The evening world. Newspaper, December 24, 1904, Page 6

THE SATURDAY EVENING NOVEL i ee THE SATURDAY . EVENING NOVEL — SUPPLEMENT TO THE EVENING WORLD, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, DEC. 24, 1904. J i Per "tu sneei 1902, by R. F. ones & Co.) CHAPTER I. A Woman's Plea SK Mr. Hume to come here for a moment, Gosse,” said Field, the £4 Chief Factor, as he turned from the frosty window of his office at Fort Providence, one of the Hudson Bay Company's posts. The servant or, more properly, Orderly-Sergeant Gosse, | of the Scots Guards, departed on his errand, glancing curtously at his master’s fa as he did so. The Chief Factor stood thought- fully considering the floor until the door opened and Sub-Factor Jaspar Hume entered. The Factor looked up and said: “Hume, I've something here that's been worrying me a bit. This letter came in the monthly batch this morning. It is from a woman. The Company sends another commending t cause of the woman and urging us to do all that is possible to meet ber wishes. It seems that her husband ts a civil engineer of considerable fame He had a commission to explore the Copper Mime region and a portion of the Barren Grounds. He was to be gone six months. He has been gone a year. He left Fort Good Hope, ekirted Great Bear Lake and reached the Copper Mine River. Then he sent pack all of the Indians who accompanted him but two, they bearing the message that he would make the Great Fish Kiver and come down by Great Slave Lake to Fort Providence. That was nine months ago. He has not come here, nor to any other of the forts, nor has any word been received from him. His wife, backed by the H. B. C., urges that a relief party be sent to look for him. They and she forget that this is the Arctic region, and that the task is a well-nigh hopeless one. He ought to have been here six months ago. Now, how can we @o anything? Our fort is small, and there ts always danger of trouble with the Indians. We can't force men to join a relief party like this, and who will vol- unteer? Who would lead such a party and who will make up the party to be led?” The brown face of Jaspar Hume was not mobile. It changed In expression but seidom; ft preserved a steady and satisfying character of intelligence and force. The eyes. however, were of an inquiring, debating kind, that moved from ane thing to another as if to get a sense of balance before opinion or judgment wus expressed. The face had remained impassive, but the eyes had kindled a little as the Factor talked. To the Factor’s despairing question there was not an immediate reply. The eyes were debating. But they suddenly steadied, and Jaspar Iiume said sententiously. “A relief party should go.” “Yes, yes: but who is to lead them?” Again the eyes debated. “Read her letter,” said the Factor, handing him !t Jaspar Hume took it and mechanically scanned it. The Factor ha@ moved toward the table for his pipe ur he would have scen the other start, and his nostrils slightly quiver as his eyes grew conscious of what they were looking at. Turning quickly. Jaspar Hume walked toward the window as if for more light, and with hts back to his superior he read the letter. Then he turned and said, “I think this thing should be done.” The Factor shrugged his shoulders slightly: “Well, as to that, I think so, too, but thinking and doing are two different things, Hume.” “Will you leave the matter fn my hands until the morning?” “Yes, of course, and glad to do so. You are the only man who can arrange the affair if it is to be done at all But I tell you, as you know, that everything will depend upon a leader, even if you secure the men . + + So you had better keep the letter for to-night. It may help you get the men together. A wom- an’s handwriting will do more than a man’s word any time” Jaspar Hume's eyes had been looking at the Factor, but they were studying something elise. His face seemed net quite so fresh as it was a few minutes be- fore “J will see you at ten o'clock to-morrow morning, Mr. Fick” he said quietly “Will you let Gosse come to me in an hour?” ertainly Good nignt.” Jaspar Hume let himself out. He walked across a small s and opened the door, which creaked and sirieked with the upon him as he did so, and rubbed its bead against his b St. Hie touched the bead as if tt had been that of a ohild. a said. ‘Lie down, Jacques.” It did so, but it watched him. as he doffed his dog-skin cap and buffalo coat, He looked round the room slowly once as if he wished to fix it clearly and deeply in his mind ‘Then he sat down and held ar the firelight the letter the Factor had given bim. His features grew set ar 1 tn as he read it. On he paused in the reading and looked into the fire, draw his breath sharply be- tween his teeth. Then he read it to the end without A pause, and he said, “Su this ts how the lines meet again, Varre Lepage! He read the last gscntence of the letter aloud: “In the hope that you may soon © me good news of my husband, Iam, with all respect, sincerely rours, “ROSE LEPAGE.” Again he repeated, “With all respect, sincerely yours, Rese Lepa ° The dog Jacques looked up Perhaps it detected something unusual In the voica It rose, came over, and Injd its head on its master’s knee. Jaspar Hume's hand fell gently on the head, and he said to the fire, “Rose Lepage, you can write to Factor Field what you dare not write to your husband If you knew! You might say to him then, ‘With all love,” but not "wit 1 respect’ ” Hic folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Then he took the dog’s head between his hands and sald; “Listen, Jacques, and I wili tell you a story.” The blinked, and pushed its nose against its master’s arm. "Ten years ago two young men who had studied and graduated together at are to a log-house rost A dog sprang $$$ ————————— phe the same college were struggling together in their profession as ci engines mm One was Varre Lepage and the ro was Jaspar Hume. The