The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-05-02

Impatiently. she squeezed the Tears
out of her eyes. II don't know If
can talk either. You see, he's the old
Joe again. as he hasn't bench,
hardly since you've known him, Henry.
That letter, 1t was like boys letter.
schoolboy's. Some Of the things In
it, you don't know whether to believe
or not. He never cared whether You
did believe him or not. Only laughed.
"He told me the way he disappeared
from that place where Doctor Ben
nett took him. He was walking around
the grounds, thinking he would just
walk away as he was-he had that
money with him, of course-when he
heard a couple of men on tn other
side of clump Of bushes talking
Spanish-a sort of Spanish-and he
sat down and talked with them. They
were part of a gang that was building
road, a concrete road, right by the
sanitariulL. They were being worked
awfully hard, try'-.g to finish that
stretch before frost.
Zone of them didn't like it and said
he was going to quit. Joe gave him
some money, and promised him some
more, TO go to the village and buy
him some common clothes ard a razor.
and things, and bring th"m bach there.
And then he shaved off his beard and
dressed in the working clothes. and
fnh xr,ith he
ing everything interpreted for him
into Spanish before he would under
stand it. He was right there through
all the excitement over his having dis
appeared. He must have enjoyed that
though the work pretty near killed
him, he said.
1T only lasted three or four weeks
before they had to stop on account
of the frost, but he got interested in
roads by that time. Thinking about
them. Thinking about getting some
thing that would be better than con-
crete. So he went down to New Jer-
sey to some of the big chemical plants
there. and looked around and asked
questions. Joe can get anybody TO tell
him anything, of course. And then he
began to get an idea.
"He has set up a little laboratory
of his own don't know where he
got the money, but he always kept
some handy-and he thinks he's on the
trail of what's he's looking for. Some
thing that will be cheaper than con-
crete, and just about as easy to lay-
when you know how to do 1t; and as
good for horses as 1t is for motorcars.
He's almost ready, he says, to go at 1t
In big way. If he gets it, it will be
about the biggest thing there is. He
says his name Is going to be spelled
with small letter some day, just the
same as Macadam's was"
"You don't suppose he has got Lold
of thing like that. do you" Henry
asked.
She turned upon him sharply.
when he says he has 1t he'll have it."
she retorted. ut will be all there
from beginning to end-and it'll work.
His flax process worked, didn't itp'
Henry blinked, and acknowledged
that it did Then he laid down his
pipe and clasped his hands. Jennie
was no longer looking at him.
"Oh, I don't care whether 1t works
or not, as long as he does-his mind,
mean-in the old way. If that doesn't
turn out right he'll find something
else. He says that by fall, he thinks,
he'll need me down there. He will
when we really get going, anyway"
1t was then she looked around at
easy chair, his hands between his knees.
She uttered little cry of dismav, stood
gazing at him for moment without
moving, and then IS the tears came
she went over to him without word
and kissed him.
"Oh, 1 understand" he told her.
"Please don't feel unhappy about 1t.
1 haven't doubt you're right. And
nothing Is spoiled that we've got"
II love you better than l do him."
she said, turning away again. "At
least think / do. I've never dreamed
Of marrying him, and never would
.. even If he wanted me to. But in an
other way-a sort of office way-Pve
been married to him all along. And
now he's coming back, and wants me
again"
Once more he told her in his kindly,
reassuring voice that it was all right
and that he understood, but something
in his look filled her with panic, and
she said with great emphasis that she
must be running on at once. He made
no effort to detain her, but at the door,
as he held it open, he asked
How about lunch tomorrow? Am
1 still invited on the old terms"
"Of course" she said, and he shut
the door behind her rather quickly.