The Ely miner., 1913-07-25


reau. Now, as she pinned it on her
breast, she congratulated herself for
her foresight, the pale lavender petals
of the rare blossom toning altogether
harmoniously with her dress of dark
purple cloth.
Before she left the room she locked
the trunks and left beside them
dress suitcase packed for a journey.
Standing in the doorway she took
hurried look about the apartments
last, farewell survey, not of sentiment
but of investigation, to see if she had
forgotten anything. A silver pho
tograph frame set in rhinestones
caught her eye and she went back
and took it up, weighing it uncertain
ly in her hand. Some of the rhine
stones had fallen out, and she finally
decided it was not worth while open
ing the trunks to put in such dam
aged article.
1t was only a quarter past nine
when she emerged from the fiat She
took the downtown car and twenty
minutes later was mounting the steps
to Bill Cannon's office. She had been
motionless and rigidly preoccupied on
the car, but, as she approached the
office, change was visible in her
gait and mien. She moved with
light, perky assurance, motion as
of delicate, triumphant buoyancy
seeming to impart itself to her whole
body from her shoulders to her feet.
slight. mild smile settled on her
lips, suggesting gaiety tempered with
good humor. Her eye was charged
with the same expression rendered
more piquant by a gleam-the merest
suggestion-of coquettish challenge.
The Bonanza King was already in
his office. The same obsequious clerk
who had shown her in on former oc-
casion took her card in to the inner
sanctum where the great man, even
at this early hour, was shut away
with the business which occupied his
crowded days. In moment the
young man returned smiling and quite
as unanimously polite as he had been
on her former visit, and Berny was
once again ushered into the presence
of the enemy.
The old man had read the name on
the card with lowering glance. His
command to admit the visitor had
been hardly more than an inartculate
growl which the well-trained clerk
understood, as those about deaf mutes
can read their half-made signs. Can
non was not entirely surprised at her
temperance, and mingled feelings
stirred In him as he turned his swivel
chair away from the table, and sat
hunched in it, his elbows on its arms.
his hands clasped over his stomach.
She came in with an effect of dash.
confidence, and brilliancy that aston
ished him. He had expected her al
most to sidle in in obvious, guilty
fear of him, her resistance broken,
humbly coming to sue for the money.
Instead, a rusting, scented apparition
appeared in the doorway, more gra-
cious, handsome, and smiling than he
had ever thought she could be. She
stood for moment, as If waiting for
his invitation to enter. the whole ef
feet of her rich costume, her feverish-
ly high coloring, and her debonair
and self-confldent demeanor, surpris-
ing him into silence. A long white
feather on her hat made a back
ground for her darkly-fiushed face and
auburn hair. There were some anne
thysts round her neck, their purple
lights harmonizing richly with the
superb flower pinned on her breast.
Her eyes looked very black, laughing,
and provocative through her spotted
veil.
WELL" she said In a gay voice.
here l am again! Is it surprise?"
She advanced into the room, and
the old man, almost unconsciously,
rose from his chair.
"Yes, sort Of" he said, dryly.
She stopped by the desk, looked at
him sidewise, and said:
"Do we shake hands?"
His glance on her was hard and
cold. Berny met 1t and could not re-
strain sinking of the courage that
was her most admirable characteristic
and that she had screwed far past its
ordinary sticking-point that morning.
She sank down into the same arm
chair that she had occupied on her
former visit and said, with a little
languid effect of Indifference:
"Oh, well, never mind. We don't
have to waste time being polite.
That's one of the most convenient
things about our interview. We lust
say what we really think and there's
no need bothering about humbug."
so glad to hear It," said the old
man with his most ironical air. Sup
pose then you let me know what
you've come down to say"
Cant you guess?" she answered,
with an expression that was almost
one of fiirtatious interrogation.
"Nup," he answered, looking steadi-
ly at her. 81 have to have it said in
that plain style with no politeness
that you say is the way We always
talk"
"All right" she answered briskly.
Here 1t is as plain as A B C. I've
decided to accept your offer and take
the money"
She looked up at him, smiling gal
lantly. But as her eye caught his her
smile, try as she would to keep it,
died. He suddenly realized that she
was extremely nervous, that her lips
were dry, and the hand she put up
to adjust her veil, and thus hide her
intractable mouth, was shaking. The
admiration he had of late felt for her
insoient fearlessness increased, also
ne began to feel that now, at last, he
was rising to the position of master