The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-08-04
TO THE ENDS ~
y OF THE EARTH.
A Lovers Journey.
'MIHAT can l co 10 convince you
wv that love you?"

repeated this phrase to Nine. de Nymbe,
who, slleptical and bored, replied:
TO begin with, don't tell me so
again; really, my dear Chillaye, nothing
is more monotonous and less new than
your perpetual cooing."
But you can't imagine how 1 love
you! If you demanded my hearts
blood, l would give it to the last drop
gladly"
Don't be alarmed; 1 won't demand
it,"
Put me to the test-give sign, a
mere sign, and I'll follow you to the
ends of the earth, on my knees"
Really, now, would you?" asked
Nine. de Nymbe, suddenly thoughtful
Wouldn't L." cried Chillaye. SIN
deed, would"
Berangere reflected an instant, then,
looking fixedly at dazzled Chillaye:
Il take you up"
Seeing his stupefaction, she contin-
ued, laughing: Il don't quite demand
that of you-you propose to follow me
to the ends of the earth on your knees
I consent to your following me to
Nice on horseback. It's not so far, nor
so firing"
What! you intend"
'Yes-you know detest the railway,
with its jolting, its smudges, the pro-
miscuity, the hurried meals eaten at
greasy tables, while walters shout at
your ear: Don't hurry, ladies and gen.
tlemen, Is minutes yeti 1t is all odious
&c
''And SOP"
80, as L want to go to Nice, I've de-
cided to go by horseback, by slow
stages"
But it will take at least fortnight
Say three weeks-I'm in no hurry.
Well, are you not delighted at the pros
pect?'
''Of course - certainly - but, you
know, on horseback it is hard to talk.
Why not by post carriage? Delightful,
they say"
Are you really naif enough to think
I'd start out with you like that en- tete-
'a-tete-like wedding journey?"
I'm sure I'd ask nothing better"
well, 1 do. You draw back-we
won't say anything more about it,
what makes you say draw back?
I'm simply so overjoyed, so overcome,
that can't find words"
THAT will do. L can guess them"
''When shall we start?"
To-day is Tuesday; why not this day
week?"
81 am entirely at your ORDERS
Besides, before we start we will
see each other again to talk the cam
ipaign over"
Kissing Nine. de Nymbe's taper fin
gers, Chillaye departed, like a conquer
ing hero. Toasting himself at the reg
lister in the hall, he saw himself already
in the flowers and sunshine of Nice.
The cold outside air brought him up
short; turning up his collar, he grum-
-bled: ''B-r-rr! it's freezing! What will
it be on horseback? My hands and feet
are always cold, even in july. Let's
hope the weather will be decent. How
will poor White Cat take the road,
wonder? She's not fit; 1 feed her too
high, till she's ready to burst. I'm big
and heavy and like broad horses, other
wise they look as if 1 were breaking
their backs-and looks are everything
in the Bots. Why do pretty women have
such absurd notions?"
In spite of Chillaye's timid sugges-
lion that two o'clock, after lunch, was
IA good hour to start, Mime. de Nymbe
had fixed the time at sharp eight.
White Cat stepped out coquettishly,
not guessing what was ahead of her.
The coupe, filled with luggage, was
standing in the courtyard. Chillaye
was penetrated by soft emotion when
he saw his valise standing among Nine.
de Nymbe's bags and his rug tightly
rolled around one of her numerous
wraps.
what delicious intimacy this jour
,ney will bring about!" he exclaimed
to himself, looking at his watch to see
if he was on time. He was, but she was
not. A message came asking him to
wait few moments. How altered the
drawing room looked. No fire, no
flowers, no tumbled cushions, no
opened score on the piano, no bonbons
nothing! How often he had drawn
up his big pouf before the bright
hearth and listened to Berangere talk,
half hidden and curled up in the dim
brocade arms of her favorite chair! In
spite of Industrious pacing up and
down, he was literally frozen when
Nine. de Nymbe appeared at nine.
The sight of her in her riding-habit,
pretty enough to eat, warmed him up
bit. Preoccupied as she was, she ran
gayly down the stairs without discov-
ering that he was blue. The maid got
into the loaded coupe. The valet got up
by the coachman, and the grooms led
out the horses. Here was poor Chill
layes first discontinue. He expected
to give Mime. de Nymbe's little foot a
bit of a squeeze as he assisted her to
mount, but when he approached to per-
form the agreeable task, she said that
only her old coachman knew her move
ment, and, putting her hand on the old
fellows shoulder, she was up like a
bird.
''What an awful fog there u.s." she
exclaimed. Il hate it! don't you?"
:'Still, perhaps it is better than cold.''
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