The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-02-05
By VINGIE E. ROE

them. SO perfectly had they fitted hin
| once
| Under a peaked sombrero with 9
chin-strap run in bone slide, a pail
of dark eyes bored into Nance's un
smiling. A very dark face, almost In
dian In clean-cut feature and contour
with depressed lips and thin nostrils
completed the picture.
The newcomer did not speak, but
stood holding the bit of a handsome
huge. black horse.
Brand" called the boy. ooh.
Brandt
AT that name Nance Allison found
her tongue.
I've been waiting for you" she
said calmly, "Im glad you've come"
"Yes?" he said in a singularly deep,
sweet voice.
That voice disconnected Nance upon
the instant, stole some of her fire, so
to speak. She had been ready to
tackle him on the issue at once, to
fight. If necessary, with flood of rea-
sons and protests against his treat
ment of Sonny.
Now, suddenly, she felt a vague
sense of having intruded, of meddling
with another's affairs. But she was
not one to back down from any right
eous standard Sonny's cause was
righteous in every sense, it seemed to
her.
So she gazed steadily into the direct
dark eyes and nodded decidedly.
"Yes-I am" she repeated, "I-want
to talk to you"
The man dropped the rein over the
blacks head and came forward a step
or two.
Quite a rare experience" he said,
smiling, as he removed his hat and
ran his brown fingers through the
thick black hair that stood up from
his sweated forehead, sits been a long
time since any woman has wanted to
talk to us-eh, Sonny?"
"But-Oh, she talks sweet, Brand 7"
cried the child eagerly, land She
holds me on herslap!"
At the profound awe in the small
voice the mans face grew quickly
grave.
"We must be pretty far gone as
vagabonds!' he said, that makes me
think what woman's love must mean
to child. You have been a gift of
God, dropped out of the blue to Son.
ny, Miss Allison, and ought to thank
you"
"Why-you-you know who I ami"
cried the girl, astounded.
Certainly. And l know how long
you've been coming here to the can
yon. l know where you live, too
down on the flats by the river"
His slow. amused smile at her evil
dent discontinue was engaging. It
disarmed Nance. made her feel more
than ever an intruder.
II know what lost waits you must
think us-and you are partly right.
We are. I've watched you and Sonay
twice, and have not removed our
camp-if such 1t could be called-be-
cause didn't think you'd talk"
II haven't" said Nance, Except to
my own family"
"Since you have found us out" he
went on. Il shall tell you that Sonny
is not the neglected little cast-off that
you must naturally think him. l have
hidden him for purpose. We have
purpose, the boy and /, and we have
travelled many miles in its pursuit.
We do seem mysterious-but we're
not so greatly so, after all. try to
care for him as best l may when
must be so much away from him. If
it wasn't for Dirk couldn't leave him
as / do"
Hes well protected" said Nance.
Il used Sonny himself to betray the
dog. / couldn't do otherwise"
II know something of it-Sonny
didn't tell me, but saw the signs of
your scuffie. 1t was printed plain In
the sand and shale."
"No-Sonny didn't TELL" said Nance
regretfully, "and made him a liar
when didn't mean to. l asked him
not to tell you that I'd been here. I
was afraid you'd take him away. I |
didn't think you'd ask him point
blank"
Tive taught the boy not to talk"
said the man-"it's a vital necessity
to u.s."
HE doesn't. / couldn't find out a
thing, for all wheedled shamelessly.
except that you were Brand, and that
you two ride always on Diamond
there"
my name Is Fair, Miss Allison
Brand Fair, and that is Sonnys name
also. But we don't tell 1t to
strangers"
He smiled at her again, a slow
of the lines about his lips. q
pleasant narrowing of his eyes.
"Then l." there was an elemental
quality OF gladness in Nance's voice,
hough she was utterly unconscious of
t, "am not a stranper?"