The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-11-13
By Robert Stead
Asthor of The Gov Puncher, >" The Homestedders"
WNU Service
Copyright by Robert Stead

met Spool coming back. Andy had not
seen the joke when it was first pre-
scented, and in his analysis of it had
revealed 1t to Spool as soon as he
recognized 1t himself This was for
tunate for Spool, as otherwise he
would doubtless have been sent to Ole
Hansen's in continuation of his quest
! AS Spool came up to us his face
twisted in a broad grin.
did you get left-hand wrench?''
we asked.
mo, but found out what cogita-
| ton nut is. This is it," and he tapped
his head with his knuckles, 'only it
doesn't cogitate very WELL"
The three Of us linked arms, Spool
in the middle, and trudged back
toward Burke's.
mighty decent of you to come after
me-" said Spool at length.
'Yes, wasn't it?' we agreed.
Lucy Burke would take no refusal
this time, so Spool and Jack and
stayed for dinner i had feeling that
this was bad generaIship, and that we
should be hurrying home, where Jean
was doubtless waiting with growing
concern. l managed to mention my
forebodings to Jack.
Don't you believe it." he whispered
back. "When a woman reads you the
riot act go out and have a riot. Moth
ing makes her so unhappy as to sus-
pect that her husband Is having a
good time when she thinks he should
be doing penance."
After dinner Burke, with the loneli-
ness of homesteader to whom the
visit of neighbor is something of an
event. detained us as long as possible
on one pretext or another, and finally,
when we insisted upon going, hitched
up the mules and drove us back to
Fourteen.
1t was dark by this time and the
lamps were lighted. l noticed that
lamps were set so that their yellow
wedges Of light thrust out into the
darkness from each of our windows
Jean was at the door with the sound
of our sleigh bells, and as / passed
close by her scrutinized her face for
some hopeful sign. 1t was blank
wall.
We made Spool and Burke stay for
supper, and no one had more fun over
the days events than had Spool. Jean
kept her Indignation well bridled, and
we were a happy party, outwardly, at
any rate. Spool and Burke made it
up that they would drive to Jake's
late that night, when he would be
sure to be in bed, and stuff his stove
pipe with sack as slight exchange
of compliments. During the evening
Jear's eyes avoided mine but had an
uncomfortable feeling that three of us
were on precipice which afforded
room for only two, and that was the
third
As the evening wore on Spool in
sisted that Jean get out the banjo.
could see that she was in no mood for
music, but she played her part well,
and as their voices Joined in "Old
Black Joe" and "SIyer Threads Among
the Cold 1 corla not help wondering
if she were as unhappy as was.
After they had sung for while
Spool took the banjo from Jean and
swept his lean, long hand with quick
delicate master strokes across its
strings. Under his spell our little
homestead shack faded out in the blur
Of Spoofs tobacco smoke, and pres
emily saw little boy and girl sitting
on the bank Of a river, digging their
toes in the warm sand and watching
the spray of misty diamonds from the
waterwheel across the stream. :.
"Spooky old machine, a banjo,
isn't itY l heard Spool say at
length, and Of sudden l was back
on Fourteen, and in the midst of a
world which had it's share of troubles.
HAS an uncanny way of ripping up
the past; tombstones, skeletons, ev-
erything." Then, to an improvised ac-
compartment, he began reciting Kip
ling's poem to the banjo.
1T was this poem," he explained,
in the midst of his recital, that
caused me to bring a banjo to Cana
da. Otherwise / should probably have
shipped a piano, to the enrichment
of the transportation people and my
own further financial undoing. / must
drop r. X. line of appreciation"
"Still, the piano case would have
come handy" Jack suggested. you
might have put your house in 1t in
bad weather"
almost" said Spool. But he was
back to his theme again, and the
wooden wall against which 1 leaned
trembled in sympathy with his
strings.
=. :. I have told the naked stars the
Let the trumpet snare the foeman to
the proof
have known defeat and Knocked it
My bray we may not alter or mistake
When I stand to jeer the fatted Soul
But the song Of Lost Endeavor that 1
Is it hidden in the twangings of the
strings?
Before long Spool and Burke left on
their errand of reprisal. Jean elected
to go home soon afterward, and / ac-
companied her to Twenty-Five. She
stood a moment with the door latch In
her hand, as though debating with, her
self whether she should send me home.
'You had better come In" she said
at length. There are some things we
should talk about"
closed the door behind me and
Jean lighted lamp and removed her
wraps. "Come and sit down." she said,
making room for me beside her on a
bench.
sat down beside her, and would