The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-10-23

them. That's the thing I'd do myscn
III were in the right. But It can be
carried to extremes. Have your per-
mission to say that the stories are-
let us say, overdrawa?"
You have not. Lies tec short TO
enter into a contest with rumor."
But your silence"
els my affair."" Mark answered gruff.
ly. rising. You may say to your
meticulous friend that I'm about to
resign from this club"
Baker. too, rose. looking 1t Mark
keenly.
"Oh, come. Truitt" he began.
that's"
But Mark cut him short. AT least
1t will save him and his sort the ne
cessity Of setting precedent that
would decimate the club. Good eve
| ming"
Henley. who had been out Of the
city when Mark returned, came back
soon after the latter took up his resi-
dence in the hotel. Mark approached
him with the inward shrinking that
preceded every new meeting just then.
You've picked up physically" Hen
ley remarked after cool handshake.
six months in the woods accounts
| for that"
I'D think, If it was doing you SO
much good, you'd have stayed"
! In other words?"
I'm other words" said Henley, why
did you come back now?"
| Mark laughed holloway II didn't
know I'd become notorious char
acter."
| How, In heavens name" Henley
| exclaimed, did you let yourself get
caught in a divorce court scandal? I'd
have thought that you, of all men.
If you had to play the fool. would at
least have used finesse."
So even Henley believed the rumors!
AT any rate, no one but myself is
hurt
That's not true. Every one who
had anything to do with you is more
or less hurt. The company is reflected
on. l." Henley concluded with an air
that declared the indictment to be
complete and unanswerable, Il am be-
smirched, because we're known to be
in so many things together"
That" Mark returned coldly. "can
be easily cured. We can wind up our
affairs. And I'm ready to resign from
the company"
You can't cure the fact that we
have been together. And you can't
resign Are you going to add to the
scandal by marrying that woman?"
What woman?" Marks voice was
cool and steady.
The one that turned your head and
your wife was smart enough to dis
cover"
You've heard names, them"
NO" growled Henley. She's as
mysterious as the rest of your di.
does"
las mythical, you mean." Mark an
swered in a voice that did not betray
his relief. There was no woman"
What! You mean these stories
aren't true?"
You'd seen me almost every day fc;
years. You might have guessed that"
But last year-those women"
! AN experiment in idiocy-nothing
worse. There were no women, except
at arms length
Henley surveyed him keenly. Then
how did these stories get out? But
you needn't answer. l can guess. a
woman is never clever except when
she's up to mischief.
However" he went on, this puts
different face on the matter. AS YOU
say, / might have guessed the truth"
This, for Henley, was abject apology.
Mark shook his head my resigna
ton holds just the same"
Are you going to let little talk
| drive you QUIZ" Henley demanded.
1T isn't that. had decided before
I knew of It, I'm tired of the scramble
want-peace." Mark laughed dis
! cordantly. And I'm getting it with a
| vengeance"
LAS much as you'll ever get it.
Henley returned promptly. Il know
what you want Who doesn't? Some
time or other every man wants, or
thinks he wants, peace. And IL we
had it, we'd want to die. / told you
|
fit yourself to them, forget theories
that lead nowhere. Pick out the thing
you want most and fight until you gel
it. Then fight to keep it. Besides, you
aren't misfit. The trouble with you
is, your strength is your greatest
weakness-you'v too much imagina
| ton. And you're not well man yet
| Go back to your woods until you're
cured. Then you'll feel the itch tc
| get into the scramble again and break
few heads"
But Henley the philosopher had
done. He resumed his usual crisI
manner.
Moreover, you can't resign. The
new agreement with the men comes
up next year and the Qujnby company
faces the fight of its existence. We'll
need every good head we've got. Anc
il that isn't enough, your withdrawal
would leave me to fight Quinby alone
And-I made you, don't forget that
You've got what you wanted out OF
the company and me. You can't droI
out easily now and shirk the respon
sibilities."
You say, cant?"
II say, can't You've got a sens,
of obligation, haven't your"
IF l have" said Mark grimly, "it's
the last proof that / am misfit"
TO BE CONTINUED)