The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-03-24

himself, but the smile hardened to a
sheer as he turned and stared again at
the gray towers of the chateau, loom
ing shadowy in the dusk.
After 20 years! And this is good
day"
The road from B, past the old
chateau, is very beautiful. Strangers
travelling through the country take the
drive and eXclaim at the fairness OF
open field and massive wood, but tnere
is one spot where silence comes IN
voluntarily. a long, Swallowed stretch
where the forest rises darkly on both
sides, and twilight reigns at high noon
Here the wood to the right extends but
a few rods, ending abruptly in the high
cliff that follows the road for miles,
and far below, in the silence OF the for
est. comes the subdued rush and muir
muir of the deep river, swirling against
the rocks in it's bed.
In the day it is beautiful, but at night
it is awesome, and none travel past
them but those whose way leads them
Inofo OF necessity.
On the night that Jules D'Arblay rode
to B, the deep forest lay quiet and
still, knowing that the one sound that
would awaken it's echoes would be the
gallop of returning horse. Jules
D'Arblay always returned late, and
alone. He was later than usual to-
night. for he was making arrangements
to leave indefinitely. AS rule he en-
joyed spending his summers in the fine
old chateau, but this summer he pre-
ferred to leave.
The trees rose high and met in thick
arches over the road. shutting out the
light of the stars. The trees and the
little bushes were the only things of
the forest not asleep in the vastnesS
of the night. and they stirred and whis-
pered, nodding wisely to one another
and shivering awesomely in the silence.
Down the hard road came the whole
some reality of steady hoof-beats, and
the quivering bushes held themselves to
listen as horse and rider came nearer
through the black shadows. At one
side the low grass rustled, and two rest
less eyes cleaned at the dark outline
approaching. The slim, straight shadow
sat fearlessly erect and unconscious OF
danger.
From out of the roadside something
rose and struck viciously at the head
of the rider, kissing angrily: After
20 years, Jules D'Arblay!" something
fell heavily, without cry, and then
the leaves rustled as the startled horse
was backed through the blacllness by
a commanding hand. still back, toward
the steep cliff for riderless horse is
betrayal, and if drunken man rides
over a cliff in returning from town 1t
is no ones fault but his own. The air
Quivered with the human scream of
terrified beast, and the deep river
splashed solemnly as it received its bur-
den
The timid bushes shivered and cow
cred again, bending fearsomely to one
side as the man returned, and a still.
warm thing was carried heavily through
them, it's nerveless limbs Imply brush
ing them in its progress.
The wind stopped to hear his heavy
breathing as the bearer of the burden
strobe on. Then it fled up swiftly,
affrighted. to tell the tree-tops what it
had seen, and the good old trees tossed
their long arms in sorrow over the
treachery of man to man, and let the
stars peep wonderingly through, SO that
their clear light shone fair and steadily
on the still face.
AS one who does so against his will,
the one who bore him glanced down in
stern aversion at the dead man. The
limp thing half slipped from his loos-
ened grasp; the distant stars quivered
and shrank, as great cry rang out and
up to them. lingering and sobbing in the
tree-tops like the wall of stricken
woman.
"Oh, my God! My God!" s
The little bushes rustled pitifully. and
through the parted arms of the solemn
trees the stars shone tenderly, even on
this one who knelt shivering on the
ground. staring dumbly into the face
of the dead.
On the following day passing trav-
eler found two bodies in the wood by
the cliff. young Theon Chevreau
stretched carefully out on the tender
grass with his cloak wrapped smoothly
about him, and the strange old man,
tt f14