The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-07-01
CHAPTER Continued

In the autumn Garth had been sent
north with Etienne Savanna, a veteran
servant Of the company, TO winter at
the fur post at the mouth Of the Elk
wan. When the Christmas mail from
Albany was sighted on the white river
trail, the mingled feelings with which
Guthrie watched the approach Of the
dogteam bringing word from home
from her-were the cause of puzzled
self-analysis through the months TO
follow. In July when he sailed into
Fort Albany in his York boat with his
fur packs, his year on the silent west
coast was mp. The mail he found
waiting his arrival brought the news
that he was now brother of Sir Charles
Guthrie: announced the decision of
Ethel and Clara for an August we'd
ding on the return of the exile; dwelt
at length on the rise In Guthrie steel
and disposed Of his health in the
casual surmise that 1t had been fully
restored by the year in the open.
The last had drawn a bitter smile
from the man who read. Pages for
the personal affairs Of the writer's, and
line for the lungs he had brought
back from the Hun drive for the Chan
Montreal, were they, for his return, to
bend him to their petty ways-shape
him into a business machine, like
Charlie-when he had breathed the
singing air off the ice-fields Of the
bay; seen the caribou drift across
der a canopy Of stars while the aurora
blazoned the north; wakened to the
raucous chorus of the Canadas and
watched the "wavies" rally their le-
giOns In the autumn How blurred,
after this, the once poignant memory
of Ethel Falconer was growing! How
petty seemed the obsession of Charles
Guthrie for money and power to the
man who had found In the peace of
the west coast an opiate for his doubt
and disillusion
With no attempt at defense of his
decision to remain for another year,
Guthrie wrote home, and without re-
greet, had sailed out of the delta of the
great Albany with Etienne, bound for
Elkwan.
The man who had lain beside his
sleeping dog with his thoughts while
the wind roared through the aIders,
hammering the anchored tent and the
rain beat its intermittent tattoo, sat
up, and placing the candle lantern at
his elbow. drew a letter from his
pocket and read:
Dearest Garth:
'T don't know what to say-rm
simply stunned. Either you are still
ill-are deceiving US, or take this
method to humiliate me before your
family and the world in the hope that
shall voluntarily give you up. Of
course, if you no longer love me, there
is nothing to be said. Do you love ME
still, Garth dear? So long as you do,
] shall wait.
"Devotedly-until you wish it other
wise, ETHEL"
This had been her answer to the
burning of his bridges-utter aban-
thought her proud.
Nevertheless, each new reading Of
the letter brought to Elkwan by the
fall packet a fortnight before, had
quickened the memory of what this
girl, vibrant with life and physical
charm, had meant to him-thls girl
whom he had Inundated Often.
standing before her vivid likeness in
his quarters he had gazed at the allur-
ing face. the faultless modelling of
neck and shoulders, and marveled ut
the spell which held him in the north
while such loveliness waited his re-
turn. She still had power to stir him,
but his moods Of self-censure and re-
morse were short-lived. The north
had won.