The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-12-03

"We1l make them on time just as
usual" remarked Lydia, in voice
that had both reproof and warning
In 1t.
$50 Marshall's worried" repeated
John. "Well, 1t behooves him to be.
don't know what he'll do when the
Indians are gone"
"Mr. Levine" asked Lydia, "wherell
the Indians go?"
John shrugged his shoulders. go
to the devil most of them"
"Oh, but that seems terrible!" cried
Lydia.
"No more terrible than the way
| they live and die on the reservation.
My dear child, don't develop any SEN
timent for the Indian. He's as
| doomed as the buffalo. It's fate or
life or evolution working out-what-
ever your fancy names 1t. No sickly
gush will stop 1t. AS long as the In
| dian has pine or pelt, Wen exploit
him. When he has none, Wen kick
| him out, like the dead dog he isl
| Lydia, her eyes round, her lips part
ed, did not reply. For moment she
saw the Levine that the world saw,
cold, logical, merciless. John inter
preted her expression instantly and
smiled. Don't look at me so, young
| Lydia. I'm just being honest. The
rest talk about freeing the Indian.
say d-n the Indian, enrich the
whites"
81 suppose you're right, but / can't
help feeling sorry for Charlie Jack
son and my old squaw."
Levine nodded understandings and
turned to Amos. whats the talk
In the factoryT' he asked.
During the half hour that followed
Lydia did not speak again nor did she
hear any of the conversation. When
Levine rose at nine to leave she fol
lowed him to the door. adam and
I'll walk way with you," she said
while dad puts his chickens to bed
Finer" exclaimed John.
Lydia trudged along for few mo-
ments i'm silence. Then Levine pulled
her hand through his arm.
"Out with it, young LYDIA" he
said.
"Do you suppose" she asked, ''that
God is something like ether-or like
electricity-in the air, everywhere
something that sort of holds us to
gether, you know"
"Well," replied John, slowly, 50
wouldn't want to believe that. want
to find God we can know and un
derstand-a God that's tender and
and human, by Jove."
Lydia looked up at him quickly In
the starlight. "After what you sale
about Indians tonight, you can't be
lieve God could be tender and-ant
let that happen!'
Levine returned her look ant
smiled. "You score there, honey
Lydia, you're growing up"
The young girl nodded carelessly
"But I wanted to talk to you about
taking the reservation, not about me-
81 guess we'd better do that another
time I don't want you to scold me-
'Scold you'll" Lydia paused in hel
establishment. "Why, 1 love you a:
much as 1 do anybody in the world
How could I scold you?"
Levine looked down into thu
shadowy, childish eyes. "Couldn'
you? Well, you're a dear, anyhow
Now scoot and I'll watch till you reacl
the gate"
Lydia hesitated. She felt a chang'
in Johns manner and wondered if sh'
had hurt his feelings. kiss me goot
night, then" she said. "You don't d.
it as regularly as you used to. If
don't watch you, you'll be finding som'
one else to travel with you"
John turned the little face up ant
kissed her gently on the forehead, bu
Lydia, with rare demonstrativeness
threw her arms around his neck ant
kissed his lips with a full, childisl
smack.
"There!" she said complacently
"Come on, Adam! Don't wait, Mr.. LIE
vine. I'm safe with Adam"
But John Levine did wait, STANDING
with his hand against his lips, hi
head bowed, till he heard the gat
click. Then he lifted his face to tn
stars. "God," he whispered, why d
, You make me forty-fve instead O
. twenty-five"