The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-03-20

possession. You know everything chat
there is of me-oh, you know 1t so init
mately. Can you not see how it hu-
initiates me, to think that / have no
personality of my own at all, nothing
to myself, no life, hardly a thought.
even, that is not yours?"
Dearest"
But she went on implacably: "What
do know of you? Who are you? Lee
Anderson? That's only name. You
have your life, your past. How many
women has it contained, women you
perhaps think of regretfully, some
times even with tenderness"
"Fd have told you that when the
time came. l loved one woman-I
thought l did. She was-well, I gave
her my love foollshly, that's all. And
| it wasn't love. There is only you,
has only been you"
"How do know you are telling me
the truth, Lee Anderson"
you don't mean that. dear. We've
given our love to each other, with trust
and faith. It's just the loneliness and
the dread and the fear of remember
ing the past that makes you doubt
everything. Look into my eyes and
see if you can doubt them"
The hardness of her laugh surprised
him. 81 don't trust men, Lee Ander-
son."
Lee felt stupefied. But deeper than
the hurt was his pity for her, soul
cut off from the past, with only him
self to guide her. He could under
stand that the desire for personality
of her own might well inspire her
bitterness.
II think the best way can prove
my love for YOU" he answered, sis
just to say nothing till your mood has
passed"
NO, Lee, there is better way than
that, much better way. Be frank
with me. Let me share your life. Who
are you? Lee Anderson? That's only
a name to me. Tell me why you came
into the range, and how you found
me-"
He began to tell her; but, because
it was impossible to speak of their
experiences at SiSton lake, he made
it appear that he had saved her-as
he had said before-after the fall, and
carried her into the woods. He
omitted much, but he distorted nothing.
"What were you doing in the range?
What are you here for?" Her voice
was breathless, her eyes seemed to
burn into his face. f.
T-think-I-know. You must tell
me the truth. You came here to find
someone. You are member of the
police. Whom have you come to find?'
And as Lee remained silent, she
continued:
1T wasn't man named Pelly. was
| it? An old man, an old friendless man,
who had been betrayed, sold by some
one he trusted? a man who had done
no wrong to anyone, but who, whole
generation before, had killed the scOun-
drel who tried to ruin his wife? Hadn't
eXile?"
"What do you know of him?" cried
Lee.
"He is my father, This is our home !!
Yes, I'm Joyce Pelly, his daughter, as
you have always suspected. And l
suspected you from the beginning.
And you-you forced your presence
upon me under the guise Of protecting
me from my friends"
THAT is not sou
''TO gain your wretched ends by win
ming a woman's confidence and then
you dared"
81 never dreamed who you were.
| Won't you believe my word of honor
that / am incapable"
But she went on, still implacable !:
| "You dared to pretend you loved me,
you traitor, in order to discover my
| fathers hiding place when II was
coming up to him-but why-why?
| can't remember all. 1 only know that
remember I'm his daughter. And
tell you l hate you with hate ten
times as great as the love l thought
felt for you'll"
| Lee stood up before her. 81 only
ask you to believe me-" he began,
when say that l didn't know, guess,
dream who you were. How should I
have known he had a daughter-this
man I'd never seen? l knew moth
ing"
But suddenly her icy GOODNESS
seemed to dissolve in helpless misery
"Oh, leave mel Leave me for little
while, or shall 60 mad!" she cried.