The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-04-10

| for day or two of happiness together
before taking up the trail. ! know II
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 J" 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 the time
when l 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 dearY'
| Because IL feel that you have
Lee. / don't know why. It's just an
instinct / have And if there Is some
thing more, I should like to be told
because-because / have a feeling that
it may help me to recover that part OF
my life that is still a blank to me-"
| Lee felt in a quandary. 1t was I'M
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.
IF 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 its
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. II wish
could understand it. and l 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 Railways
men? And what did he want?"
Il 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 Railway
is why you proposed to accompany
them, and why you didn't want me-"
''Not want you, Lee? l wanted you
from the first minute l saw you. I'll
tell you a secret, shall l.? Well-I-l
fell in love with you that evening In
kthe hotel, and I've been in love with
you ever since. There!
"But why was riding in the ranger
she resumed. "What was it on my mind
so terrible that there seems a sort OF
blackness there? felt that you could
save me-" She shook her head. mo
there's more to it 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. II
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 can.
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 all 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 LIE
boeuf?"
"We'll look into those matters dur
| ing our little honeymoon. Tell me
thatsit shall be tomorrow"
Joyce hesitated; and while she hest.
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 Sc
ye're back again. he cried heartily
gripping Lees hand with fist OF
iron. "Tis hard going wi the horse
| lHIOuSH TIC ShoW, anu iCNhoh Al
have to TAX to the dogs mighty soon
This is winter for sure at lastH
He scrutinized the pair keenly. Eye
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 sudden terror that he would re-
fuse to perform the ceremony.
''The day after. then, Joyce?" Lee
pleaded.
Joyce interposed no veto this time,
but was blushing like a rose and look
| ing adorably confused.