The Ely miner., 1914-01-09

10 the room ana MADE the door secure
behind him. He struck light and
stood surveying the small, boxlike
apartment with weary, unreconciled
eyes. Instead of making him forget,
the five years exile-each day and
hour link forged into a chain of de-
liberate destiny-seemed but to bind
him more keenly, more irrevocably, to
the past.
AS he bitterly reviewed the crush
Ing sorrow of that other life, with all
its ensuing emptiness and hurt, va
riety of emotions were depicted upon
his thin, expressive face. But they
passed as quickly as they came, and
Rogers lifted his head with a startled,
alert movement as a vague, but un-
mistakable sound struck on his
trained ear; muffled cry of distress.
In a moment it repeated itself, sharp
and human and despairing. He
jumped to his feet, hurried to the
door and flung it wide open.
There was a gust of biting air and
a binding whip of sleet in his eyes,
like the sting from thousands of tiny
lashes.
He stopped and touched the pros
trate figure with gentle hands, but
there was no response, and gathering
the unconscious man in his arms, he
staggered back into the cabin. AS
carefully as woman might have
done, he placed him on his own rude
pallet, and piled the fire high with
fresh fuel, the Goals breaking instant
Iy into kissing blaze. Then he pro-
cured a flask of brandy and forced
few drops of it between the sick
mans teeth. He swallowed it spas.
medically, and in a little while there
were signs of life.
Rogers left his chair and came up
to him with a reassuring smile.
Feel any better now" he asked.
Rogers" he said, 'Ive been look.
Ing all over creation for you and I've
found you at last"
Looking for-me?"
"For you, yes. / am dying man.
Look at me and you can see that"
Consumption" he went on, tap.
ping his chest with one weak hand;
the doctors told me couldn't last
month"
"My dear fellow" he protested.
'Tm afraid"
"No, no, no, I'm not. I know what
you'd say. 1 am in full possession of
all my senses. Would to God l was
mott" he put in fervently.
years ago." he pursued, after a
brief pause, 81 found out that She
my wife-loved you. She never cared
for me, and she's yours by all the
laws of heaven"
He paused a moment out of sheer
weakness, and wiped the cold drops
from mis- mouth and forehead. When
he had controlled himself sufficiently,
be went on:
'I loved her-God, I worshiped her,
but l knew it was you she cared for,
and not me. 1t did not take me
week to realize my mistake. And
Rogers" His voice broke and
trailed off to whisper. There was a
long, Shudderlng sigh, and the dying
mans lids quivered suddenly over un-
conscious eyes.
Rogers sat for a moment as though
turned to stone; his face was as
white as the snow that Kissed against
the windows; his eyes bright and
startled. But suddenly his features
changed, lightened and f1eeting fingers
touched them with ripple of silent
10y.
A moment, and the dying man
opened his eyes again-they were
quite rational now. He looked up ap-
pealingly into Rogers face and groped
outside the cover with cold, trembling
hands.
Rogers caught them suddenly in his
warm, strong grasp, and his head
dropped forward on his breast.
A minute passed, two, three. An
hour went by; then another, and
neither stirred. At midnight the dis
tant sound of a bell startled Rogers
from his reverie. He looked up swift
ly, and bent to catch the sound of the
others heart-beats.
But the last great enemy had come.