The Ely miner., 1924-04-18
dropped it. negligently. on the noor

1 DcSluc HtT.
"You look the part" he said.
"You don't" she retorted, returning
his gaze. you look horribly tired
and Ill. Oh, don't sit away off there.
Come here where can feel you. Wait.
though. It's horrid to have to do 1t.
but look up the train first, Joe. See
how long we're going to have. I've
| absolutely got to be back in the Penn
| sylvania station little before SIX"
He consulted time-card that he
ing at four-fifteen, to be sure of It."
Her eyes filed up with tears. "And
it's nearly noon now," she cried. -Four
| hours-and l thought 1t was whole
day."
''Well, never mind. We won't waste
any of It,"
He had dropped down on the sofa
beside her. but she wasn't content
| with the way he lat. You're so
tired" she protested. $50 deadly tired.
Can't you just be happy, and relax
for little while. Lean down on me,
like this. No, you're not too heavy
not half as heavy as l thought you'd
be- Joe, is 1t all my fault you're
| like this?"
"It's not your fault at "a" he told
| her. ''And it isn't all your doing
either. I've had terrible two weeks
| and there are more of them in sight.
But Pm through the worst Of 1t.
guess. I'll come out right side Up in
the end, anyhow. 1t isn't the first
| fight I've had. by a good many"
She said dryly, "I'd like to see John
got the better of for once. Don't you
let him beat you, Joe. I'd always
think it was my fault"
"John williamson" he asked, slow
ly. Don't worry about him. H.
HASN'T got me yet"
She wanted to know, over little
laugh, what John he thought she
meant. 81 believe you're going to
Sleep" she added. You're 80 tired
Don't try to talk. Keep still, like this.
Isn't it ridiculous? I'm the one that's
supposed to be sick. I'm packed off to
Doctor Brown. He's got place out
here on Long Island for ~ervous
| wrecks, where he treats good-for-noth'
| ing women like me. A mixture e1
| Freud and Christian Science he givel
us. 1t works pretty well, too. I've
| been to him once or twice for insom-
MIA Well, l had it all right after
got tha- letter Of yours, joe"
Despite her effort to hold him where
he was, he sat erect. "You must We
hated me for that" he said.
"Silly; / adored you for it-but II
frightened me out of my five wits. 1t
was wild to take a chance like that,
Joe. But I'm glad you ai it once.
/ never knew what it was sefore.
felt as If / had to go to SGu then,
without waiting minute. AID OF
course 1t got worse during the week.
as l found out what John and the
others were doing to you | was
afraid if John tried to talk to Me sbout
1t I'd blow up and give everything
| away; so l didn't dare talk to him at
all. Locked myself up, and had a
| nervous breakdown. 1t seemed pretty
real at the time-even to me. But
| was all right again as soon as ne sug.
gested Doctor Brown. l had to be.
or he would have insisted on sending
somebody down with me. BE suggest
ed Margaret Craven, as it was.
promised to stay with Alice Went.
worth instead of going to hotel. and
l fold him I'd telegraph her what tra'n
| to meet me at. l did-but 1t wasn't
| the one / was on. And that's how
got our day 1t isn't much, Is It,
for all that? Four hours-and already
they're slipping away"
They're enough, though, If we don't
waste them No, you've got me about
half hypnotized now. I haven't any
grip on my mind when you hold me
like that. We've. got to talk this thing
through somehow; find out where we
are, and what we're going to do"
She drew long sigh. whats the
use of spelling this, Joe? That's all
we should do, trying to talk. It'll be
time enough on,the train, when we go
back, won't it? After all, there can't
be very much to say. It's so heavenly
still here. Put your head down, where
you can see the clouds that make those
big purple shadows Do you know
what I wish? l wish Mount Vesuvius
was right behind US, here; and after
we'd been here a long time-as long
as we wanted-it would all at once
smother us with. ashes. the way II
did those Pompeian people"
(To BE CoNTINUED.)