The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-07-25
CHAPTER Ix-Continued.

me. Put in one of them Hereford
shirts an a collar
Y.D. tucked the package surrepti'
tiously in his room and awaited the
day of Zen's marriage with mingled
emotions.
Zen, yielding to Transley's impor-
tunities, had at last said that 1t should
be Christmas day. The wedding would
be in the house, with the leading
ranchers and farmers of the district
as invited guests, and the general un'
Outstanding was to be given out thal
the countryside as whole would De
welcome. All could not be taken care
of In the house, so Y.D. gave orders
that the hay was to BE cleared out OF
one of the barns and the floor put In
shape for dancing. Open house would
be held in the barn and in the bunk
house, where substantial refreshments
would be served to all and sundry.
Christmas day dawned with sea-
sonable nip to the air, but the sun
rose warm and bright. AS the hour
approached Zen found herself pos
sessed of calmness which she
deemed worthy of Y.D's daughter.
She had elected to be unattended as
she had no very special girl friend,
and that seemed the simplest way out
of the problem of selecting someone
for this honor. She was, however,
amply assisted with her dressing. and
the color Of her fine cheeks burned
deeper with the compliments to which
she listened with modest appreciation.
At a quarter to the hour it was dis
covered that Y.D. had not yet dressed
for the occasion. He was, In fact,
engaged with Landson in making a
tentative arrangement for the dis
tribution of next years hay. Zen had
been so insistent upon an invitation
being sent to Mr.. and Mrs. Landson,
that Y. D., although fearing snub
for his pains, at last conceded the
point. He had done his neighbor
rather less than justice, and now he
and Landson, with the assistance OF
a well-filled stone jug, were burying
the Ratchet In a corner Of the bunk
house.
Dang this dressin'," Y.D. remon-
strated when a message demanding
instant action reached him. Land
son, hear me now! wouldn't take a
million dollars for that girl, y I'M
derstand-and I wouldn't trade a
NANCY cayuse for another!"
G. hn fnT1nd hic fn
his room and began wrestle with
his "store" clothes. Before the fight
was over he was being reminded
through the door that he wasn't rop-
ing a steer, and everybody was walt
ing. At the last moment he discoy-
cred that he had neglected to buy
shoes. There was nothing for 1t but
his long ranch boots. so on they went.
He sought Zen In her room. "Will
do In thisP" he asked, feeling very
sheepish.
Zen could have laughed. or she
could have cried, but she did neither.
She sensed in some way the fact that
to her father this experience was a
positive ordeal So she Just slipped
her arm through his and whispered: :
"Of course you'll do, you silly old
duffer," and tripped down the stairs
by the side Of his ponderous steps.
After the ceremony the elder people
sat down to dinner in the house, and
the others in the bunk-house. Zen
was radiant and calm; Transley hand
some, delighted, self-possessed. His
good luck was the subject of many a
comment, both inside and out of the
old house. He accepted it at its full
value, and yet as one who has right
to expect that luck will play him some
favors.
Suddenly there was a rush from
outside, and Zen found herself being
carried bodily away. The young
people had decided that the dancing
could wait no longer, so half dozen
hustlers had been deputed to kidnap
the bride anC carry her to the barn,
where the fiddles were already strum-
ming. Zen insisted that the first dance
must belong to TraRsley, but after
that she danced with the young ranch
ers and cowboys with strict impartial
fly. And even as she danced she found
herself wondering If, among all this
representation of the countryside, that
one upon whom her thoughts had
turned so much should be missing.
She found herself watching the door.
Surely it would have been only a de-
70 he -
have helped to whirl her joyousIy
away into the new life in which the
past had to be forgotten. How
much better that they should part
that way, than with the memories they
had
But Dennison Grant did not appear.
Evidently he preferred to keep his
memories.
When at last the night had worn
thin and 1t was time for the bridal
couple TO leave IL they were to catch
the morning train In town, and they
had ridden down the foothill trails to
the thunder Of many accompanying
hoof-beats, the old ranch became sud-
denly place very quiet and still and
alone. Y.D. sat down In the corner of
the big room by the fire, and saw
strange pictures in its dying embers.
Zen. Zeni -. Transley
was good fellow. but how much a
man will take with scarce a thank
you! 5. Presently Y.D. became
aware of a hand resting upon his
shoulder, and tingling from Its finger
tips came something akin 10 the al
most forgotten rapture of day long