Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-11-05

his rough cheek.
The next morning when Cummins
went to awaken her his face went as
white as death. Melissa was not
asleep Her eyes were wide open and
staring at him. and her soft cheeks
burned with the hot glow Of fire.
you are sick, Melisse." he whisper
ed hoarsely. You are sickv'
He fell upon his knees beside her
and lifted her face in his hands The
touch of it sent a chill to his heart,
such as he had not felt since years
ago, in that other room a few steps
away.
II want JAM" she pleaded ~ want
Jan to come back to met"
IL will send for him, dear. He will
come back soon. will go out and
send Croisset"
He hid his face from her as be drag
ged himself away. Croisset saw him
coming and came out of the store to
meet him. hundred yards away
Cummins stopped.
"Croisset, for the love of God, take
a team and go after Jan Thoreau," he
called. "Tell him that Melissa is dying
of the plague. Hurry, hurryv'
"Night and dayy shouted Croisset.
Twenty minutes later from the cab
In window Cummins saw him start.
"Jan will be here very soon, Me-
Hsse," he said. running his fingers
gently through her hair. Toward
evening there came change. The
fever left the childs cheeks. Her
eyes closed and she fell asleep.
Through the night Cummins sat near
the door, but in the gray dawn, over
come by his long vigil, his head drop
ped upon his breast and he slum.
bered.
When he awoke the cabin was filed
with light. He heard a sound and.
startled. sprang to his feet. Melissa
was at the stove building a fret
I'm better this morning. father.
Why didn't you sleep until breakfast
was ready"
Cummins stared Then be gave a
shout. made rush for her and. catch
ing her up in his arms. danced about
ing the chairs and allowing the room
to fill with smoke in his wild joy.
"It's what you saw through the win
dow that made you sick. Melisse!' he
cried. putting her down ar last. Il
thought He paused and added, his
voice trembling. II thought you were
going to be sick for more than one
day, my sweet little woman
He opened one of the windows to let
in the fresh air Of the morning.
When Croisset returned be did not
find red flag over Cummins' cabin,
nor did be bring word of Jan. For
three days he had followed the trails
to the south without finding the boy
But he brought back other news Will
liamS was sick with the plague in a
Cree wigwam on the lower Porcupine
1t was the last they ever heard Of the
factor, except that he died some time
in March and was burned by the
Crees.
Croisset went back ever the Church
i'll trail and found his wife ready to
greet him with open arms. After that
he joined Perez, who came in from
the north, in another search for Jan.
They found neither trace nor word of
him after passing the Gray Otter, and
Cummins gave up hope.
1t was not for long that their fears
could be kept from Melissa This first
bitter grief that had come into her
life fell upon her with a force which
alarmed Cummins and cast him into
deep gloom. With growing despair
Cummins saw his own efforts fail.
AS the days passed Melissa mingled
more and more with the Indian and
half breed children and spent much of
her time at the company's store, listen
ing to the talk of the men, silent, at
tentive. unresponsive to any efforts
they might make to engage her smiles.
From her own heart she looked out
upon a world that had become a void
for her. Jan had been mother, brother
and everything that was tender and
sweet to her, and he was gone. Mukee,
whom she had loved, was gone. Will
liams was gone. The world was
changed. terribly and suddenly. and it
added years to her perspective OF
things
Each day. as the weeks went on and
the spring sun began to soften the
snow, she became a little more like
the wild children at Lac Balm and in
the forest. They were eating dinner
one day in the early spring. with the
sunshine flooding in upon them, when
a quick, low football caused Melissa
to lift her eyes in the direction of the
open door. A strange figure stood
there, with bloodless face, staring eyes
and garments hanging in tatters, but
its arms were stretched out, as those
same arms had been held out to her a
thousand times before, and, with, the
old glad cry, Melissa darted with the
swiftness of a sun shadow beyond
Cummins, crying:
"Jan, Jan; my JAM
Words choked in Cummins' throat
when he saw the white faced figure