The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-10-21

IL is.
She looked up, puzzled at his tone.
"Why, you said he wasn't bleeding
badly-no artery involved. It's only a
matter of keeping the wound Clean"
The moment had come.
IL have confession to make to you,
Joan Quarter" he began. II have
lied to you-brought you from warm
shelter up this coast tonight on false
pretenses."
False pretenses! What do you
mean?" She was curious but not dis
turbed.
81 have been the cause of your
breaking with the Swans-given the
missionary people the chance to raise
their sanity eyebrows in 'horror-for
what?"
why, my dear mani" she protest
ed, Il understand all that. Their
prattle can't hurt me, can it? don't
understand. Where is the lie?"
He sucked in a deep breath and
leaned toward her, as he said:
"Etienne was not shot. You're on
your way to help me save a friend
a friend who crawled with me on his
back through gas and shell fire. They
broke his arm and got him in the
chest, but he came through. Can you
guess who 1t is?'
Her dark brows contracted as she
met the pleading look of the man
standing by the fire. Slowly she
shook her head. "You said Etienne
was hurt. Now you say it was some
one else-I don't see"
Laughing Mcdonald"
Laughing McDonald?" she cried.
"You said you found him dead on the
schooner"
"He was alive, but very sick-'flu,'
pneumonia, I'm not sure Etienne
and an Indian took him to Elkwan
while I came to ask you to go-to
help"
HE was this friend who saved
your life-in France?" she asked,
wide-eyed with surprise.
"Yes, Capt. Craig Galbraith. He
took the name of Mcdonald"
"When he disappeared after the
murder?" she broke in.
"That Is unworthy of Joan Quar-
rier," he demanded gently.
But his description tallies with
that of the man wanted in Halifax.
You forget that I've seen him."
Guthrie warmed to the defense of
his friend. Suppose he is the man?
Is 1t strange that man branded for
life with that grimace," he pleaded, "a
man, proud, sensitive, coming home
with the Victoria Cross-twice won
should go mad when the wife he cher
ished, as 1 know he did, turns, in
horror Of his scars, to a lover? Tell
me, is it stranger"
"It was MURDER" she objected, half
heartedly. ...
mo, not if the man was struck In
the heat of passion-as Galbraith
could strike. 1t was retribution."
after all, he was gallant soldier"
she unused aloud, land he saved your
life"
Ignoring the inference, Garth
pressed his point, for he saw to his
joy that his story had touched her.
think what his bitterness-hi agony
must have been, doomed forever to
wear that mask. when the woman
who should have been proud to bear
his name failed him. Imagine his
loneliness-his despair, when, in his
need, she turned 10 another"
There was a mist in Joan Quarters
chr nf1 ,ct bax-
loved him greatly to defend him so
WELL"
HE threw away his hope of reach
ing the lines when he followed Shot
to my shell-hole and started back with
gassed man; is it strange that I'm
fighting for his life, oh, Healer Of
Wounds?"
For an instant, as he waited for
her answer, she met the fierce plead
ing of his eyes, then looked into the
thickening night as she said gently:
you have won. I'll give all 1 have
to save him-fOr he was gallant
soldier-and has suffered
Joan Quarter did not see the pride,
the gratitude, and the love that shone
down on her from Guthrie's eyes.
For an hour after the stop at the
Big Willow for the hot tea the wealth
er had been gradually thickening. AS
the dogs followed the coast, Guthrie's
restless eyes watched the murk slow
ly blot out the stars. 1t meant feeling
their way past the river mouths; and,
across the delta Of the Attawapiskat,
sharp watch on the compass to
avoid entering the river itself Clear
ly caution dictated turning into the
Kapiskau and spending the night at
the post But the chance of the man
at Elkwan might hang on the hours
saved by pushing on through the sable
blanket which shrouded the coast. He
turned to the girl muffied in robes on
the sled behind him.
Its not going to be cold, but a
cold night with the stars would be
better than this"
How can you tell where we're
going? 1 can't see thing"
I'm letting Castor pick the trail
just checking him with the compass.
1t has a luminous dial"
"But he can't see any more than
we can"
(To BE CoNTINUED.)