The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-12-08


She knew these mountain realms; bet
ter still she understood the dark pas
sions of Simon and his followers, and
this little half-pound Of steel and
wood with its brass shells might mean,
in the dreadful last moment Of despair,
escape for herself when all other ways
were cut off. In this wild land, far
from the reaches of law and without
allies except for decrepit old wo-
man, the pistol and its deadly loads
had been her greatest solace.
The hours passed. and the clouds
were starting up from the horizon
when she thought she saw Bruce re-
turning. A tall form came swinging
toward her.. over the little trail that
led between the tree trunks. She
peered intently. And in one instant
more she knew that the approaching
figure was not Bruce, but the man she
most feared of anyone on earth, Simon
Turner.
Her thoughts came clear and true.
sion of stealth. He was coming boldly,
freely, not furtively; and he must have
known that he presented perfect
rifle target from the windows. Never
theless, it is well to be prepared for
emergencies. If life in the mountains
teaches anything. it teaches that. She
took the rifle and laid it behind little
desk, out OF sight. Then she went to
the door.
81 want to come in, Linda" Simon
told her
y told you long ago you couldn't
come to this house." Linda answered
through the panels. II want you to go
away"
Simon laughed softly. you'd bet
ter let me in. I've brought word of
the child you took to raise. You know
who l mean"
Yes, Linda knew. do you mean
Bruce" she asked 81 let Dave in
tonight on the same preteXt. Don't
expect me to be caught twice by the
same lie"
Dave? Where is Dave?" The fact
was that the whereabouts of his broth
er had suddenly become considerable
of a mystery to Simon. He had
thought about him and Linda out in
the darkness together, and his heart
had seemed to smolder and burn with
jealousy in his breast 1t had been
great relief to him to find her in
the house.
II wonder-where he is by now"
Linda answered in strange voice.
mo one in this world can answer that
question, Simon. Tell me what you
want" 7H 81
She opened the door. She couldn't
bear to show fear of this man. And
she knew that an appearance of cour-
age, at least, was the wisest course.
mo matter about him now. l want
to talk to you on business. If / meant
rough measures, 1 wouldn't have come
alone"
NO." Linda scorned. "You would
have brought your whole numbering
band with you. The Turner's believe
in overwhelming numbers"
The words stung him, but he smiled
grimly into her face.
'Tve come in peace, Linda" he said
gently. 'Ive come to give you last
chance to make friends"
He walked past her into the room
He Strengthened the chair that had
been upset, smiling strangely the
while, and sat down in it.
"Then tell me what you have to tell
me-" she said. I'm in hurry to go
to bed-and this really isn't the hour
for calls"
He looked long time into her face
gaze. Many things could be doubted
about this man, but his power and his
courage were not among them. The
smile died from his lips, the lines
deepened on his face. She realized as
never before the tempestuous passions
and unfathomable intensity of his ma
ture.
We've never been good friends
Simon went on slowly.
eve never could be-" the girl an
swered. "We've stood for different
things"
"At first, my efforts to make friends
were just-to win you over to our side
1t didn't work-all it did was TO waken
other desires in me--desires that per-
haps have come to mean more than
~, ,oeeocSiOp of tho lands Vo,, IyYo,,z
what they are. You've always known
that any time you wished-you
could come and rule my house."
She nodded. She knew that she had
won, against her will, the strange,
somber love of this mighty man. She
had known it for months.
"As my wife-don't make any mis-
take about that. Linda, I'm a stern.
hard man. I've never known how to
WOO. / don't know that 1 want to
know how, the way 1t is done by
weaker men. 1t has never been my
way to ask for what / wanted. But
sometimes it seems to me that If I'd
been little more gentle-not so mas
terful and so relentless-tbat I'd won
you long ago."
Linda looked up hravely into his
face. mo, Simon. You could have
never-never won mel Oh, can't you
see-even in this awful place woman
wants something more than just brute
strength and determination. Every
woman prays to find strength in the
man she loves-but 1t isn't the kind
that you have. the kind that makes
your men grovel before you, and
makes me, tremble when I'm talking
to you. It's big, calm strength-and
/ can't tell you what it is. It's some
thing the pines have, maybe-strength
not TO yield to the passions, but to re-