Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-03-12

| before taxing up Tue kra1l. Know IL
will always be your home, Joyce, and
that we shall often come back here,
now that the unhappiness of the past
is over"
"Wait, Lee r. Joyce was wrinkling her
forehead In that manner that always
distressed him so much. II want to
ask you something: Have you really
| told me everything-from the time
when had my fall from the horse
until / awakened in the forest with
you? Or have you-hidden something
from me-out of consideration for
me?''-
"Why do you ask that, dear?"
Because II feel that you have,
Lee / don't know why It's just an
instinct l have. And if there is some
thing more, I should like to be told,
because-because have feeling that
it may help me to recover that part Of
my life that Is still blank to me-"
Lee felt in a quandary. 1t was Inn
possible to wish to keep anything from
Joyce; and yet he felt that she ought
never to know the incidents of that
day and night at Siston lake.
eff you don't want to tell me,
dear" Joyce went on.
Lee had to tell her then, and did,
minimizing the affair in all but It's
essentials. He said nothing about his
fight with the Free Traders, but told
her how she had been kidnapped by
the two men and taken to Railways
camp, and how, in the absence Of the
band, he had rescued her.
"And you say was unconscious all
that timer" asked Joyce. 81 wish /
could understand 1t, and I wish
could remember. 1t seems so strange
that part of my memory should come
back to me, and not all of it. Who
were those men and what did they
want of me? Were they Railway
men? And what did he want?"
/ II think the explanation Is simple,
DEAR" Lee answered. Railway wants
the secret of your fathers mine. In
some way he must have learned that
you were coming back to- the range.
He sent his men to intercept you.
They probably told you that Pathway
| had your father In his power, and that
Is why you proposed to accompany
them, and why you didn't want me-"
mot want you, Lee? I wanted you
from the first minute saw you. I'll
| tell you a secret, shall /? Well-I-I
| fell in love with you that evening in
| the hotel, and I've been in love with
you ever since. There!
"But why was riding in the ranger
she resumed. "What was 1t on my mind
so terrible that there seems q sort Of
blackness there? I felt that you could
save me-" She shook her head. "No,
there's more to 1t than that, my dear.
And-I don't know-perhaps l shall
never know"
Lee slipped his arm about her.
"Joyce, dear, don't try to think 1t
doesn't matter. Nothing is going to
matter any more. You are no longer
the unknown girl, travelling alone
| through a wilderness, whose disap-
pearance would arouse no suspicious.
Once you are my wife, Railway cam
not harm you. And then you have
Father McGrath behind you, and the
church that he represents, and the mis-
sionary societies behind that. Rath-
ways not fool enough to buck power
full organization by any crime-his
cue is to lie low and sell ali the liquor
he can before we put him out of bust
ness. Tell me you'll marry me soon."
But the mine, Lee? And poor Lee
boeuf?"
"We'n look into those matters dur
ing our little honeymoon. Tell me
that 1t shall be tomorrow"
Joyce hesitated; and while she hesi-
tated they heard the tinkle of bells,
and Father McGrath appeared in his
horse sleigh, coming up the hill.
They went to the door. The jolly
priest waved his hand and pulled in.
"Well, Meestair Anderson, and so
ye're back again!" he cried heartily,
gripping Lees hand with fist of
iron. "Tis hard going WI the horse
through the snow, aud reckon I'll
have to TAX to the dogs mighty soon.
This is winter for sure at lastl"
He scrutinized the pair keenly. "Ye
havna made another of your queek
changes?' he inquired, with an absurd
affectation Of archness that set them
both laughing.
"No; I've fulfilled the conditions
that were imposed on me-" Lee an
swered, and with that narrated his
adventures in the mine.
"And Miss Pelly has promised to
marry me tomorrow" he ended men,
daciously.
"N-not tomorrow, Lee" said Joyce.
And Father McGrath, who had been
listening to Lees story with many
calculations, looked so severe that Lee
had a sudden terror that he would re-
fuse to perform the ceremony.
1.-THE day after, then, Joyce?' Lee
pleaded.
Joyce interposed no veto this time,
but was blushing like a rose and lock-
ing adorabIy confused.