The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-09-30

the school," Her eyes avoided his
searching look now. MY brother re-
turns in the spring, so / decided to
wait for him here"
But when left, you were leaving
in day or two for Moose" he relent-
lessly persisted. "And you wrote my
Christmas letter and never told me
you were only ninety miles away" he
added reproachfully.
II couldn't interfere with the
your fight for the fox trade" she re-
piled weakly.
''Well, the fact is, Miss Joan Quar-
rier," he said with laugh, "that
you're here at Albany, and Pm at AL
bany, and hereby announce that I'm
going to stay day, or two, or three,
and talk to you"
I'm sure" she said with low bow,
"that you are most fiattering. But
you forget that my employer, Mr..
Swan. does not approve Of you, sir"
"All the worse for Swan, then, for
I'm going to see you tomorrow morn
ing, afternoon, and evening, Swan or
no Swan. l am a masterful man and
will have my way. What time tonight
| do / knock on the door of the Rev
erend SWAMI" With all his eyes Garth
was caressing the face which had
come TO him by the fire in the snow,
followed him over the tundra of Aki-
miski, companioned his Dreams The
miracle Of her being hereto talk to
| look at, when he had thought her
| south across the forests And why
had she stayed on in the dreary north?
Il think you could come up tonight"
| Joan's teeth flashed in an alluring
smile. "I'll try to reconcile Mr.. Swan
to the bitter dose of your presence.
He needs me here, you know-inds
| ny experience valuable"
Removing his mitten, with a quick
movement Garth slipped off the nit
ten of the surprised girl and took her
hand. II need you here" he said, "as
well as Swan. Eight o'clock tonightI"
And walked swiftly away, mad hope
| in his brain, his emotions out of hand.
Why had she stayed? Why had she
stayed? he kept asking himself as he
hurried to Cameron's house.
At supper at the Camerons' Guthrie
said: 81 met an old friend on the
| clearing tonight"
The kindly eyes of the factors wife
grew quizzical as they met the glance
of her guest. "She was here when
Etienne came to the kitchen and told
us Of your success. What did you do
to that girl last September? She and
I have talked a lot about you this
winter"
Guthrie's heart warmed to the infer
ence. He felt the blood in his face.
and strove to cover his embarrassment
with the question: How did she
come to stay and help that efigy of
man, SWAMI"
Mrs. Cameron smiled. "They were
dreadfully in need of some one who
had training. Half the children had
some aiIment and Swan and his wife
were at their wits end. I suppose
Joan couldn't resist the call, as her
brother was to return to the bay in
the spring."
did you meet hirn?" asked Garth.
"Oh, yes, they ate here several
times. Very important person-the
doctor!'
"Ah-h!" This from Cameron.
whats the matter" laughed Garth.
Didn't you like him?"
Like him? 1t was all I could do
to keep my hands off that rooster"
growled the lord of Albany. HE
made formal protest in writing to
the company to the effect that he had
been insulted by you and that you re-
fused to get his stuff on Akimiski, but
1 told them at Moose what thought
of him." ~
Garth was grateful to Cameron for
his omission of other details of Quar-
rier's charges, which he knew Joan
had scornfully demolished.
'Well, Miss Quarter is not respon-
sible for her brother. Could l bring
her over from the Mission tonight?
Swan almost kicked me out in Sep
tember."
''Why, of course, Major Guthrie.
was going to ask you to-" said Mrs.
Cameron. 1.-THE poor child has a
dreary enough time with the Swans.
They've been worrying about her soul,
you know, because of her liberal views
on religion"
After supper Garth hurried over the
trail to the mission.
If Garth Guthrie had been sus-
ceptible to whitening looks from a
reverend gentleman whose meager
frame stiffened uneasily In the black
cloth and clerical collar affected by
Mr.. Swan, he would have been en-
barrassed at the chilly reception ex-
tended to him when he said:
"Good evening. Mr.. Swan! I have
come to take Miss Quarter over to
the Camerons. for the evening""
you, SIR" Indignantly replied the
missionary, "have put yourself beyond
the pale-have no right to the society
of pure women
Hands on hips, for a space Garth |
smiled good-naturedly down ON the
greatly excited Swan, struggling he
roically with the part his conscience
babe him play. Then he said quietly:
"Swan, If you choose to believe the
nonsense with which Carrier has filed |
your peanut brain, there is no law to |
prevent It, But Miss Quarter has had |
opportunity to Judge and she doesn't |
believe it. She is also her own
mistress and capable Of determining |
!