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

Il am coming to offer you the loan
of my razor" he cried gaily. "Iowaka
says that you will be taken for bear
if the trappers see you"
"a beard is good to keep off the black
fiies,' replied Jan. ''It is approaching
summer and the black flies love to
feast upon me. Let us go down the
trail, Jean. | want to speak with you"
Where there had been wood cutting
in the deep spruce they sat down, fac
ing each other Jan spoke in French.
Il have Travelled far since leaving
Lac Bain," he said. II went first to
Wholdaia. 1 found them at Nelson
House, but not on the Wholdaia."
"What?" asked Jean, though he
knew well what the other meant.
"My brothers, Jean de Gravois," an
swered Jan, drawing his lips until his
teeth cleaned in a sneering smile
"My brothers the carrion! 1 saw the
two at Nelson House. One Of them is
half wit, and the other''-he hunched
his shoulders-'is worse. Petraud,
one Of the two who were at Wholdaia,
was killed by a Cree father last winter
for dishonoring his daughter The 9th
er disappeared. So you see, Jean de
Gravois, what sort Of creature is your
friend Jan ThoreauW
y 81 see that you are a bigger fool
than ever" Jean said quietly. "Jan
Thoreau, what if / should break my
Oath-and tell Melisse?"
Unfinching the mems eyes met A
dull glare came into JAMS. Slowly he
unsheathed his long knife and placed
it upon the snow between his feet,
with the cleaning end of the blade
pointing toward Gravois. With a low
cry Jean sprang to his feet.
| "Do you mean that, Jan Thoreau?
| Do you mean to give the knife chal-
! lenge to one who has staked his life
/ for you and who loves you as a
/ brother?'
! "Yes," said Jan deliberately. 81
love you, Jean, more than any other
man in the world. And yet I will kill
you if you betray me to Melissew He
rose to his feet and stretched out his
hands to the little Frenchman. "Jean,
wouldn't you do as l am doing?
Wouldn't you have done as much for
! Iowaka?"
| For moment Gravois was silent.
Il would not have taken her love
without telling her," he said then.
| ''That is not what you and I know as
honor, Jan Thoreau. But / would
have gone to her, as you should now
go to Melissa, and she would have
| opened her arms to me, as Melissa
would open hers to you That is what
would have DONE"
"And that is what shall never do"
said Jan decisively, turning toward
the post 81 could kill myself more
easily. That is what 1 wanted to tell
you, Jean. No one but you and must
| ever know
81 would like to choke that fool of
Croisset for sending You to hunt up
those people at Nelson House and
Wholdaiar' grumbled Jean.
ut was best for me-
They saw Melissa leaving Iowaka's
home when they came from the forest.
Both waved their hands to her, and
| Jan cut across the open to the store.
Jean went to the Cummins cabin as
| soon as he was sure that lac was not
observed. There was little of the old
| vivacity in his manner as he greeted
Melissa. He noted, too, that the girl
was not her natural self. There was
i redness under her eyes which told him
that she had been crying.
! "Melisse." he said at last, speaking to
her with his eyes fixed on the cap he
was twisting in his fingers, ''there has
come great change over JAN"
ga very great change, Jean. If I
were to guess 1 should say that his
heart had been broken down on the
Nelson trail"
Gravois caught the sharp meaning in
her voice, which trembled a little as
she spoke He was before her in an
instant, his cap fallen to the floor, his
eyes blazing as he caught her by the
arms.
Eyes, the heart of Jan Thoreau is
broken! he cried. But it has been
broken by nothing that lives on the
Nelson House trail. 1t is broken be-
cause Of-yOu!
'I? Melissa drew back from him
with breathless cry. "I-I have bro
KEN
81 did not say that" interrupted
Jean. 81 say that it is broken because
of you. If only might tell your
"Do-do, Jean! Please tell me" She
put her hands on his shoulders. Her
eyes implored him. Tell me what /
have done-what can 1 do, Jean"
81 can say that much to you, and no
more" he said quietly. "Only know
this, my dear-that there is great grief
eating at the soul of Jan Thoreau, and
that because of this grief he is changed.
1 know what that grief is, but 1 am
pledged never to reveal it. 1t is for you
to find out, and to do this, above all
else-let him know that you love him.
Not as a sister any longer, Melissa, but
as a womanw