The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-09-12

ticed that the former expression of
childish naivete was no more. There
was something timid and guilty about
her manners, as though she felt her.
self out of place here in her own
home.
"How do you do?" she said, shaking
his hand and regarding him stead
tasty and eagerly. "How stout you
have grown, how manly! But on the
whole you seem to have changed
but little"
Starzey was silent. Somehow the
pallor and the expression of her face,
the faint smile, and her voice-all
these did not appeal to him now, and
soon he found fault with the dress
she wore, with the very armchair
| in which she was seated. He re-
called his love for her-the dreams
and hopes which stirred his soul four
years ago-and he felt ashamed of
himself.
They drank tea with sweet cakes.
Then the hostess read aloud story
of her own, after which Catherine
played the piano as noisily as ever.
cit is a good thing that 1 didn't
marry her." thought Starzey.
Catherine ceased playing and looked
at him, evidently waiting that he
should ask her to go with him to the
garden, but he kept silent.
.'Let us speak," said she, advancing
towards him. 'Tell me, how are you
getting along? l have been thinking
of you all these days." she went on
nervously. 81 was going to write
you. I have waited for you so impa-
tiently to-day. For Gods sake, come
into the garden"
They walked out in the garden and
seated themselves on the bench be-
meath the maple tree. 1t was a dark
night.
''Well, tell me, how are you get
ting along?" asked Catherine.
''As usual" replied Starzey.
| And he could not think of any
thing else to say. They sat in 81
lence for a while.
81 am nervous" said Catherine,
covering her face with her hands,
''but don't pay any attention to that.
| feel so good at home; 1 am so glad
to see everybody here. How many
| happy recollections. 1t seemed to me
that we would keep on speaking here
all night long, until daybreak."
She now gazed at him with naive
curiosity as though she wanted to
scrutinize, the better to comprehend
| he
derby and passionately, and her eyes
seemed to thank him for that love.
| At this time Starzey recalled how
he roamed about the cemetery and
how he escorted her to the club on
the next day, and he felt sorry for
the past. A new light was kindled
in his soul.
''Do you remember the evening 1
took you to the club?" he asked. cit
was raining. =. dark. -"
He was growing enthusiastic, he
wanted to unburden himself, to COM
plain of life in general.
''Eh," said he, with sigh. "You
ask me how am getting along. 1 am
getting older, stouter, weaker. Life
passes gloomily, without leaving any
impressions, without inspiring any
thoughts. The days are devoted to
money-making, and the evenings spent
in the club amid gamblers and alco-
holes whom detest from the depth
of my heart. What good is there in
such life as this?"
'But you work-your noble aim in
| life. You were always so fond of
speaking about your hospital. I was
then queer girl. I imagined myself
great pianist. Now 1 know that
my piano playing and my mothers
novel writing are of kind. did not
understand you then, but later, in
Moscow, 1 often thought of you. I
thought of you alone. What happi-
ness it is to be country doctor, to
be able to help suffering humanity, to
serve the people! What happiness"
repeated Catherine enthusiastically
''When I thought of you in Moscow,
you seemed to me so ideal, so sub
lime. -"
Starzey thought of the money he
so eagerly counted every evening on
his return from the patients, and the
fire in his soul died out.
He rose, ready to leave. Catherine
took him by the arm.
''You are the best of all men ever
knew in my life," she continued.
Call again. We must meet, we must
| speak to each other. I am not a
pianist, am perfectly clear on this
point; I'll never play again in your
presence-Ill never speak to you
about music
| When Starzey entered the house
and saw her agitated face by lamp
light, and her sad, grateful, search
ing eyes, which were fixed on him,
he became restless.
at is good thing I didn't marry
her at that time"-this thought again
flashed through his mind.
Starzey babe Der ''goodby," and de-
parted.
Three days later messenger
brought him a note from Catherine.
"You did not come to see us
Why?" she wrote. "The very thought
that you have changed makes me
shudder. Come, reassure me by telling