Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-11-26

life into the eyes. "a little more and
he would have been with the mis-
sionerr'
He dragged the Englishman to the
side of the trail and set his back to a
tree. When he saw that fallen foe
mans breath was coming more strong
" he followed slowly after Melissa
UnObserved, he went into the store
and washed the blood from his face,
chuckling with huge satisfaction when
he looked at himself in the little glass
which hung over the washbasin.
/ 'Ah, my sweet Iowaka, but would
you guess now that Jean de Gravois
had received two clouts on the side
Of the head that almost sent him into
the blessed hereafter? / would not
have had you see it for all the gold in
this world
A little later he went to the cabin
IOwaka and the children were at
CrOisset's, and he sat down to smoke
g pipe. Scarce had he begun sending
Up blue clouds of smoke when the door
opened and Melissa came in.
"Hello, my DEAR" he cried gayly,
laughing at her with a wave of his
pipe.
In an instant she had flung the shawl
from her head and was upon her
knees at his feet, her white face turn
ed up to him pleadingly, her breath
falling upon him in painting, sobbing
excitement.
clean, Jeanv' she whispered, stretch
ing up her hands to his face "Please
tell me that you will never tell Jan
please tell me that you never will,
Jean-never, never, neverv'
81 will say nothing, Melissa"
For a sobbing breath she dropped
her head upon his knees. Then sud-
denly she drew down his face and
kissed him.
"Thank you, Jean, for what you have
donew
"Whewr' gasped Jean when she had
gone. "What if Iowaka had been here
then?"
The day following the fight in the
forest Dixon found Jean de Gravois
alone and came up to him.
''Gravois, will you shake hands with
me?" he said. 81 want to thank you
for what you did to me yesterday. L
deserved it. l have asked Miss Melissa
to forgive me-and 1 want to shake
hands with you"
Jean was thunderstruck. He had
never met this kind of man.
"What the deucer' he calculated,
when he had come to his senses. Eyes,
I will shake hands"
For several days after this Jean
could see that Melissa made an effort
to evade him. She did not visit Iowa
ka when he was in the cabin Neither
did she and Dixon go again into the
forest The young Englishman spent
more of his time at the store, and
just before the trappers began coming
in he went on a three days sledge trip
with Croisset
The change delighted Jean. The
first time he met Melissa after the
fight his eyes flashed pleasure.
''Jan will surely be coming home
soon,' he greeted her. ''What if the
birds tell him what happened out there
on the trail?"
She flushed scarlet.
perhaps the same birds will tell us
what has happened down on the Mel
son House trail, JEAN" she retorted.
"Pouf! Jan Thoreau doesn't give the
snap Of his small finger for the Mac
Weigh girl" Jean replied, warm in de-
Tense Of his friend.
''She is pretty" laughed Melissa, "and
have just learned that is why men
like to-like them, mean"
Jean strutted before her like a pea
cock.
Sam l pretty, Melissa"
"No-o-o=o-" -
Then why"-ne shrugged his shout
ders suggastively-''in the cabin
Because you were brave, Jean. I
love brave men,"
You were glad that pummeled the
stranger. then?"
Melissa did not answer, but he
caught laughing sparkle in the cor
ner Of her eye as she left him.
Come home, Jan Thoreau," he hum
med softly as he went to the store.
"Come home, come home, come home,
for the little Melissa has grown into
woman and is learning to use her eyes,"
Among the first of the trappers to
come in with his furs was MacVeigh.
He brought word that Jan had gone
south to spend the annual holiday at
Nelson House, and Cummins told Me-
lisse whence the message came. He
did not observe the slight change that
came into her face and went on:
81 don't understand this in Jan. He
is needed here for the carnival. Did
you know that he was going to Nelson
HOuse?"
Melissa shook her head.
"MacVeigh says they have made him
an offer to go down there as chief
man." continued the factor. ut is
strange that he has sent no explanation
TO me-"