The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-06-26
CHAPTER V-Continued

81
The first time he ever saw Brena
Selcoss was one morning when he had
come back from q vacation OF several
weeks at some ranch among the pecan
trees in Coleman. His vacations had
become a mystery to other young men
who were employed; all that appeared
necessary was for Jim TO go to Comp
ton Parmalee and tell him when he
would be back. 1t was ascribed to his
magic quality of persuasion. Some
said that IL Hennepin smiled and
asked in his inviting, breathless man.
that the President Of the United States
had allowed him to take the whole Of
Alaska under the Homestead act. And
yet, though no one in Dallas then
knew il, this was the man of I'M
checked wild youth, who had beaten
train conductor almost lifeless in the
Baltimore station and had killed his
riding horse with a stone held in his
strong young hand.
Brena was sitting at an early break
fast when he came in He did not
speak to her; he merely stared. After
a while, without taking his eyes away
from her, he put his gun. his coat
and his bag into chair behind him.
He still gazed at her and she, aston
ished gazed back. He suggested
Apollo: he suggested vaguely the sud-
den appearance of the fairy prince.
He was giving an exhibition of his SUI
preme rudeness-his almost majestic
and memorable insolence; but it was
also a supreme compliment, the best
he knew how to bestow.
ea.Well,' said he at last. "It's spring
time"
He spoke as IL he had been a mes
senger from Destiny, as If spring were
Brena's time and that time had come.
1t was like a sentence of court.
With a quirk about the corners of
his mouth, he walked boldly toward
her and looked down into the dish Of
cereal on the table beneath her eyes.
Nothing but milk" said he. mo,
by Cd, you shan't have milk on your
rice. It's an outrage. You are the
young queen and am the captain OF
the palace guards. And I'm off in
borrowed motorcar to get you the rich
est, thickest pint of cream in the city,
and the speed laws can't stop me-"
This absurd young man, with his in
elementary hungers, leaped out down
the steps, into a new touring car in
which he had come, cut out the muf-
fer and was gone.
He came back with cream. His aunt
said, "Jim, you are crazy" But he was
not crazy. He had an instinct for ere
ating romance; he made the illusion
when he wished because he had
learned that adventures. particularly
those with women, failed or succeeded
according to the distance from the
humdrum world he could lead on as a
guide into the tropical and gaudy-fow-
cred jungle Of Change
He became Brena's knight He said
so himself. He told her that for her
to contemplate going to work was abb
surd-it was an Improperly like feed
ing American Beauty roses to army
mules. Brena laughed and went to
work on Monday morning; but Jim
Hennepin had struck the right note
when he had told her he would be her
knight She said, Il do like knights
not for myself, because / am SO
healthy"
Yes, you burst with It," he said.
looking at her forehead, her throat,
her wrists. 1T is my distraction"
Nevertheless like knights because
they are knights"
II am the originator of the knight
idea," he said Somebody has told
you 1t was King Arthur or some one
else. Mere plagiarism Come with
me this evening on ride to Waco"
He took her everywhere and his
aunt scowled.
Him, she is only seventeen" Mrs
Wilkie said, painting.
''She looks twenty-five" he an
swered.
But 1t leads nowhere" said the
aunt Nowhere except to scandal"
"Scandal?" replied Hennepin yawn
ing. Nonsense Also pifflei A mar
takes a beautiful girl around for tn,
same reason that you'd wear dia
mond tiara If you had one, especial!
If ii had been given you by som,
broker. It's just symbol of one!
ability to have the right things. IT.
ego"
rs that all, Jim?"
YES" he said, lying glibly.
Because you haven't the money {,
be married, JIM" she said, movin,
her mouth over so that 1t looked like
newly punctured pink opening. Sh
liked TO live near immortality; 1t CAV
her vicarious pleasure. She had
magazine picture of certain Frencl
actress tackled up beside her looking
glass. She would have been sorry /
Brena had suffered misfortune iron
jim, but also she would have bee
glad just as one. though sorry TO hea
OF distant acquaintance dying, has
thrill of interest in finding familia
name III the obituary notices.