The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-03-31

were inaudible. The waiter, as he set
the food upon the table, felt relief that
Corvet's outburst had fallen on other
shoulders than his
For nearly an hour the quarrel con-
tinued with intermitted truces of ST.
lence. The waiter, listening, as wait
ers always do, caught at times single
sentences.
you have had that idea for some
timer" he heard from Corvet.
1 "We have had an understanding for
more than a month";"
"How def1nite?"
Spearmans answer was not audible,
but it more intensely agitated Corvet;
he dropped his fork and, after that,
made no pretense of eating
The waiter, following this, caught
only single words. "Sherrill'-that,
of course, was the other partner. "Con-
stance"-that was Sherrills daughter.
The other names he heard were names
of ships. But. as the quarrel went on,
the manners of the two men changed;
Spearman, who at first had been as
sailed by Corvet, now was assailing
him. Corvet sat back in his seat,
while Spearman pulled at his cigar and
now and then took it from his lips and
! gestured with it between his fingers,
as he jerked some ejaculation across
the table.
Corvet leaned over to the frosted
window, as he had done when alone,
and looked out. Spearman shot COM
ment which made Corvet vince and
draw back from the window; then
! Spearman rose. Corvet looked up at
him once and asked a question, to
which Spearman replied with a snap
of the burnt match down on the table;
he turned abruptly and strobe from
the room. Corvet sat motionless.
The revulsion to self-control, some
times even to apology, which ordina-
rily followed Corvet's bursts of irrita-
ton had not come to him; his agita-
ton plainly had increased. He pushed
from him his uneaten luncheon and
got up slowly. He went out to the
| NOoI TWILL "uCI6 Tie
ed him his coat and hat
He WINGED as he stepped out into
the smarting, binding swirl of sleet,
but his shrinking was not physical; it
was mental, the unconscious reaction
to some thought the storm called up.
! The hour was barely four o'clock, but
so dark was it with the storm that
the shop windows were lit motorcars,
slipping and skidding up the broad
boulevard, with headlights burning,
kept their signals Gathering con-
stantly to warn other drivers blinded
! by the snow. The sleet-swept side
walks were almost deserted; here or
there, before a hotel or one of the
shops, limousine came to the curb,
and the passengers dashed swiftly
across the walk to shelter.
Corvet turned northward along
Michigan avenue, facing into the gale.
The sleet beat upon his face and
lodged in the folds of his clothing
without his needing it.
He continued to go north. He had
not seemed, in the beginning, to have
made conscious choice of this direc-
ton; but now he was following it pur-
posely. He stopped once at shop
which sold mems things to make tel
ephone call. He asked for Miss Sher-
rill when the number answered.; but
he did not wish to speak to her, he
/ e,oi1 ho fa6 20 ha r,I1o
would be there if he stopped in to
see her in half an hour. Then-north
again. he crossed the bridge Now,
fifteen minutes later, he came in sight
| of the lake once more
| Great houses, the Sheriff. house
among them, here face the Drive, the
bride path, the strip of park, and the
wide stone esplanade which edges the
lake. Covert crossed to this espIa-
made. He did not stop at the Sheriff.
house or look toward it, but went on
| fully a quarter of a mile beyond it;
then he came back. and with an oddly
| strained and queer expression and at
titude, he stood staring out into the
| lake.
Suddenly he turned. Constance
Sheriff., seeing him from window of
her home, had caught cape about her
and run out to him.
"Uncle Benny ~ she hailed him with
the affectionate name she had used
with her fathers partner since she
was baby. "Uncle Benny, aren't
you coming in?"
EYES," he said vaguely. "Yes, of
course" He made no move but re-
manned staring at her. CONNER" he
exclaimed suddenly, with strange re-
proach to himself in his tone. "Con-
ME! Dear little Conniep
"Why?" she asked him "Uncle
Benny. what's the matter?"
"Has Spearman been here today?"
he asked, not looking at her.
"To see father?"
mo; to see you."
"No." Sc -
He seized her wrist "Don't see
him, when he comes I" he commanded.
'Uncle BENNY"
"Don't see himl'' Corvet repeated.
'He's asked you to marry him, hasn't
he?''
Connie could not refuse the answer.
"Yes."
"And your"
"why-why, Uncle Benny. haven't
answered him yet"
"Then don't-don't. do you under
stand, CONNER"
She hesitated, frightened for him.