The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-10

from every magnificent bird that mi
CRATES into England. But her mind Is
really only cottonwood stuffing. She
is only one stage higher than the per-
sons who draw their intellectual repu-
tation from reading book reviews, or
weeklies printed on uncoated paper
which appear authoritative because
they are without illustrations. 1t Is
being a secondhand dealer-in IDEAS"
Compton nodded. AS If suddenly he
had been reminded Of a duty, he
laughed outright with the artificial
laugh which had come with long peri
DDS of absent-minded loss of sense Of
environment during times when, as IL
in a daze, he stared far away.
"You want to cease seeing peopler'
he asked.
II want to learn something-some
art or profession, and learn it well.
want to tread upon solid ground"
said Brena.
Good" Parmalee said. 81 cannot
seeing so many people"
There appeared again in his face
that WEAKNESS from some tensity
which would not relax, an expression
that increased as the weeks went by
and the lives of the two drew more
apart.
Less and less did he appear inclined
to go out of their apartment; less and
less did he go anywhere alone.
There is a book auction-the Odin
collection with two volumes Of illumi-
mated MSS. from the old monastery at
Ell Mayaquez," he said one day In
March. "Will you go with me, BrenaT
"Of course" she said but his re-
quest marked sharply the moment of
her realization that unless he were be-
hind the closed doors of his library, he
always wanted somebody with him.
She tried to remember the various oc-
casions when he had found trivial ex-
cuses to take the butler or the chauf-
feur on some short excursion beyond
the pretentious entrance of the apart
ment house; she concluded that he did
not ask her to accompany him for the
pleasure of cOmpanionship. He seldom
conversed with her as he had once
done; if there was a choice between
going with her or in the limousine
with Paul, he chose the silent and
cynical chauffeur.
Nor was this all. She began to no
tice frequent repetitions of the fear
that had seized him within SO short
time of their odd marriage He
never spoke of this, but she saw over
become less youthful now, comfort, the
color leave it. his eyes grow restless
and fill with terror. She had observed
him in theater, even at a moment
when a tense dramatic situation was
being enacted on the stage, turn
around as one turns who feels eye1
from behind, and search the faces Of
those who sat In rows farther back.
She had known him to pause at the
doorway Of brilliantly lighted cafe
and, without paying attention to the
reckoning head waiter, who perhaps
was impressed by the distinction and
beauty and carriage Of Brena, cos
no other woman of her tints of hair
would dare to essay, look searchingly
at every party at the tables before
giving his hat to the check girl. She
had seen him walk from end to end of
a limited train gazing from left to
right at those in the drawing-room
chairs, just as one does to discover an
acquaintance, but with his countenance
smeared over with grotesque apprehen-
sion. He was forever trying to scruti.
nize the faces Ticking by, whether the
afternoon sun shone on them on Fifth
avenue or they peered out in white
patches from under the black of jos.
thing umbrellas in rainy evening on
Broadway. Even Brena began to look
apprehensively into the worlds stream
of faces.
He who had once consulted doctors
about his precious health; who, when
she first had known him, followed the
trail of other rich men who amuse
themselves with their physical condi
ton but with that passionate love of
his own well being and life which was
characteristic developed in him as in
no other; who was steamed and
rubbed, manipulated, Illuminated by
various rays and baths of light to add
days to his number, now had lost all
interest in health. Some external
menace had swallowed the fears OF
those internal. He brooded alone. He
consulted no one
Brena felt it her duty to interrogate
him; she was met by the first burst OF
rage he had ever projected at her.
Let me alone!" he said evilly, as he
thrust vicious glance at her. II have
problems that are my own. Keep your
hands OFF,
You forget that whatever 1t is that
is making you so strange affects my
life Also" said Brena. Little by lit
tie it is isolating us both from normal
human beings. You glare into PEG.
pies faces as if you expected to have
the next one fasten his or her teeth
in your throat"
$50 you are thinking at last of your.
self"
"Of course am" she answered,
walking around the living-room table
and touching the books there with her
fingertips. Il might say that l was
above thinking of myself. But they
who say it always excite my suspicion
I'm trying to think of both of us-as an
average human being should"
ITO BE CONTINIJEDl