The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-12-04
CHAPTER xIII-Continued

"You suppose" she repeated. That's
right. 1t just supposition. Nobody
knows; that is, the public doesn't
know. But what is their happiness?
An ox-like acceptance of the routine.
Breakfast, work; dinner, work; sup
per, work; sleep; breakfast-the whole
circle over again. couldn't stand 1t,
Frank; there's no use pretending
could. IBID run away with some
Oner
Jean"
Eyes, l know what you're thinking.
But it would break the routine, any
way; it wouldn't be that way would
lose my soul; perhaps that way
might save it."
You're a strange girl, JEAN"
"Yes? After all these years? I am
so glad AS long as am strange you
will be interested in me. That's the
trouble with you; you're not strange.
l know all about you. And l wouldn't
be your housekeeper for life for the
sake of being your lover for a week"
JEAN
Shocking, isn't 1t? But true. Don't
you know that's what happens, nearly
always? 1t must happen, unless there
are new points of interest always arts
ing. / have the misfortune to think,
and so see these things in advance,
and try to shield you from them"
1.-THE misfortune to think?"
"Of course. Otherwise l could ac-
cept the OK routine and grind out my
soul in the treadmill of three meals
day. suppose that's what people call
I'd run away from it ALL"
!, too, punched the snow with my
heel. 81 never heard you talk like
that, JEAN" / said at length. 81 didn't
think you thought-along those lines.
You wouldn't excuse people who run
who disregard their marriage vows?"
1.-The first of which is to love-" she
shot back. when that fails, all fails.
Why make mockery of it?'
"But l would love you, always-al-
ways. You would be to me the only
the only possible girl in the world!"
Slowly she turned her face toward
me; she had been giving me an OPP
portunity for profile study during this
dialogue. Her eyes found mine; her
lips-in them again / saw the rose
leaf beauty Of her childhood. When she
spoke her voice was low and tremulous
and musical
"You dear boyl You think so.
only wish it were true!"
The last words came with a catch
in her breath, l thrust forward and
clasped her hands in mine.
'You mean that? Oh, Jean, if you
do. :.
"Yes, l mean it. That Is the great
difficulty. 1t isn't true. You wouldn't
love me always. 1 wouldn't always be
the only girl"
"Jean, you would. / swear it !''
"Then l must reverse it. wouldn't
love you always. You wouldn't always
be the only man in the world"
My spirit, which had gone pounding
upward, fell like burst balloon.
"Why?" l demanded.
Because your vision is too small.
Because it is bounded by the corner
posts of Fourteen. Because | couldn't
live penned up in such IA pasture"
you'd be breaking out-toward sec
ton Two"
Frank" 1t was her turn to ex
claim.
Eyes, toward section Two. You've
done some plain talking, Jean; now
it's my turn. 1t is Spool that has up
set your mind-put all these wild no
tions in your head. 1t is Spool that
you are thinking about, not me. sup
pose you think you could marry him
and not drop into the routine; you
would be less an OK, as you put it, on
Two than on Fourteen. Perhaps that
would be best, after all. Perhaps if
you were fenced in on Two, you might
break out toward Fourteen p
Frank Please don't be unkind-
| and unfair. l am thinking
about Spool, and it is just because he
is not bounded by section Two. You
and Jack and Jake think he's a green
horn, and you play your silly little
tricks on him, but his world is the
world, and yours Is Fourteen, and
| Jacks is Twenty-Five, and Jake's is
whatever his section is. He's so big,
so big!"
81 see. Spool has travelled more
than we have. He has seen more of
! the world. He has met more people
/ And so he is big! / bet l grow more
oats TO the acre than he does-you
should see his blowing; looks like
be guess and be id as Jake says. "
"Quite an elegant remark; suitable
to Jake, hardly to be expected from
you. And your argument would be ir-
resistible-if were an OK"
you're sharp, aren't you? Well,
something to eat is not to be despised.
even by big people, like you and Spool.
Even the soul. which you are afraid of
losing on Fourteen, will pick up and
leave you on Two, unless you feed that
body in which 1t lives. That's what
the soul itself thinks about people who
don't hustle for living; it gets up and
leaves them"
"Good for you!" cried Jean, you
are actually thinking. l have goaded
you into it. Nowhere are weY
Were at Spool. You say you could
love me for a week. and him forever
81 didn't say that"
you as much as said it. Spool may
have advantages admit his travel
and all that-but will those things
keep him big? Won't section Two
bound him in year or so, just as you
say Fourteen bounds me now?- Is he
different clay; less OK, more soul p