The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-02-18


III
wont you be fair to me, Red? You
know you're everything to me. But
what's Inez to you that you've got to
let her come between us and spoil
everything? We were so happy before
you listened to her lies Please,
Red, pleased"
There was an inStant's pause,
vibrant with the passion of her pur-
pose and his doubts. But that very
moment of INDIGESTION told her she
was winning-had already won.
Her arm moved round his neck,
drawing his head down. He resisted
stubb0rnly, but of a sudden yielded.
With low cry he crushed her to him.
The hard stubbIe Of his beard, I'M
shaven for three days, rasped her
sensitive skin. The reek of his breath
was sickening as he sought the fra
GRANGE of her mouth. But she steeled
herself, repressed her shudder of re-
pulsiOn, let him have his way, even
mustered a show of response that
contented him. For if her flesh
crawled, her heart sang; she had won.
He had dropped his pistol; it lay I'M
needed on the table beside them. She
nestled more closely into his embrace,
breathing broken terms of endear-
ment in answer to his half-cOherent
words. The movement brought her
nearer the table and the pistol, al
most between it and Carnehan. He
did not seem to notice. She debated
the next move, trying to scheme some
way to free a hand without exciting
his suspicious, so that she might
grope behind her until her fingers
found the weapon ..
What sound it was that startled
him. whether q football on the stairs
or door banging on one of the lower
floors, she never knew. But the man
lifted his head sharply, listening, and
his embrace relaxed.
He muttered: "What was that?"
81 didn't hear anything, Red -
With no more warning she thrust
him vigorously from her. Altogether
taken by surprise, he stumbled back
ward. grasping at the air, his face a
tragicomic mask of maudlin stupefac-
tiOn, until the wall behind him brought
him up. At the same time under
standing smote him like a thunder
bolt He pulled himself together and
started for her, but ducked smartly
and again fell back on finding himself
under the threat of his own pistol.
But the reaction was involuntary,
dictated by instinct more than by con-
scious fear. Drink and rage had put
him well beyond the influence of that
emotion. He could not grasp the pos
sibility of her carrying out that threat
implicit in her attitude. He knew only
that he had been tricked and must be
reyenged.
For a little neither spoke nor
moved. The girl was motionless,
tense, her eyes dark with settled pur-
pose In a face abnormally pale with
excitement The man stood in a semi
crouching pose, swaying slightly from
side to side: shoulders bowed, head
thrust forward, murder glimmering in
bloodshOt eyes. A dull growing is
sued from his half-open lips. Abrupt
~, making nothing of the pistol, he
charged head-lOng.
She had not dreamed he would dare
The pistol exploded in a waver-
iag hand, and its shot went wide; but
Its fire scorched the face of the beast
and added the pang of physical pain
necessary to make his madness blind
lust to kill.
His body crashed into hers with
terrific force. Both reeled back against
the table. POnderous as it was, this
last swung out of place. The lamp
toppled, rolled upon its side, and went
over the edge with noise of splinter
ing glass.
The girl, borne bodily back across
the table, lay kicking and struggling
while Carnehan's hands closed round