The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-10-30
CHAPTER x

Days wore by; sometimes days or
unbroken sunshine; sometimes days
of gently sifted whiteness fiuttering
out of gray sky. In a week all the
prairie was blanketed deep with snow.
Then came the great night.
AT this time of the year, in this lati-
ture, it is dark by five in the after
noon, particularly if the sky happen
to be overcast. On the day in ques-
ton Jack and had done up our few
chores about the stable, carried in
supply of water and tirewoOd, and
turned to our shacks for supper. Mar
jorie, brisk, efficient housewife that
she was, had the table set when l
came in. Our meals were perforce
simple, and when we had finished and
the few dishes were cleared away l
looked at my watch. 1t was barely
six O'Clock.
This is going to be another of our
long, long evenings" Marjorie re-
marked, With what seemed like sug-
gestion of complaining. suppose you
ask Jack and Jean to come over; i
don't feel like going out in the snow"
"Jean may not feel like going out,
either" l retorted. 81 guess she's as
much like sugar as you are" / added,
having in my mind some reference to
an adage about sugar melting.
81 fancy you think she's a good deal
more like sugar than | am, brother o.
mine," Marjorie returned "Well, run
along and find OUT
Later, when / recalled that remark,
/ was struck by its significance, but
at the moment / had no suspicion that
Jack and Marjorie were working a
scheme on me. / have always held
that Jean was innocent of any part
in it.
SO urged, pulled on my pea-Jacket
and overshoes and fur cap and started
out on. the hundred-yard jaunt from
our shack to the one across the gully.
/ made the trip without difficulty
and entered without knocking as was
our custom in our numerous visits
hack and forth. Jean looked up from
the table where she sat reading.
"Alone, Frank?" she said, when /
had closed the door behind me.
Eyes; where's Jack? / came to
see"
Jack left for Fourteen some time
ago. He was going to ask you and
Marjorie to come over. You must
have passed him."
That's rather funny, That's what
] came for, If you reverse it. Strange
i didn't see him on the way"
HE may have looked in at the
stable again, to make sure that the
stock are all right" Jean suggested
"He said 1t looked like rough
weather.
1 stood for moment. undecided
whether / should go back for Jack
and Marjorie, or ask Jean to go with
me. 1t was she who settled the ques-
ton.
"Take off your things, Frank" she
invited "Jack will be there by this
time, and will keep Marjorie com
pany 1t is not a good night for a
girl to go walking"
So l stayed, although little self
consciously. Jean and / had known
each others company since childhood,
but, at least since coming to the
West, we had hardly seen each other
alone. Always Jack or Marjorie, or
both, were somewhere about. There
had been, Of course, that sudden, inn
petuous. unspoken revelation when
we returned from our harvest abb
sence In the settlements, but there
had been no talk Of love between Jean
and me- had treasured that moment
as bit of wonderful memory, as a
glimpse Of wonderful promise, but
had not presumed upon it; had con,
Guided that two months loneliness
had been too much for Jeans reserve,
and that she had done something II
hardly would be fair to talk about
-. Doubtless Jack. when he found