The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-06-11
By HOLWORTHY HALL


heels every minute. It's what I am
now -. but if / went much further
back than that, you and the doctor
would both think just what do about
myself -. and I'd have to say good
by to You anyway just as I'm do
ing tonight. 1 hope you can see that
I'm not telling all this to you from any
other motive except to be quite honest
with you. Quite honest-for once. ]
care too much about you to let you
live another day without knowing that
l can't go on-it's over. =. I'm not
fit to be even your friend. That's
ALL"
She sat motionless. billiard had
turned back to the fireplace.
@Were you as bad -. as that?" she
whispered.
"Once," he said bitterly, over his
shoulder, Il used to be gentleman.
But that was long time ago."
She raised her head. Nothing
could ever make me believe she said,
shat you haven't always been just as
I've known you-since July. Nothing
can, and nothing will. What you may
think about yourself makes no differ
ence to me. T."
"Don't!" he said, and his tone was
| agOniZed. Don't you see"
Il don't believe you," she said stead
| lily.
billiards. voice was unstable with
his great bitterness of failure. "You
latter me-" he said harshly. "And be-
sides-you're wrong"
She was up, and beside him, smiling
bravely into his eyes, and he was fog
ging his will to keep his hungry arms
from snatching her, from sweeping her
close to him, and -.
"What do you think women are?s
she demanded, with sweet imperious-
ness. Nothing but marble statues
or putty cnes? Just made to stand
around and let the world go past,
without having anything to say about
it,"
He retreated to the wall in self-de-
tense. Don't! Don't! I'm the one
who's driven myself into this corner
not your
"But you don't have to stay in it
always, do you?"
He stared at her in mystification.
Don't be silly" she said,, "and don't
be unreasonable; I'm not" She
touched his sleeve; his expression was
unchanged. Don't make me think you
are unreasonable! she said compass
sionately. eff you're not satisfied, why
can't you make yourself what you
wantto be? Instead of brooding over
the past, that you can't help why don't
you think about things you can help?
Living is about all there is to live for,
isn't it?"s
He drew In his breath perilously.
'But I'm letting you 60" he. said,
dazed.
She stamped her foot in tremulous
severity. ''No, you're not; 1 won't al
low it! Can't you see why? Do /
have to tell you that? Well :.
because 1 want you for a friend even
if you don't want me-"
"Want. you!" he cried, and remem-
bered himself, and froze to immobility.
"Oh-as friend?'
Surely, as a friend-what else did
you think I meant?"
The young man shook his head.
II don't know. Only l came UP here
to tell you 1 haven't any right to your
friendship. can't tell you why :. :.
l haven't as much callousness as all
that but If l did tell you, your
last atom of faith in me. would be
gone. And you can't afford to have me
even for friend-now that I've said
that, can you?"
Eyes" she said steadfastly, 81 can
afford it."
'When when I've told you
~ His lips were parted in
amazedness, his eyes roved duly. 81
can't under I'm telling you
I'm not worth the powder to blow me
to hades." He laughed oddly That's
proved already, over and over again.
:, Don't you understand? :.
Carol :" His voice broke "Why,
Carol I'm not fit to talk to you
That's proved, too. I'm proving
it now I'm saying it-don't you hear
me? I'm saying it now. And you"
He put his hand to his forehead, and
brushed back his hair, which was
strangely wet. 81 can't make it any
hainer," he said, with helpless finality.
"No matter what's happened" she
said earnestly, 81 can't believe it isn't
coming out all right. So if you'll just
keep on living, and working, and try
ing and >" Here her
eyes were so appealing that his own
dimmed to behold them "And you
haven't been so very dreadful after all,
have you?"
Hilliard retreated once again, not
trusting those hungry, lawless arms of
his.
I'm just wondering" he said, with
a terrible smile, which was entirely
devoid of mirth, 'if a man happens to
be in ;. a sort of transition
period, you know-half-way between
wonder what's coming to him.
1 wonder what is coming to him.
I wonder If the whfrlwind doesn't get
him both ways"
After the street door had closed be-
hind him. Carol went slowly along the
corridor to the doctors study and
knocked, out of sheer habit. His pleas
ant baritone came to her reassuringly.
"YesY
'Are you busy, dear?" Few men. on
hearing her voice. with that suggestive
catch in 1t. would have confessed to
previous engagement.
sNot when you're around" said the
doctor aDDpar ring on -ffp Threshold