The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-07-08
That night James was reminded

Nv Mite S-StOOQ the DrllllanC uOWcIo.
Under the vase was note. MY
dear J. G. d." he read with annoy
ing impatience, "you were very much
too good to send me those flowers. l
have left them in the room so that
we may both enjoy them-only l
took one to wear. 1 am beginning
to feel well acquainted with you.
I do wish I knew what color eyes
you have. Please tell me. And
your name-I think the j. stands
for Jane" James stopped with a
sense of relief. $50 she isn't so bold
as 1 thought" he said to himself.
"She thinks Pm just some little old
maid of a school teacher like herself,
and she's trying to get acquainted.
For a week more James let the
correspondence go on, signing him
self with the old 81. G.. d." but
taking pains to preserve thorough
ly feminine tone to his letters. And
when, at the end of the week, he re-
ceived an especially friendly letter
he asked for Miss Whites photo
graph. 81 can't let you have one of
mine," he wrote, anticipating a
probable request, "but I must have
yours"
The photograph with the frank,
sympathetic eyes, the delicate, aris-
tocratic mouth, girlish yet woman-
ly, did what years of letters could
not have done. 1t settled the matter
i'm James mind. The correspond
ence must stop. He felt that he was
drifting into dangerous mood. So
James letters grew brief, but Miss
Whites grew, daily, in length.
"My dear Jane" she wrote one
day. "I'm not at all lonely any
more. I can't tell you how hard it
used to be before, when I was alone
in the city and there was no one to
sympathize with me. I do wish that
you would let me come to see you
some time, or that you would come
around to my boarding house. There
are so many things I want to talk
about. Can't you come next Sun
day night?"
He had sent up his card and as
he sat in the large, dimly-lighted,
shabbily-furnished reception room,
he was half inclined to make his es-
cape before he had got further into
the ENGAGEMENT.
Then Helen White-a look of dis
appointment in the sympathetic
eyes had appeared, coming towards
him from the hall, more lovely in
reality than he had ever vaguely
dreamed. care you Miss Darcy's
brother ?" she asked.
eyes," he lied, taking the only
available cue. "She sent me to
apologize. She's rather tired"
That night James re-read all the
letters-and many and long they
were, too-and went to bed with the
conviction that Helen White was the
one thing that he craved, even before
his coveted degree. The next eve
ming he had no better idea of his
method of attack than he had had
the night before, and it was the dis
traction Of the uncertainty that had
made the undisciplined boys seem
somewhat less disciplined than usual.
As he heard the sound of scuffling
feet pass down the hall, the door
gently opened and Helen White
with a little start of surprise
stepped in.
81 came to get my roll-book and
to see Miss Darcy" she explained, as
James closed the door and led her to
the desk chair. Then standing over
her he explained, fully and apologet-
ically, what had happened and how
he had been led into the deceit.
81 am so disappointed" she said
with tears starting in her eyes.
| "It was rather rude of me to lei
you go on with it," James began.
| ooh, it isn't that. It's just be.
cause I shall miss Jane so. She was
the only friend I had" Heller
White buried her head on the desk
before her to hide her tears. In 4
minute she had recovered her self.
control. "You see it has been very
hard-sometimes," she said.
| With what comfort he could sug
| gest, James led the girl to the oper
air and, by way of distracting al
attention from her own loneliness
told her frankly and fully Of his owl
hopes and ambitions, making no at
tempt to conceal his present limita
tons and embarrassments.
"And now, Helen," he said, 'w'
have found each other. I am Jan,
or James, or anything else you wan
to call me. I love you and 1 wan
to marry you and your" he paused
| ,o4o Iou &c.