The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-04-11

in his chair and asked Henry where
he'd been all this while. you'll have
to come around pretty soon it you're
going to see Dorothy before she goes
away. She's going abroad for the win
ter, to school i'm Florence. Violets
got it figured out that she's too young
to come out yet, and says she doesn't
want her hanging around all the year
at a loose end. 1t sounds reasonable
enough when she talks about 1t, but
hang it, was hoping for chance to
get acquainted with the child myself.
After she starts going out to dinners
and dances on her own every night.
she goes"
Henry inquired if Violet were going
over with her.
NO." John said. "Some girls
mother is to take the pair of them.
don't know what Vioet's planning to
do. She's been so busy lately getting
Dodo packed off that / don't believe
she's had time to think"
Between Dorothy's sailing-date and
Joe's for his return to Chicago there
was direct relation. Back in August
he had received this letter from Violet:
I asked Henry the other day when
you were coming back and he said he
thought within two or three weeks. At
first 1 was glad, for it seeCns a long
time since that Fourth of July week
end. but I've com, to think / don't
want to see you again with Dorothy
about, She looks at me, Joe-Margaret
looks Vat me, too, as if she'd like to slay
me, and don't mind a bit. She's tver
forgiven me and 1 suppose never WI.
Dorothy is dear as she can be. fond
of me, and admires me and all that but
sometimes she makes me feel a fool
couldn't stand it
We've decided she's to go to school
for one mora year-she is too young to
come out-in Italy, and she sails about
the first of October; little late that is,
The Italians. New York people. are
putting their girl in the same school
and she'll go over with them. l sup
pose / shall go to New York and see
her off, and then I'll come home, and
there won't be anybody / know e
you came to Chicago before that. we'd
be seeing each other-and I'd hate 1t.
L
wonder if that seems idiotic to you.
1t did not seem idiotic TO Joe. II
seemed sensitive, high-minded, thor
oughbred. 1t added a glamorous
brush-stroke or two to the romantic
portrait of Violet his fancy had been
so industriously painting. Also 1t fed
his hopes. He read into its broken
sentences admissions which fell but
little short of promises.
Within a week of Jennie's return to
Chicago, Joe conceived an attractive
project. He'd go straight to New York
from here, by way of the $780," and
close his contracts for the years out
put of raw linen before he came back
October first. 1t would be fun to sea
their faces, Jennie's and Henry's, long
and solemn enough when be came in,
change when he tossed down those pa
pers on his desk before their eyes.
That would show them whether he
was the old Joe or not!
The other not quite acknowledged
half of the picture was an accidental
meeting with Violet after DOrothy's
boat had sailed. She had let him know
what boat it was. 1t woxia be easy
enough to manage since he k-sew the
hotel the Williamson's wee ad0ScSed
to in New York; they'd both talked
about it. He wouldn't 81 near her; in
deed he'd take pains to avoid a chance
meeting, until the child was out or
the way, but the possibilities offered
by the subsequent handful Of hours
were breath-taking-esp If by
that time he had his signed contracts
in his pocket.
He felt no serious doubt of his sue
cess in this. But from the start. on
Monday morning, he met Unforeseen
difficulties. He found plenty of people
who were glad to talk with him, but
these were the hirelings. experts, and
such. The big people, TO a battling
degree, were inaccessible. They were
like Williamson, only worse. Before
the week was over he was wishing he
had John there as an ally.
He spent Saturday morning alone in
his room. Els weeks campaign had
ended perforce on Friday, when every
body who could be ally good to him
disappeared, from the haunts of trade
at any rate, for the weekend. II had
got him, nowhere. But-hadn't it?
No nearer his goal, certainly. Yet he
could not quite ignore an impression
he had caught from the last man he
had talked to. This man, pleasant
enough and not too obviously in a
hurry to be rid of him, had once or
twice. at some assertion of Joe's. per-
mitted himself to smile family and a
little impatiently, as if he knew there
was nothing to be dreaded from his
competitors. Was this bland, non
committal attitude he had been meet
ing everywhere thing agreed uponl
1t was not a pleasant sort of hunch
to get.
His expectation of meeting Violet
was doomed TO be unrealized. Instead
he ran into her husband at the little
hotel the Williamsons made It habit
TO stop at and John told him that they
had changed their plans at the last
minute and he had come down to see
Dorothy off, leaving Violet at, home at
Lake Forest.
They took dinner together and John
asked him what luck he was having in
marketing his raw linen. He said
Henry had told him that he and Miss
Macarthur were both worrying a lot
about that phase of the business.