The Ely miner., 1914-02-06

| the front door and then quickly closed
1t again without entering. When she
turned back, puzzled, she felt the ne
cessity for explanation.
Il thought it might be Miss Hard
Ing" she said, falsely-"1 wanted to
see her"
He only smiled the same caressing
smile. But the spell was cracked; and
Betsy-Barbara herself completed the
break. Half an hour later she winged
a hint, which he caught mid-course, 40
he seemed to catch every delicate
shaft of meaning. He rose and babe
her formal good night. II hope may
sing with you again." he said at part
ing.
Betsy-Barbara went to her own
room. She dwadled over her prepara-
tions for undressing, making a dozen
starts and stops. She was not sleepy;
hundred currents of thought were
crossing and recrossing in her mind.
So at last she threw kimono over her
evening gown and sat down at the win
dow, maiden-fashion, and thought.
To make no further mystery, the
person who opened the front door and
disturbed the tete-a-tete between Es-
strilla and Betsy-Barbara was only
Tommy North He had been searching
strenuously for job. No mystery
about that, either. The reason was
Betsy-Barbara. The nights quest had
failed. The fluid mercury Of his dis
position had fallen almost to absolute
zero. In this mood, he unlocked the
front door The parlor was open; he
heard the soft thrum Of guitar. Hun
thick hall carpet to the parlor door.
He looked in and beheld Betsy-Bar-
bara sitting with flushed cheeks and
folded hands. 1t was the attitude of
woman who yields. Beside her sat the
Estrdlla person, strumming gently on
c guitar and looking a million Ian
guors. With movement that was an
explosion, Tommy rushed out, slam
ming the front door behind him.
His feet, rather than his will, car
ried him away. There was saloon at
the corner. AS by instinct, Tommy
rushed into it and ordered glass of
whisky-his first since the night of the
Hanska murder. In period incredibly
short, he fulfilled the tragic purpose
for which he left the boarding house.
An hour and a half after, Tommy
North, muttering over and over to
himself, New life in new cline
wondful plan Of genius" was weav-
ing toward the select boarding house
of Madame Rosalie LIE Grange. Labori-
ously he unlocked the door; painfully,
and with occasional mutterings about
blasted life, he reached the first land
ing. And on that landing a door
opened. Betsy-Barbara stood looking
at him.
Yet curiously, as the gaslight caught
her full, 1t was not upon Betsy-Bar-
bara's shocked wide-open eyes that he
fixed his gaze. He looked at her feet.
Betsy-Barbara was wearing high-heeled
velvet shoes with paste buckles. In
the full light, they sparkled like real
diamonds. Betsy-Barbara stepped
back with woman's instructive fear of
a drunken man. So one of those slip.
pers moved. Tommy, his eyes still
toward the ground, clutched at it. The
motion almost tumbled him over-did
make him reel against the door-post.
Get it an hold It," he said-"then
discover murder"
"Mr. North-Mr. North!" exclaimed
Betsy-Barbara and stood helpless,
staring at this weird performance.
Drunk" he said. Final disgrace
everything gone now!"'
"Mr. North" said Betsy-Barbara.
gathering her courage, listen to me.
If you wake people up tonight, they'll
never forgive you. Now I'm going to
lead you to your ROOM"
He waved her away and started to
make his own course up the stairs.
Betsy-Barbara followed, her hands ex-
tended to give help in case of need.
At his own landing, Betsy-Barbara ran
ahead, opened his door, switched on
the electric light. Then returning, she
pushed him in with final:
Good highland please try to be
quiet"
Betsy-Barbara had endured a day
filed with as many varied emotions as
it is generally given woman to endure.
She applied the best remedy that WON.
an knows for surfeit of feeling. She
1op hot nd III