The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-03-26
CHAPTER XVI
The Ancient Miracle.

News in the mountains travels fast,
by mysterious ways, and in places
where it seems impossible. Also 1t
has marvellous powers Of mutation.
What may start out far down on Lit
tie Beaver dam as an innocent prank,
is liable to reach the Upper Sweet
water as a full-fedged scandal.
So 1t was on Nameless that drowsy
day in August
Nance Allison was busy about her
work in the secured kitchen, with
Sonny Fair following her like small
sized shadow.
In the dim regions beyond Mrs. Al
lison was in bed with "sick head
ache" The balls Of the carpet-rags
had been sadly put away, all finished
and ready for the loom, but farther
away from that desired goal than
ever. 1t seemed to Nance that that
carpet was the last straw, the ridicu-
lous small pressure that had all but
snapped the thread Of her control.
Whenever she thought of Kate Cath
rev she thought not of her pappy, not
of Bud with his sagging shoulder, not
of her burned stacks and her field of
growing corn, but Of the bare floors
of her poor home.
There was a frown between her
golden brows these days, grim set
to her lips, and she spent many hours
on her knees beside her bed praying
for guidance, for strength to keep to
her narrow way. But the "stirrings"
that she felt inside her in the spring
had become a seething turmoil of pas
sion, hard to hold.
I'm like the patriarchs of old" she
thought to herself, filled with right
eouS wrath. If it wasn't that have
the light Of the New Testament I'm
afraid I'd go forth and STAY my enc
mics. or try to-"
what you whimpering about,
Nance? Tell me, too" said the child
hugging her knees and looking ador-
ingly up with his soft brown eyes.
"My gracious! Was I whimpering.
Sonny?" she asked aghast, II must
be getting pretty far gone, as Brand
says. Nance was thinking, that's all
thinking about bad things that make
her heart ache
"Our enemies?' he asked quantity.
She nodded.
"Yes-they're ours, all right. Yours
and Brands and mine"
There was a vague comfort In this
association, in the common cause that
seemed to bind her and hers to Brand
and Sonny Fair.
Brand and Sonny Farther thoughts
went off on the tangent which those
two names always started.
1t was part Of the trouble which
made the frown habitual-the frown,
so alien to the sweet and open face
of this girl.
Always there was under the surface
of her mind the running question
What was Brand Fair to Sonny? And
always there lurked in the dim back
ground the word-Father. Was IT
true-where and who was the motherl
A deep and terrible ache seemed to
take her very bones at this thought
misery which she could not under
stand.
She shook herself and sighed and
tried to smile down at the boy, but
the effort was failure.
Nance" he asked soberly, "don't
you love me any more?"
The girl dropped on her knees and
gathered him to her breast in a fierce
gesture.
Love you? Honey child, Nance
loves every inch of your little body
She loves you so well she's scared to
death Brand will come along some day
and want to take you away again 70
She sat back on her heels and
smiled at him, this time successfully
If there was one spot Of light in the
darkness of her troubles 1t was the
child. Always his pleading eyes, his
shy carcasses could tighten the load.
And so it was that presently she
fell to laughing in her old light-heart-
ed way. sitting back on her heels on
the clean white floor and rolling the
child this way and that.
Screams of delight from Sonny pune
tuated the strokes of his bare feet as
he kicked in the hysterical ecstasy of
Nance's fingers "creepmous" ling up his
little ribs.
They did not see Bud standing In
the door, so absorbed in their game
were they, until he moved and his
shadow fell across them.
Nance turned her laughing face up
to him-and stared with the laughter
set upon it.
The boy was white as milk, his eyes
black with terrible portent.
Bud she cried, whats up?
| What"
"The rustlers were out last night"
he said slowly with strange hesita-
toni met Old Man Conlan going
down to Cordova-a man was shot
they think it is-the prospector--
Smith"
For a moment Nance sat still on
her heelS, her mouth open, the sickly
lines of laughter still around 1t.