Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-12-17

YOU were IreoZlnS, ne SdlQ as Jan
stared, "and sleeping like dead man.
1 waited for you back there and then
hunted you up. You know, thought
He hesitated and knocked the ash
from his pipe bowl. Then he looked
frankly and squarely at Jan. "See
here Old man, if you're hard up-had
trouble of any sort--bad luck-gOt no
money-won't you let me help you
Out?"
THANK yen, m'Seur; have money"
said Jan. Il prefer to sleep outside
with the dogs | guess | would have
been stiff with the frost if you had
not come. You have been here all
night?"
Thornton nodded.
"And it is morning" exclaimed Jan,
rising and looking above the spruce
tops. You are kind, m'sieur. 1 wish
l might do as much for YOU"
"You can," said Thornton quietly.
"Where are you going from here?'
'To the company's offices at Prince
Albert. We will start within an hour"
"Will you take me with your
Thornton asked.
with pleasurew cried Jan. But it
will be a hard journey, m'sieur. 1
must hurry, and you may not be &C
customed to running behind the dogs"
Thornton rose and stretched out
hand.
'It can't be too hard for me-" he
said. 81 wish"-
He stopped, and something in his low
voice made Jan look straight into his
eyes, Then he turned to his pack
upon the sledge.
''I've got meat and coffee and hard
breakfast with me?'
1t was early afternoon of the fourth
day later when Jan and Thornton
reached Prince Albert
1--WE will go to the offices of the great
company" said Jan. 1--WE will lose no
time
1t was Thornton now who guided
him to the century old building at the
west edge of the town. 1t was Thorn
ton who led him into an office filled
mostly with young women, who were
laboring at clicking machines, and it
was Thornton who presented a square
bit of white card to gray haired man
at desk, who. after reading it, rose
from his chair, bowed and shook hands
with him. And few moments later
a door opened. and Jan ThOreau alone
passed through it, his heart Quivering,
his breath choking him, his hand
clutching at the papers in his breast
pocket.
Outside Thornton waited. An hour
passed and still the door did not re-
open. The man at the desk glanced
curiously at Thornton. Two girls at
typewriters exchanged whispered opin-
ions as to who might be this wild look
ing creature from the north who was
taking up an hour of the SubcOmmis-
sioner's time Nearly two hours pass
sed before Jan appeared. Thornton,
still patient, rose as the door opened.
His eyes first encountered the staring
face of the subcommissioner. Then
Jan came out. He had aged five years
in two hours. There was a tired stOOp
to his shoulders, a strange pallor in his
cheeks. To Thornton his thin face
seemed to have grown thinner. With
bowed head, looking nowhere but
ahead of him, Jan passed on, and as
the last door opened to let them out
into the pale winter sun Thornton
heard the muffied sobbing of his
breath. His fingers gripped JAMS arm.
His eyes were blazing.
eff you're getting the wrong end Of
anything up there" he cried flercely;
'if you're in trouble, and they're TAX
ing the blood out of you, tell me, and
I'll put the clamps on 'em! They'll
buck the devil when they buck Jack
Thornton, and if it needs money to
show 'em so I've got half a million to
teach 'em the game"
Thanks, m'sieur," struggled Jan,
striving to keep a lump out Of his
throat. "It's nothing like that. l don't
need money. Half million would just
about buy what I've given away up
there"
He clutched his hand for an instant
to the empty pocket where the papers
had been.
J That night, leaving Thornton still at
| supper in the little old Windsor hotel,
Jan slipped away and, with Kazan at
his heels, crossed the frozen Saskatch-
evan to the spruce forest on the north
shore. He wanted to be alone to think,
to fight with himself against a desire
which was almost overpowering him.
Once, long ago, he had laid his soul
bare to Jean de Gravois, and Jean had
given him comfort. Tonight he longed
to go to Thornton as he had gone to
Jean and to tell him the same story
and what had passed that day in the
Office of the subcommissioner. In his
heart there had grown something for
Thornton that was stronger than friend
ship-something that would have made
him fight for him and die for him as
he would have fought and died for
Jean de. Gravois 1t was feeling CO.
mented by a belief that something was