The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-10-15

Now, listen to me, Bryce Cardigan:
You're never going to build that road.
Do you understands"
The suddenness of her attack amaz-
ed him to such an extent that he did
not take the trouble to contradict her.
Instead he hlurted out, angrily and
defiantly: "I'll build that road if 1t
costs me my life--if it costs nae you.
Understand! I'm in this fight to win"
you will not build that road" she
reiterated.
"Why"
Because shall not permit you to.
have some financial interest in the
Laguna Grande Lumber company, and
il is not to that financial interest that
you should build the N. c. o."
"How did you find out that was
behind Ogilvy?"
Intuition. Then 1 accused you of
it, and you admitted it,"
81 suppose you're going to tell your
uncle now" he retorted witheringly.
ION the contrary, 1 am not. If it
will comfort you the least bit, you
have my word of honor that shall
not reveal to my uncle the identity of
the man behind the N c.. O.. The fact
Is, both you and Uncle Seth annoy me
exceedingly. How lovely everything
would have been If yOU two hadn't
started this feud and forced upon me
The task of trying to be fair and i'm
partial to you both. Forgive my
slang, but-Pm going to hand you each
a poke soon."
Shirley" he told her earnestly,
''listen carefully to what am about to
say: l love you. I've loved you from
the day l first met you. shall always
love you; and when 1 get around to
it, I'm going to ask you to marry me.
At present, however. that is a right
/ do not possess. However, the day
acquire the right l shall exercise
it."
"And when will that day be-" Very
softly, in awesome tones!
1.-THE day 1 drive the last spike in
the n. C. O."
Fell a silence. Then; I'm glad,
Bryce Cardigan, you're not a gutter.
Goodbye, good luck-and don't forget
my errand."> She hung up and sat at
the telephone for moment dimpled
chin in dimpled hand. How I'd hate
you if could handle you,!" she muir
INJURED.
Following this exaspeIat ting but
illuminating conversation with Shirley
Sumner over the telephone, Bryce
Cardigan was distressed and badly
worried man. For aR hour he sat
Slouched ia his chair, chin on breast,
the while he reviewed every angle
of the situation. He found it imp0s-
sible, however, to disassociate the bust
ness from he personal aspects of his
relations with Shirley, and he recalled
that she had the very best Of reasons
for placing their relations on busi-
ness basis rather a sentimental one
For the present, however, it was all a
profound and disturbing mystery, and
after an hour of futile concentration
there came to Bryce the old childish
impulse too go to his father with his
troubles.
"He will be able to think without
having his thoughts blotted out by a
woman's face" Bryce soliloquized.
''He's like one Of his own bigIredwood
trees; his head is always above the
Storm
Straightway Bryce left the Office and
went home to the old house on the
knoll. John Cardigan was sitting on
the veranda, and from stand beside
him George Sea Otter entertained him
with a monograph selection-"The
Suwanee River" sung by male quar-
tette He could not see, but with the
intuition Of the blind he knew.
"What is 1t, son?" he demanded
gently as Bryce came up the low steps.
George. choke that contraption Off"
Bryce took his fathers hand, SIN
in trouble, John Cardigan" he said sim
ply, sand I'm not big enough to handle
it alone"
The leonine old man smiled. and his
smile had. all the sweetness of a bene-
hiCtIOn' 1iiS IVY "do III JIouDlt anu
had come to him. Goodl Then he
would not fail him. "Sit down, son,
and tell the old man all about 1t. Be
gin at the beginning and let me have
all the angles of the angle"
Bryce obeyed. and for the first time
John Cardigan learned of his sons ac-
quaintance with Shirley Sumner and
the fact that she had been present in
Penningtons woods the day Bryce had
gone there to settle the score with
Jules ROndeau
With the patience and gentleness of
confessor John Cardigan heard the
story now, and though Bryce gave no
hint in words that his affections were
involved in the fight for the Cardigan
acres yet did his father know it. for
he was parent. And his great heart
went out in sympathy for his boy.
81 understand, sonny, understand.
This young lady is only one additional
reason why YOU must win, for of course
you understand she is not Indifferent
to YOU"
81 do not know that she feels for me
anything stronger than vagrant SYM
pathy. dad, for while she is eternally
feminine, nevertheless she has a mas
culine way OF looking at many things.
Her first loyalty is to her uncle: in
fact, she owes none to me. And dare
say he has given her some extremely
plausible reason why we should be
eliminated; while l think she is sorry
that it must be done, nevertheless. in
mistaken impulse of self-protection
she is likely to let him do It."
Perhaps. perhaps. Eliminate the
girl. my boy. She's trying TO play fair
to Won and hpr reIativof r or I,,S eo,