e was brilliant and persuastve. the other was persistent and » Varre Lepage could have succeeded in any profession; Jesepar Iiume had beart and mind for ona Oudy for one, Jacques. you ur amt. He lived In it. he leved It, he saw great things to be tieved in it. He had got an iden. He worket at night and Gay, he thought It ovt, he de ypexl it, he perfected it, he was ready to give It to the world But be wae seized with Ulness, became bl aml was ordered to a warm climate for a year. He fteft bis tdea, bis invention, b nd him—his compicte idea. While he was gone his bosom [friend stole his perfected idea—yer, stole his perfected Idea, and sold it for $3.0 Hie was called a genius, a great inventor. And then he married her. You d t know her, Jacques. You never saw pretty *e who was handsome ané 4 Forse Varcoe, who, king two men. chose the ¢ brilliant. and whom the world called a genius. Why didn't Jaspar Hume expose him, Jacques? Preof is not always easy, and then he had to think of her. One has to think of a woman fn such a case. Jacques Fver a dog can see that.” He was silent for a moment. and then he said, “Come Jacques You wia keep secret what I show you.” He went to a large box in the corner. uniocked ft, and took out a madel of braes and copper and aemooth but unpolished wood “after ten years of banishment, Jacques. he you see. It should be worth ten times the other the work of a genius, dog.” Then he became silent, the animal watching him the while. It had seen him working at this model for many A never beard him talk so much at ea time os he bad done this Jaspar Hume was cenerally a s worked out another Mea, 1 the world called the other fay. but h man: decisive even to severity. careless carriers and shirking ler-officers thought. Yet none could cor tin that be was unjust. He was simply straight- forward, and he had no ¢yr thy with these who were not the same He had |} carvied a drunken Iman on his back for miles. 4 from a certain death by frost He had, for want A mor nt, pror ly knocked down Jeff Hyde, the sometime « ~ riating a bundle of furs belonging to a French } f-Lreed, Gaspe Toujour he nursed Jeff Hyde | through an attack of pneumonia isting at the same time that Gaspe Toujours uld help bim The reeult of it ali was that Jeff Hyde and Gaspe Toujours be- came constant th formulated their oaths by Jaspar Hume. The In- | dtan, ud-in h 1 word never thanking 1} rescuer, could not be Ind xi to kuve or iasion with which Jaspar Hume was connected n un-Indian and earning his food and shelter by « rs ie He 1m! ast twico a week to Jaspar Hume's 1 wh silent and cross-legged lations, Sitting eo for perhaps an hour or more, id smoking all the time. he would rise, and with a grunt, which was snewered oy a kindly r od, would pass cut as al- iIently as he came And now as Jaspar Hume stood bwking at his “Idea,” Cloud-in-the-Sky «n- tered, let his blanket fall by the heart © and sat down upon it. If Jaspar Hume eaw him or heard him, he at least gave no sign at first. He sald In a low tone to the dog, “It ts finished. Jacques; it is ready for the world.” Thon he put ft back. locked the box and turned toward Cloud-in-the-Sky and the fireplace. The Indian grunted: the other nodded with the debating look again dominant In his eyes. The Indian met the look with stoic m. Thore ual reticence and decisiveness fn action Sky than any freedom of speech could is drawings and ca before the fire, watched was something in Jaspar Hume's hab which appealed more to Cloud u possibly have dme Jaspar Hume sat down, handed the Indian a pipe and tobacco, and, wkh arms folded, watched the fire. F half an hour they «at #0, white man, Indian and dog. Then Jaspar liume rose, went to a cupbwird, took out some sealing-wax | and matches, and in a moment melted wax was dropping upon the lock of the box containing his Idea. He had just finished tis as wet. Goese knocked at | the door, and immediately after entered the room “Guese,”” said the Sub-Factor, “find Jeff Hyde, Gaspe Toujours and Late Cars- Sergt. Gosmwe immediately departed upon this er- rand. Jaspar Hume the turned to Cioud-in-the-Sky, and uid: ““Cloud-in-the- Sky, I want you to go long journey hereaway to the Barren Grounds. Have twelve dogs ready by 9 o'clock to-morrow morning.” Cloud-in-the-Sky shook his head thoughtfully, ud then after a pause said, (Strong-back was his name for Jaspar Hume.) But the dian. however, appeared satis- ed to himself many times. A tered, followed by Jeff Hyde, Late Carscalien had got his name “Late” been called “The La Mr. < n” by t Chief Factor be- slowness. Slow as he was, however, the stout Scot an had more ng to Jaspar Hume's ideas. He callen, and bring them he “Strong-back 50, too? other either did not or would not hear. The I fied, for he smoked harder afterward, and gru few mocnents passed, and then Sergt. Gosse ¢ Gaspe Toujours and Late Carscalie from h cause of his than once was, of course, the last to er The men grouped themseclve about the fire, Late Carscallen getting the cold- oved himself so nd true a ext corner. Each man drew his tebacce from h for Sub-Factor Hume to speak His eyes w pocket, and, cutting it, waited ested on the four. Then he took out Rese i . and, with th looking at mim now, he read Whe s 0 « gave a gut- tural a nd ‘ Je It i 14 in the | 3 id read without : Gasp sjours, vd Lisa te , | aw e or tw With e . wo ral } 1 “ the 1G ne Bot w lead Jaspar Hume was wr zona P of 1 a I of three of them a just a nde of , it n |} they were not st e-Sk i n ai bowl of his pip« ninemsn a t be d : of paper : = : . Gosse hen ner poke Jom Hyde. ¢ T rs, Tate Carscatien and 5 »-the-s man. a r 1, is betw here an! the Barren Grounds. H« st be found sartee He hanied Jeff Hyde her letter. Jeff Hyde rubbed his fingers b we he te ed the d aie and perfumed missive. Its del i thm ie din a rough but kindly i : way: “Hope to die 1 it on to Gaspe Toujours, whe did not ep {2.0 Waa a ee te a) ’ we =