The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-02-12
BY VINGIE E. ROE
Copyright by the Mccall Company
WNU Service.

girl days in Missouri.
Nanny" she said at breakfast
Il never slept wink last night.
kept thinking about Sonny and Brand
all the time-wondering why they're
hiding, and what relation they are.
and why they live SO hard and poor
like. 1t seems dreadful, don't it?'
Seems funny, if you ask me-" said
Bud shortly, maybe this Brand felier
knows something of all this rustling
that's been going on up and down
Nameless."
Nance laid down her knife and fork
and looked at him.
"Of all things, Bud I" she said. sits
not like you to cast the first stone.
And you've never seen this mans face,
or you wouldn't say that"
swell, I'm not so sure of It," re-
turned the boy, 81 hate to see you take
up so with a stranger"
Il trust your feelin' for him. Nance,
said Mrs. Allison, somehow there's
somethin in woman's heart when
she looks into a mans eyes, most
times which sets tn stamp on him for
good or bad. Seems like it's seventh
sense which tn Almighty gives us
woman-kind for safeguard. / trust
it."
II guess / do, too, Nanny" said
Nance, ''leastways / felt to trust
Brand Fair the first minute laid eyes
on him. He's different"
Mrs. Allison said no more, but she
was thinking back over the long years
to that camp-meeting time when she
had meant to "frail" the stronger,
young John Allison, and how his smil-
ing eyes coaxed her angry heart to
peace-a peace which stayed with her
always, through hardship and pow
erty, through many western moves,
and which softened now the sorrow
of his absence. John Allison had
seemed to her different" also.
For some subconscious reason Nance
stayed away from the canyon for sew
eral days. She busted herself with
odd jobs about the place. She mended
| the wire fence around the big fiat
where the wild hay was waving thick,
| its green floor flowing with sheets of
silver where the light winds swept,
and gave the harness a thorough oil
| ing.
AS she sat in the barn door running
| the straps back and forth through her
| hands she cast smiling eyes out at her
field Of corn.
Its going to be big crop. Bud"
| she said, "there'll be three ears on
every stalk and they're mighty strong.
| Well pull the suckers next week and
cultivate it again In ten days more
and you just watch 1t grow and wave
its green banners"
sits already waving Them" said
Bud working beside her, ut sure
looks fine"
There was the pride of possession
in the two young faces, the quiet Joy
of satisfaction in simple work well
/ done and its reward.
81 hope" said the girl dreamily, 81
hope, Bud, that thereIl be enough left
over after we pay McKane to get
the carpet woven. Mammy's got near
ly enough balls already, and we can
take 1t In to Bement in the early fall
and go back after it about two weeks
later"
Buds eyes sparkled.
Gee! But that would be good" he
said wistfully, "a regular holiday. I'd
like to see town again"
zone trip I'd go with you and the
next we'd make Nanny go. It'd set
her up, give her something to think
about all winter" planned Nance,
"She don't get out like we do"
So they looked ahead to the meager
joys of their poor life and were happy.
Two days later Nance again rode
Buckskin to the canyon, and this time
she went In the afternoon.
The eager gladness of the child, the
vociferous welcome of the collie. gave
her a feeling of guilt that she had
/ stayed away so long, and she made
glowing holiday with her cookies, her
, songs and her laughter, so that the
, hours few on magic wings-and Brand
! came home before they were even be-
, ginning to look for him.
| He came upon them silently, as he
had done before, and Nance sprang up
/ in confusion.
. How do you always get here Sc
quietly?" she asked. Il never heard q
. sound"
Look at Diamond" he replied smil.
ingly, 1--WE always follow the water
A stream leaves no tell-tale tracks
Even Sonny can swim like fish,"
Nance sobered quickly.
II A disturbing thought of Buds re
[ mark about rustlers came into hei
, mind-and she thought of those sc
, steers of Bossick's driven into Name
] less and whisked out Of the country
' OF course 90 head of cattle COULDN'T
go down the big river indefinitely
! but she didn't like the suggestion.
NO." she said, sit don't. That's
what the rustlers seem to think"
J She looked him square in the eyes
) and was satisfied.
i There was no consciousness In those
smiling depths, not the faintest flicker
= of shadow. Whatever mystery might
. attach to him, this man felt nothing
! personal in her speech.
! And so she sat down again witt
Sonny In her lap and Brand sat dowr
! opposite, and they fell to talking there
in the whispering silence, while the
. late sun gilded the high blade of thu
: rimrock and the cool shadows deep
r ened in the gorge. 1t was strange
a fairy-land to Nance, and all the innel
: country of her spirit shone ant