The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-12-18


"have something
more than mere romance, which al
ways seems somewhat intangible te
me-moonlight and summer nights
and the frivolity of things
Yes, but we men forget easily,
interrupted Davids, checking what
promised to be a voluble discourse
on the philosophy of romance as inter
preted by Forde-"it's the women wht
feel the iron in their souls, and whit
live on and love on, and die with thu
wonder of it undiscovered"
quite true remarked Deming
who had hitherto been silent and ab
stracted; land l will tell you OF jus
such a case"
Somehow all present felt that some
thing was forthcoming.
Boys" he continued quietly an
with an odd depth to his voice, "we'v
been good pals, all of us, and l alon
have been reticent and secretive-noy
I'm going to show my hand.
rather unlike most men at the sam
age. My life had been, and was, com
posed of outdoor sports, and gettinj
ahead in my fathers business-ma
king good the name he had left me
Women to me simply did not e.
list. Just about then came my on
serious illness-typhoid-and | wa
beastly low, nurses and specialists
and vile treatment, and all that, ali
finally a tedious convalescence, bright
ened only by the unobstrusive but ur
firing attentions of my housekeepel
"One day when / was learning tn
use of my limbs again. was sauntel
ing about the house, and in the l
brary l CHANGED upon book lief
there. Presumably the housekeepe
had been reading it.
"The book contained some closet
written sheets of paper. and how
came to read something not for III
eyes I shall never know, but rea
them / did 1t is that letter tina
makes the love of woman foreve
impossible for me. / carry it wit
me always" his hand rose tentativel
to his breast pocket THAT letter,
he resumed, laid bare woman-sou
the very quintessence of woman
hood-all the fierce tenderness, eth
sublime unselfishness, the gloriou
self-abnegation of the love of a We
man for the undeserving man. AS
read | knew that the writer of tina
letter was the one woman in tn
world for me.
"And / felt, for the first time in m
egotistical, self-sufficient career,
strange doubt, a curious abasemen
THE following week l was to d.
part south further to recuperate, an
you may believe my departure was
reluctant one.
I'm the interval my housekeepe
was slightly indisposed with wha
eventually developed into typhoid, an
she must have felt some slight amaz
at my assiduous attentions and d.
lightful affability. l was positivel
amorous with my floral donations.
We'll, as l say, l went south an
had been gone nearly month whe
was called home by a Telegram
saying that my housekeeper had col
tracted typhoid and had died. A
she seemed to have no one to max
the necessary arrangements, would
come at once and attend to thing
MYSELF"
Deming paused, and selected a fres
cigar with punctilious care.
Il arrived home" he resumed, IAN
found that the old doctor had don
everything, and that the funeral wa
that night. disliked death as bein
morbid, and therefore an undesirabl
factor in my thoroughly well-balance
makeup.
However, I decided to go in an
pay my last respects to one who ha
served me WELL She looked quie
and quite at peace. Around her throa
was a slender gold chain with me
dallion attached. Careless hands ha
laid it wrong side up, and l bent owe
her and turned 1t over"
The cigar glowed fiercely red TO
an instant, then Deming said vef
low:
my picture was in it, and under
meath the name and the date in he
handwriting.
That's all, boys. All night l sa
gazing at her, this woman who ha
lived in my house for seven years. o.
whom I had bestowed some brie
snatches of conversation or an occa
sional appreciative gift; this womal
| / loved too late, whom / might neve
| touch-who would never know-try
ing to make reparation to the dea
for the blind stupidity l had show
the living.
In her dear, still face l read tn
| pitiful story-her hopeless love-he
loneliness vowed then that as sh
had lived and loved and suffered, s.
by Gods mercy l should too. Mex
morning-the took her away"
A long, vibrant silence followed
Then the boys departed quietly.