The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-04-18
CHAPTER v,-Continued.


CHAPTER v.-Continued.
~ was tired" he said slowly. I'D
worked too hard and l thought the
mountains would do me good. | can
get time off at the bank when want
and l thought I'd take a holiday and
come up here where l was last sum-
mer. l knew the place and liked the
hotel. l wanted to get good way off
out OF the city and away from my
work. AS for walking up here that
afternoon-Im very strong and
never thought for a moment such a
blizzard was coming down"
He lifted his head and turned
toward the window, then raising one
hand rubbed it across his forehead
and eyes. There was something in
the gesture that silenced the young
girl. She thought he felt tired and
had been talking too much and she
was guiltily conscious Of her laugh
ter and loquacity.
They sat without speaking for some
moments. Dominick made no attempt
to break the silence when she moved
notSelessly to the stove and pushed
in more wood. His face was turned
from her and she thought he had fall
len asleep when he suddenly moved
and said:
Isn't it strange that l have never
met you before?"
She was relieved. His tone showed
neither feebleness nor fatigue, in fact
1t had the fresh alertness of a return
TO congenial topics. She determined.
however, to be less laxative, less en-
couraging to the weakening exertions
Of general conversation. So she spoke
with demure brevity.
Yes, very. But you were at col
iege for four years, and the year you
came back l was in Europe"
He looked at her ruminatingly, and
nodded.
But I've seen YOU" he said, at the
theater. was too sick at first to rec
ogniZe you. but afterward l knew I'd
seen you, with your father and your
brother Gene"
1t was her turn to nod. She thought
IT best to say nothing, and waited.
But his eyes bent inquiringly upon
her, and the waiting silence seemed
to demand comment. She made the
first one that occurred to her:
Whom were you with"
my wife," said the young man.
She murmured a vague sentence of
comment and this time determined not
to speak, no matter how embarrassing
the pause became. She even thought
of taking up her book and was about
to stretch her hand for it, when he
said:
But it seems so queer when our
parents have been friends for years.
and | knew Gene. and you know my
sister Cornelia so we'll"
She drew her hand back and leaned
forward, frowning and staring in front
Of her, as she sent her memory back
ward cropping for data.
Well you see a sort of series of
events prevented it. When we were
little our parents lived in different
places. Ages ago when We first came
down from Virginia City you were liv-
ing somewhere else, in Sacramento
wasn't It? Then you were at school,
and after that you went East to col
lege for four years. and when you got
back from college l was in Europe.
And when came back from Europe
that's over two years ago now-why
then" ... .r '-
She had again brought up against
his marriage. this time with a shock
that was somewhat of a shattering
nature
why, then" she repeated faltering-
ly, realizing where she was-"why
then-let's see"
Then l had married." he said oui-
city
"Oh, yes, Of course" she assented,
trying to impart suggestion of sud-
den innocent remembrance to her
tone. "You had married. Why. of
course"
An hour later when the doctor came
back she was kneeling on the floor by
the open stove door, softly building I'm
the fire. At the sound Of the opening
door she looked up quickly, and, her
hands being occupied, gave silencing
jerk OF her head toward the sleeping
man.
The doctor looked at them both
The scene was like picture of some
primitive domestic interior where
youth and beauty had made a nest
warmed by that symbol of life, a fire
which one replenished while the other
slept.