The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-08-31
Copyright by Fleming H. Revell CO.

fair shape when / visited it last year,
and you can find shelter there. It's
at the highest point on the mesa. You
can see long way up the gulch there,
and a longer way down and up the
Picket Wire valley. Above the dam it
used to show level, fertile stretch
between the hills, but it's all a lake
now"
Shurtliff, of course, declined Miss
nlingworth's invitation to accompany
the party on plea Of urgent duties and
important papers to prepare. He had
spoken no words to Rodney or Winters,
and those gentlemen made no effort
to engage him in conversation. They
were. in truth, q little ashamed Of their
actions of the night before. They were
exceedingly anxious as to whether their
theories as to the possible effect Of
Miss Illingworth's action would be JUS
titled, so they carefully avoided the
secretary, letting the leaven work If it
would. To their disappointment, it
gave no sign Of life or action.
OF the four most interested in Meade,
Winters was the only one who had
slept soundly that night. Rodney was
too much in love with the woman ever
to sleep soundly again, he thought
certainly not until her future had been
settled and her relations to Meade
finally determined. Shurtliff's feelings
were painful in the extreme. Torn be-
tween the old habit of affection for
the dead, his new habit of affection
for the woman, his Oft-recurring COM
junction Of conscience, his immediate
resentment of the treatment Of the two
men, his acknowledgment of the splen-
did action Of the woman, his suspi-
cions, his uncertainty, as to how the
younger Meade would take it if he
told the truth, he slept not at all.
Into Helen nlingworth's mind also
had come, although, to her credit be 1t
said, not until she had retired and had
thought over her action in the light of
the hints given, that perhaps her gen.
erous interposition in behalf of Shurt-
lift might move his gratitude and that
he might at last vOuchsafe her the. help
which she felt more certain than ever
he alone could give. She was glad
when the thought came to her that she
could look herself squarely in the face
and declare to her conscience that it
had not been back of her action,
which had been purely spontaneous.
The possibility, although faint one,
that Meade might be working on the
dam and that she might see him on
the morrow would have sufficed to give
her a wakeful night. Rodney was more
careful observer than Winters, but
even the cattleman noticed that she
looked worn and strained as he helped
her out of the car for their tramp
across the mesa to the dam.
"You know" he said, with rough
and-ready sympathy, 1--WE haven't the
least assurance that Meade is there.
It's only a chance, and probably a long
one"
~ shall never rest until it is decided
absolutely one way or the other" said
the woman.
''Well, I'm not much Of a walker"
said the cattleman. 81 generally pre-
fer to get over the ground astride of
broncho, but I guess I can keep up
with the party for two miles, if that's
the distance"
1t was dark and damp and wet under
the pines. Although the two men
cleared the way for her, holding
branches back and shaking the water
off the dropping bOughs, it was well
Helen was protected from the wet.
She had tramped hills and mountains
many time, camp and forest were IA
miliar to her. She wore short
skirted dress, stout boots and leg
gings, and a yellow western slicker.
The exertion of the upward climb,
stumbling over broken branches and
uprooted logs and floundering through
Doggy places on the trail, brought
touch of color to her face, and though
damp, the air sweet and fragrant,
clean and pure, refreshed and pleased
her greatly: the men, too. It was Il
hard pull, and she was out of breath
when she reached the broken coulee,
or ravine, which led to the top of the
big red sandstone plateau.
''I'm terribly out of practice" she
said to the two men, shut I don't be-
lieve I'm in any worse state than you
are, Mr.. Winters"
II told you I wasn't any good on
foot" said Winters, who was blowing
like a grampus.
Rodney laughed at the two of them.
'Look at me-" he said. I'm as fresh
as when began"
"Well, you're used to walking" re-
turned Winters. "It's this plugging
along this broken trail that has
knocked us out. The rich, they ride
on-bronchos, you know"
"When we get on top of the mesa
we will find it easier going" said Rod
ney encouragingly.
"Let us. start said the girl, sud-
denly serious, as she thought what
might be at the end of the journey.
Before we go any farther" said
Winters, staring up the ravine at the
sky which showed about it, ''just take
a look at that"
He pointed to the black clouds rap
idly rising, apparently against the
wind, which swayed rather violently
the tops of the tallest pines, although
they were protected and in compare
tive quiet where they stood in the ra-
vine.
'It looks as If there were more rain
there" said Rodney.
"It's Incredible" answered Winters.
"after what we've had"