The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-17

neriod of their terrible existence there
she built up a slender tottering hope
that she might. as she had agreed. re-
claim him. She had formulated q pol
lev and 10 this policy she would cling
with ali the tenacity Of which she was
capable.
Her policy had been formed with
full knowledge Of the fact that it
would be hard 70 follow. Her own
nature revolted against mysteries and
superstitions and fears Of unrealities
Her husband had not ever given her
grounds 10 assert that these were the
basis for his morbid panics but he
had. by malice or inadvertence, created
a dim picture OF some menace, some
secret human conspiracy, some strange
force. which pursued 10 the death any
man unlucky enough TO have meddled
with her destiny. At times il was diff
icult for her 10 escape, by the exer-
else of common sense, haunting idea
that there was some foundation for
this apparent absurdity. As she said:
1T is jusl so with all things. The
confidence of knowledge isn't half as
much because a person has possession
Of the facts as because one has free
dom at last from the fear that there is
so much that one doesn't know" But
she disliked herself for her own un-
certainties.
A choice was open 10 her between
turning her back upon Parmalee's
fears and setting out by systematic
and persistent observation and cross
questioning 10 uncover them. II was
not because the latter course was diff
ficulf that she rejected It; II was not
because. little by little, he had built a
wall around his own thoughts which
not only untitled him for social con-
tact but excluded her from his inner
life; Ii was not because of his increas-
ing irritability when questioned. nor
finally was IL because he always, in the
end, made her feel that he was trying
TO spare her from some dreadful
knowledge, and some overhanging
curse that was upon her. She chose
TO neglect the terror that had seized
him because she felt that if sufficient
neglect were heaped upon it. il would
gradually die Often enough in years
thar were to follow she wished with
all her being that she had not allowed
herself TO remain in the dark
She wished often enough after the
end came that she had at least kept
her eyes open, bur there were Incl
dents which drew her attention by the
very force Of their being extraordinary
or bizarre.
Evenings spent in the high studded
chambers of this austere abode that
none of her decorative skill. given free
play by Parmalee's money, could res
cue from their breeding gloom were
far from cheerful. The temper Of her
husband forbade entertainment and,
try as he did, there was no comfort
for him in his efforts TO converse with
Brena-efforts which like the squeez-
ing of the juice from sour fruit pro-
duced less the more the pressure had
been applied. Within a year he had
developed an Unsuitable appetite for
his studies of the history of the South
west, his collecting of books and man.
uscripts bearing upon the ancient CIV
ilizatien and tribes of Central Amer
lea, Mexico and the tangent region Of
the United States where the painted
deserts are, and his compilation of
data that bore in any way upon the
comparison of the Inca. the Aztec and
the Yucatan civilizations with those of
Egypt, Greece and Persia. There is
still in existence, covered with dust.
a pile of manuscript in his own hand
writing which, ii appears, was the be-
ginning of work upon 3 subject that
only his interest qualified him 10 at
tempt. A Spectator, gambler, cotton
broker and commission agent, as Brena
has said, does not bring 10 a preten-
tious scientific work the orderly mind
the ease of expression nor the resIi-
Zation OF its magnitude that one might
expect in a professor, for instance.
He might better have spent his tine
in furnishing TO his beautiful young
wife companionship of some kind,
no matter how inadequate, but he had
closed himself in a CHASTITY shell of
his own Sometimes for days she did
not see him at all and only knew of
his presence in his library by his fits
of coughing.
Brena, committed TO waiting for the
conclusive end TO this distorted exist
ence, which something within told her
destiny would bring, found refresh
ment only in her days. When morning
came there was al escape; she could
go by train or motor 70 the city.
Though she found among the persons
she NET and those who worked with
her in the Forest pottery, founded
with her own money, that she IA grim
joke) was looked upon distantly as
young, rich, contented wife, she
drank down long drafts of the pleas
ures of creative labor and of the pat
ronage she was able TO give TO young
women whose talents deserved devel-
opnent. Her activity would have
been sufficient. however. If it had
served only TO submerge the memories
Of nights alone in her two great rooms
when the wind played mournful melo-
dies as il on the bars of moonlighrs
that fell through the gates of Parma
lees estate and across the damp lawn
from which, winter and summer, there
arose the odors of decay and death.