The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-10-24
The Man, the Girl,
the Place
By JOSEPHINE SHELDON
tcopyright.)

corrected. NOW, 1uml, what InlS
The stick slid from cat to dog and then
to COW and on to horse. The brown
skinned little natives wriggled and
twisted their slender bodies and wres-
tied with the English words.
As Elise worked with them her mind
was not always on what she was do
ing and at times her thoughts were so
far removed from the little island that
she was once more conscious of her
surroundings. After a while things be-
came more habit and she could spend
whole hours in the United States and
at the same time instruct the young
In her charge perfectly. Her lips
could keep up a steady flow of mo,
Ataquilla, don't take off your pinafore,
dear" and "Wappi, you are not trying
to make your letters" and Your moth
er said, Celia, she wanted you to learn
to wear shoes. so put them back on
right away" And all the time her
mind was saying: II wonder what my
crowd would think If they could see
me now. / wonder what they are do
ing and whether the United States
really is the same old place it was
three months ago-three months ago /!
And what it would feel like to dress
for dinner again and to go to the thea
ter in the evening. Oh. Lord, what
did / ever sign up for year of this
for! / must have been insane"
Scala hata santa-Gala hata santa J"
they would chant, which, in their dia-
lect meant golden-haired saint
But with all the novelty and fas-
cination of her new life Elise was
homesick, and she lived from one week
to another for the letters she received
from home. Every Thursday a steam
er from San Francisco touched the lit
tie island and always great excitement
attended its arrival. The natives
would get into little boats and hurry
out to the big steamer, climb aboard
and try to sell their wares to the pas
sengers.
The faculty always went to the dock
in hope of glimpsing an American. Oc-
casionally business brought some one
70 the island. 1t was a Thursday in
early March that Elise stood out in
the dazzling sunshine watching the
passengers on deck, when suddenly
she saw a man come down the gang
plank, followed by the usual number
of bags and baggage, and suddenly her
knees began to tremble and she turned
her back on the steamer.
John Armistead Porter, reaching the
end of the gangplank, looked up and
about him with an air of one eagerly
interested in his surroundings. 1t was
then that he spied the familiar back
and waved his hat at it's unseeing ex-
panse. Elise did not look around, but
she kenw somehow that he had seen
her and could feel him approaching
nearer, nearer Her heart beat suffo-
catingly. Stupid idiot, what was the
matter with her? He must not see her
like this.
He caught her arm American fash
ion and looked down into her face.
81 told you I'd follow you to the
ends of the EARTH" he laughed. II
wish all these people weren't clutter
ing up the place and I'd kiss you, even
if did get my face scratched after
ward"
Suddenly she was calm and herself
again. Her excitement had left her as
quickly as it had come.
81. A, you dear old silly-what did
you come down here for?" she asked.
"Just to get you. Long trip for such
a little girl, isn't it? But you've had
your fling and educated enough saw
ages by now. It's time you came
home l spoke to your mother about
it and she agrees with me-"
"But, but / won't so back with you
you know I'm not in love with you,
J. A"
"There were so many men hanging
around you, you hadn't chance TO
know what you were. Down here it's
different. To really fall in love you
have to be Q little lonesome; have that
little hollow. empty feeling in your
heart 1 know, because I've had it."
He was cheerfully optimistic as they
walked up the beach together, but
Elise was silent.
That night they walked on the
beach in the dazzling moonlight. The
waves swished and slushed softly
along the sandy coast. the palm trees
stood out against the white back
ground plain as day, the natives had
long before retired to their huts.
The spell of the place was upon her
-gripped her as it never had before.
The weird charm of it all, the strange
loneliness She caught her breath and
looked up at him. her eyes big with
a new wonder.
SIS it you or is 1t the placer she
asked in whisper.
IT think it's the combination" he
answered.
He held her to him a moment, then
kissed her, and she INCREASINGLY sub
mitted to his caresses.
Suddenly she came back to earth
with thud and she made wry face
in the moonlight.
But, oh. John. forgot. I didn't in
tend to capitulate so soon. You'll
never value me as you should. but
when saw you get off that steamer"
Don't you worry, DEAR" he soothed.
"a fellows apt to value the girl he
goes three thousand miles to get, and
fhaf oftar hos kaap dafiuitalv furnpd
down nineteen separate and distinct
times"
And. treasured by his words, she
was quite happy again.