The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-11-21

Robert. What business can you have
with me that wouldn't wait till morn
ing? Look here, I'm desperate!"
$50 am l." retorted Abbott. Bob,
you've been to Springfield"
Robert Clinton snatched open the
yard-gate, muttering, That's my busi-
ness"
Miss Noir sent you to unearth a
secret"
Obi" exclaimed Robert, in an al
tered tone, stopping in the gateway,
did she tell you about it,"
'No-but you've brought back that
secret, and you must not tell 1t to
Miss Noir."
Not tell her? That's funny!" Rob-
ert produced sound which he expect
ed to pass as laughter. $50 that's
what you wanted to tell me, is it? Do
you know what the secret is?"
81 do not. But you mustn't tell it. u
However, that's what I'm going to
do, as soon as l reach that door
take your hand off, man, my blood's
up, by George! Can't you see my
blood's up? It's a-boiling, that's what
it's doing! So all you want is to
ask me not to tell that secret?'
Not exactly ALL"
well, well-quick! What else?"
"To see that you don't tell it,
How do you mean to see that
don't tell it,"
You will listen to reason, Bob,
said Abbott persuasively.
mo, l WON'T" cried Robert. mot
me! No, sir! I'm going to tell this
minute"
You shall mott" said Abbott, in a
lower and more compelling tone. His
manner was so absolute, that Robert
Clinton, who had forced his way al
most to the porch-steps, was slightly
moved.
See here, Abbott-say! Fran knows
all about it. and you pretend to think
a good deal of her. Well, it's to hel
interests for the whole affair TO be
laid opsn to the world"
Il think so much of Fran" was the
low and earnest rejoinder, that if
were better fixed, I'd ask her to marry
| me without a moments delay. And
think enough of her, not to ask hel
to marry me, until have a good pc
sition. Now it was Fran who asked
me to see that you didn't betray the
| secret. And think so much of her
that Pm going to see that you don't!'
For a moment Clinton was silent
then he said in desperation: "Where
is your nice dark alley? Come on
then, let's get in it,"
| When they were safe from Interrupt
ton, Clinton resumed: you tell me
that Fran wants that secret kept? II
think she'd want it told everywhere
This secret is nothing at all but the
wrong that was done Fran and hel
mother. And since you are so franz
about how you like Fran, I'll follow
| suit and say that l have asked Grace
Noir to marry me, and l know III
stand better show by getting hel
out of the hypnotic spell of that mis-
cradle scoundrel who poses as a bleat
ing sheep"
done Fran? How do you mean"
why, man, that-that hypocrite il
wool, that weed that infests the
ground, that"
"In short, Mr.. Gregory? But whGt
| about the wrong done Franz"
Amt | telling you? That worm
eaten pillar of the church that's made
me lose so much faith in religion thai
| amt got enough left worth the post
age stamp to mail it back to the re
vival meeting where it came from
For heavens sake, Bob, tell me
what wrong Mr.. Gregory did Franz
Didn't he marry Fran's mother
when he was college chap in Spring
field, and then desert her? Didn't he
marry again, although his first wife
Fran's mother-was living, and hadnt
| been divorced? Don't he refuse tn &C
knowledge Fran as his daughter, max
ing her pass herself off as the daugh
ter of some old college chum? That's
what he did, your choir-leader! Ii
| like to see that baton of his laid over
his back; I'd like to lay it, myself
ITO DU- CnNrrT>rrrrD\