The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-02-12
CHAPTERIx
Golden Magic.

Something had happened to Nance
Allison. For the first time in her
healthy young life sleep refused to
visit her. Even her terrible grief at
the death of her father had given
way to sleep at last and she had for
gotten her tragedy for blessed time.
But on the night following her inter
view with the strange man of the can
yon she was wide awake till dawn.
She was not uncomfortable. She did
not think she was i'll. But an odd in
ner warmth surged all through her,
q pleasant fire ran in her veins. She
lay in her bed with her hands beneath
her head and thought over and over
each phase of the day she had spent
with Sonny, each incident that had
led up TO the appearance of Brand
Fair. Then. with a peculiar delight,
she went over his every word, every
movement. She remembered the look of
his brown hand on the black horses
bit. the tilt of his hat. the way the
chin-strap lay along his lean, dark
cheek She recalled the direct glance
Of his eyes, the slow smile that
creased his lips corners.
He was like no other man she had
ever seen.
There was a sweetness in the tones
of his deep voice, sense of restful-
ness and strength about him. He
seemed to fit in with her dreams of
the best things to be had in life
like lace curtains and the rag carpet
which was slowly growing in her
Mammy's hands.
His name, too-Brand Fair. She
liked the sound of 1t.
And it was Sonny's name. Suddenly
she sat bolt upright, staring at the
darkness. Fair-Sonny Fair! Gould
it be that Brand was Sonny's father
For some inexplicable reason a cold
hand seemed to clutch her heart, o
feeling of disaster to encompass her
"Now, why" she asked herself slow
ly, should that make any difference.
Wouldn't he be just as nice-just as
pleasant TO talk TOT"
She sat a long time holding her two
braids in her hands. twirling the ends
around her fingers. thinking.
Why was she so pleased with thi:
stranger, she wondered?
She mad seen many men In her life
there were the cowboys from the
dova. nearly every time she wen
there, there was McKane, and Sheriff
Price Sefwood
She liked the sheriff. He was /;
kindly man under his stern exterior
she knew. His eyes were direct, lik,
Fairs somewhat, and he had the sam,
seeming of quiet strength. He hat
been at the cabin quite few times
after her fathers death, asking al
sorts of questions about his mannel
of life, his experience in the hills, ant
so forth. Yes-Fair was a little lik.
the sheriff. only more so-oh, yer,
much more so-quiet, steady, on,
whose word you would take withou
question.
He was different. that was all-dif
ferent.
He had not always lived In the hills
that was certain. She lay down an,
tried TO sleep, but her eyes would no
obey her will. They came open eacl
time she closed them to see this mai
standing at the jut of stone, his ham
on the blacks bit-at the pool b,
the cave below where he babe he
good-by-still there when she looke
back from far down the canyon
She heard Old John, the big Plym
outh Rock rooster, crow for midnigh
from his perch in the rafters of tn
stable-and again at false-dawn a lii
tie while before daylight.
"Well, I'd like to know what all
me-" she thought to herself as sh
got up with the first gray shaft
above Mystery ridge, II never stage
awake all night in my life before"
1t was indicative of the great goo
health and strength there was in he
that she felt no Ill effects from tn
unusual experience. She brushed he
hair and pinned it neatly around he
head In a shining coronet, put on
clean denim dress from the clothes
press In the corner. laced up the heav
shoes she had to wear about he
mans work. and went softly out {
light the kitchen fire, to draw a fres
pail of water and to stand lost in rap
alteration of the pageant of comm
day. She washed her face and hand
in the basin and came blooming fror
the cold water, content with her lol