The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-09-04

He wanted to hide his crime at any
cost. He had filed his gasoline tank
for the return journey. Look y
Peter pointed to the hole in the back
Of the car into which the gasoline Is
poured. The screw cap had gone. A
bent copper pipe still dangled out OF
that hole.
HE wanted hat-fuil Of gasoline.
That was the fuel. Brena-the fuel to
burn the remains Of Jim Hennepin.
He wet his lips.
| HE used a siphon. This bent cop
per pipe taken from his tool chest
a spare length Of oil feed pipe! And
with that he filled his hat and ran
back"
Peter looked up into the sky. He
went on quietly. "And the siphon ran
on. He had forgotten It. 1t ran on
with its little stream saturating the
sand until the tank was empty and the
heat OF the day was evapcrating the
last drops at the bottom. Parmalee
had condemned himself to death! He
had lost the fuel he had put in for
the return journeyr
Brena pressed her lips tightly to-
gether and for many moments looked
into the great fanlike spread OF the
sunset. Then suddenly she turned
toward the car and took several steps.
NO." said Peter firmly. You
mustn't"
II must know. Peter, beyond
shadow of a doubt"
"He is there-nothing for you to see.
dear. He must have had the delusion
at last that he could drive the car.
He's there-at the wheel-fallen for
ward. And So"
She looked up.
And soto be -sure-I took the
watch--a gold one-this one. Is 1t
| his?''
He held it out on the palm of his
hand.
"Yes, II is-his. Peter"
He looked down at 1t a moment;
then tossed 1t into the sand as one
losses aside poisonous fungus.
Peter"
'Yes."
"We mustn't let this go with us
when we go-following US away. We
must leave them both-here."
She took his hand.
Il am sure. For myself / can an
swer. / know the desert has served
some great Will. The book is closed"
They slept upon one great square
blanket spread on the open desert
beneath the stars while the pale moon
moved on it's great silver arc across
the heavens. The Pueblo Mescalero
| den for miles in awed silence. And
when they had reached stopping
place upon a rise of ground, neither
had dared an expression. Aching with
WEAKNESS they had looked at each
other mutely and flung themselves
| down.
| Now the second morning, like the
first, came over the deserts edge with
a host of golden lances; again the air
of the desert became haze Of lumi-
nous violet hanging above the red and
yellow sands and waiting for that
clang when the yellow glare was flung
| forward again over the plain.
Brena awoke, sat up. unbraided her
hair and tossed 1t loose with her fin
gers. Something within her, that had
been growing with the slow growth
of stalwart long life, that had suffered
| no blight, that subconsciously she had
protected and nurtured for an unseen
end. that had been made ready to with
stand assaults by tragic winds, that
| had lived apart and immune from
faint, was now free. AS she threw cut
her arms toward the sun, SO now this
thing within her for the first time
| came forth from its depths TO greet
dawn of its own.
1t was not thing asking for ORA
matte crises or for SUBMITS of Joy;
II only asked for the ultimate romance
that of the continuity of full.
| strong. human life-the adventure of
| adventures into which the soul throws
mind and body, thought and flesh.
nerve and will. And because she had
| found her mate In this ultimate ro-
nance. Brena bent over and kissed
Peters lips.
He smiled in his sleep, and slowly
his body moved and his eyes opened.
where are we going. PeterT she
asked
Somewhere with YOU" he said. sit
ting up. Somewhere with you. |
suppose we'll have to be married. dear
| one. But | feel that we were some
thing more than that long, long time
ago."
| He turned toward the east and the
first flood Of golden light illumined
his face.
do you know. Brena. that there is
something not weighed by science and
the philosophers. not reckoned by gov
ernments nor laws nor customs. 1t
is something that ~ ours-some new
born thing without material existence.
some immortal spirit that we have
created-you and I-long ago."
Brena moved her head up and down
in silent assent. She sat with her
hands clasped in her lap. her dark
| eyes moist. and calm smile upon her
sensitive. flexible lips.
For now she knew that he too un-
derstood the way to the greatest of
all the mysteries
1.-THE END