NM