The Ely miner., 1914-09-25
CHAPTER xl.
The Measure Of a Man.


The Measure OF Man.
When he met Unity again, he had
been in Bethel for more than two
weeks.
He had started out for the morning
turn on his crutches, to test his re-
turning strength, and before he quite
realized 1t the village lay behind him.
He swung along for some two hundred
yards farther; then let himself care
fully down on the roadside.
He sat there for long time, barring
his head to the summer sunshine.
This is very good indeed" 1t
would have been almost flawless but
for one thing-he was rather lonely:
he felt the need for some one to share
the day with him.
He had his wish. Down the valley
road appeared buggy drawn by q
lazy heavy-footed horse Of the sort dis
tinguished as safe for women" From
within the buggy Mark caught the
gleam Of a white shirtwaist and &
sailor hat Even before the vehicle
drew near enough for recognition, he
knew the passenger for Unity.
A slight tremor passed over him. To
meet the embodiment Of a shadow by
whom one has been jilted--or whom
one has jilted?-is at least mildly ex-
citing.
A slight tightening Of the reins was
sufficient to stop that horse.
Hello, Unity!" Mark felt that this
greeting fell short Of the dramatic
proprieties.
"Oh! How do you do?" she an
swered colorlessly.
There was a moment OF silence dur
ing which. without seeming to do SO,
they inspected each other.
Mark had a twinge Of disappoint-
ment. This was not the Unity he had
loved so boyishly-and SO briefly. She
was as pretty as ever. in way even
prettier; but one could hardly have
thought of her as spirituelle. Her face
was fuller, its color deeper. and there
was a healthy roundness in the line
of shoulder and breast, Of the ankle
that protruded from under the dust
robe. Not that she was fat! But her
daintiness was gone. In the item of
dress she would have suffered from
comparison with the young ladies of
his boarding house. Her hair was done
carelessly. And vivacity had gone the
way Of daintiness. She had the air
of having settled into the habit of
Bethel, of having accepted its narrow
outlook. A faint vertical line between
her eyes limited that she might not
have accepted 1t with complacency.
Therefore he said: you look the
same as ever, Unity"
She frightened a little. you think
so?" There was something almost
pitiful to him in the way she caught
at the remark. She became spiritless
again. But of course. that isn't
true"
But, Of course, It is."
She laughed unpleasantly. You
wouldn't think SO, II you saw the way
they treat me here now."
"The men? Surely mott"
She shrugged her shoulders. mo.
The women. They're SO friendly now
and they don't giggle behind my back
And when they haven't anything else
to gossip about, they talk about how
I'm settling into an old maid"
Isn't that what the rhetorics used
to call hyperbole? 1t should be spar
ingly used. Besides / hear you have
a beau"
"Oh! him!" With another shrug.
He's afraid I'm not a good cook"
That's a nice way to talk about a
lover! Especially" he laughed SELF
consciously. since you threw me over
for him.
He almost missed the acid look she
flashed at him. 1T broke your heart.
of course!"
I've had pleasanter experiences"
he said dryly. why didn't you answer
my last letter, Unity?"
Her indifference might have been a
little too well done. For one thing.
even I have a little pride 1t was
easy to see you'd got tired Of me. Not
that l cared! Those boy-and-girl af-
fairs always die natural death. There
was another girl. wasn't there?"
why. I believe so. In fact, there
was. gave her up for you"
And gave you up. You must have
thought" again her unpleasant laugh
rang. you'd made a poor bargain all
round. Or had a lucky escaped"
Il did," he answered grimly, leaving
her to construe the answer as she
chose.
That's an easy conundrum." She
gathered up the reins. well, I must
be going. We're harvesting now and
l have to get back in time to help get
dinner. Good-by."
She drove on. as casually as II they
had been neighbors In the habit of
meeting daily. =. And this was their
first meeting after six years.
He leaned back on his grassy bank
having found. II not companion, at
least food for reflection.
He was still resting on his grassy
bank when. an hour later, the slow
going vehicle reappeared. With Diff
culty-for he had not yet become ex-
pert with his crutches-he rose and