The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-10-08
CHAPTER l
The Toy Balloon

AAS
There is a state In the north Mis-
sissippi valley unexcelled for its quiet
beauty. To the casual traveller there
may be certain monotony In the un-
ending miles of rolling green hills,
stretching on and on into distant, pale
skies But the native of the state
knows that the monotony is only
seeming.
He knows that the green hills shell
ter in their gentle valleys many placid
lakes. Some of them shallow and
bordered with wild rice. Some are
couched deep in the hollow of curving
bluffs. Some are carefully secreted
in virgin pine woods. From the train
these pines are little suspected. Fire
and the ak have long since destroyed
any trace of their growth.
In summer the whole great state is
a wonderland of color. Wide wheat
lands of delicate yellowish green
sweep mile on mile till brought to
pause by the black green of the woods.
An old state, as we measure things
Oul VI NC" 6CttiCu w 4NC"
Englanders during the first great emf
grafton after the War of 1872. Its
capital, Lake City, lays claim to al
most century of existence. Lying
among the hills In the northern part
of the state, it contains both the state
its thirty thousand Inhabitants, five
thousand are students and another
five thousand are state legislators and
state employees.
A quiet town, Lake City, with an
atmosphere that might well belong to
New England-beauty, culture, leisure,
are It's hallmarks.
Fifteen years ago half mile inland
from the lake was an empty block
that once had been q farm pasture.
Three fine old oaks stood with tops
together in the center of the block.
and thick In the ancient pasture ex-
cept for narrow trails worn by chill
drens feet To the initiated each
trail told its own story. There was
a hollow square that formed the base
ball diamond. There was a straight,
short cut that led to the little cress-
grown spring. There were the parallel
lines for "Come-Come Pull Away"
and there were numerous bald spots
the center of little radiating trails
where, in the fall, each group Of chill
dren had its complicated roasting oven
in which potatoes and "weenies" were
cooked.
On one August afternoon the pas
ture seemed deserted. 1t was circus
day and the children of the surround
ing blocks had all by one method or
another won admission to the big tent
on the hill east of the town.
Yet not quite all the children. For
under one of the oak trees was a baby
carriage in which little girl of two
lay fast asleep. And far above her,
perched lightly but firmly in sway
ing fork of the oak, was long-legged
girl of twelve. She sat where she
could peer easily down on her small
sleeping sister, yet high enough to be
completely hidden from casual view.
She was thin youngster, with short
curling hair of dusty yellow. The
curly hair did not hide the fine square
head, noble head for so small girl,
set well on the little square shoulders.
Her eyes were blue and black lashed
her nose nondescript, her mouth large
her chin square and her little jaw line
long and pronounced. She wore q
soiled sailor suit of blue galatea.
Caught in the crotch of two opposite
branches was doll almost as large
as the sleeping child below. 1t was
queer. old-fashioned doll, with q
huge china head that displayed bril-
liant black hair and eyes as blue as
those Of her little mistress. The doll
wore clumsily made sailor suit OF
blue calico, which evidently had been
washed recently, but not ironed. 1t
is necessary to meet the doll properly,
for she was an intimate and important
member of the little girls family. Her
name was Florence Dombey.
battered red book lay in Florence
Dombey's lap. It was called, "With
Give in India" 1t was written by
@. A. Henty and told Of the marvellous
and hairbreadth adventures OF an
English lad in an Indian campaign.
Florence Dombey's attention, how
ever. was not on the book. 1t was riv-
eted, hectically, on her mistress, who,
with her tongue caught between her
lips, was deftly whiting cigar-box
cover into doll furniture, Of scale
so tiny that even had Florence Dom
hey had doll of her own, 1t could
not have hoped to use the furniture.
The little furniture maker suddenly