The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-01-30

side him. He had allowed the escape
of her captive; she had accused him
after the two of them had gone back
TO the cavern, had thrown herself
upon him, tearing at his face, and the
two had fallen. Mother and son? Lee
shuddered, hoping within his heart
that Judith had been mistaken. 1t
was too terrible.
But, such Is youth, such is love Bud
Lee promptly forgot both Chris Quin-
MON and Mad Ruth as he went
through the lilacs TO the house. He
remembered how Marcia had flown
once TO Pollock Hampton when he had
made hero of himself. how again
Just today she had gone swiftly to him
because he had made a fool of him
self and because 1t seemed she loved
him. In due time there was going to
be a wedding at Blue Lake ranch.
A wedding! Just one? Lee hurried
on.
Yes. Judith was waiting for him.
She was there in the living-room.
curled up on great couch. lifting her
eyes expectantly as his step sounded
on the veranda A wonderfully
gowned. transcendently lovely Ju-
dith; a Judith of bare white arms.
round and warm and rich in their
tender curves; Judith softly, allur-
ingly feminine even in the eyes of
Bud Lee no longer theorist; Ju-
dith whose filmy gown chung linger-
ingly to her like sun-shot mist,
Judith whose tender mouth was a
red flower. whose eyes were Aphroi
dite's own, glorious, dawn-gray. soft
with the light. shining in them, the
unhidden light of love for the man
who came toward her swiftly; the Ja-
dith he had first held in his arms and
kissed.
He came in quickly, his heart sing.
ing. The color suddenly ran up hot
and vivid in the girls cheeks. Stand
ing over her he put out his hand But
she slipped her own hands behind
her.
Good evening. Mr.. Lee" said Ju-
dith brightly. Really. you have
taken your time in making your first
call. Won't you sit DOWN."
NO." said Bud Lee gravely. "Tl
take mine standing, pleasel"
Like a man TO be shot at dawn?"
cried Judith. Dear me. Mr.. Lee. that
sounds so tragic. What, pray, are you
takingT
"a new job" said Lee. I've come
to tell you that just being horse fore
man doesn't suit me any longer What
you need and need right away is
general manager. That's what want
to be, your general manager. Judith.
For lifei''
Judith laughed softly, happily. Her
hands flew out TO him like two little
homing birds, and she followed them
home
You'll find your work cut out for
you. Mr. Lee" she told him.
Its the kind of work / want
answered Bud Lee.
Then suddenly her arms went about
his neck and tears sprang into her
eyes and she set her lips to the cut
he had sought TO cover with his hair,
and took his sore, swathed hand ten
Derby into her own two hands, laying
it against her cheek.
Carson telephoned me-" she whis,.
pered. her lips trembling all of sud
den. He told me how Trevors
fought /. and how you fought, And
he was half crying over the telephone,
he was so proud of you. And am
proud of you And-oh. Bud Lee, Bud
Lee, I love you SOL"
From without came the sound of the
Blue Lake boys returning, Carson at
their head Riding close together they
were singing, their voices floating
through the night in an old cowboy
song Mrs. Simpson heard and ran
out into the courtyard to listen. Mar
ella and Pollock Hampton, lost to all
save each other in the shadows far
down the veranda, listened, and Mar
cha clapped her hands. The voices
were TO be heard from affair. the strong
voices of a score of men. The strange
thing is that neither Judith nor Bud
Lee heard; that neither had the vagu-
est consciousness just then that theirs
were in all the world any other NOR