The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-12-28

nc "dS SHUT anu vain wills ShSShS
as RED as apples.
"AlIo!" he crieG He almost ran
toward Norman, his short legs pound
ing rapidly, water from the pail splash.
ing up the dust. "Glad to see you,
Norman boyl What you do out here?
Quick. go in! | get chores out the
way. Rain tonight" He pounded on
toward the barn.
Julie )" Norman began.
"Julies working" the old man
shouted back vigorously. "Allo! Julie
Come see what the good saints brought
you !"
Julie Richaud looked up startled
from the apronful of peas she was
Smelling on the back steps.
Norman !" Julie cried.
She stood up quickly, forgetting the
peas that slid from her apron. She
seemed embarrassed for a moment.
She did not speak. Only her eyes
moved, absorbing him.
Norman never heard anyone describe
jules eyes, But he knew exactly
what they were like from long ad.
mration of them. They were large.
dark, yet not black, and they gave the
impression of changing color the long
er one looked into them.
She had changed appreciably since
their days in the Madrid school. She
was not so tall as he, but even he
realized that her figure was more ma
ture. Her shoulders were as wide as
they would ever be, her breast as
round. When she leaned forward there
was grace in the angle of her neck,
which was brown, but very slender.
A painter would have said jules
mouth was splendid, little broad,
with character there. A sculptor
for it was generous, full at the nostril
and straight of bridge, a nose suited
to marble but he would have
found her mouth difficult, and prob
ably have made it pout, which it never
did
Norman" she was saying, "Nor-
man, I'm sorry about your
mother, | mean. So sOrry!'
She descended the steps slowly Her
voice was liquid. with Latin flexi-
bility, smooth as the music of Lake
Michigan on a quiet day. She looked
up soberly at Norman when she stood
in front of him. her head tipped back
ward
81 could not go to the funeral" she
said my mother went | had to
stay with the children"
Norman took off his hat His long
blond hair rumpled in the wind He
could not speak for a moment. and
then he simply said: THAT'S all right.
Julie" and again stood silent.
Julie Richaud looked at him keenly.
Hans Miller's wagon driver baffled
her since he was grown up.
"Sit down, Norman" she directed.
ION the step here, out of the wind
It's blowing harder every minute"
Again she studied him. There's some
thing worrying you. What Is il
besides your mother|
Nothing much" Norman answered.
Il Just walked out. | wanted to think,
and came farther than | meant ]
as here before ! Lnew it."
Julie nodded She knew why Nor
man had come. 1t fiattered her. He
wanted to see her for no reason In
particular.
"You think we'll get a Storm" she
asked cheerilv. "We need "a,u. Did
you notice 1t coming up? Everything
so dry!"
Norman looked about, shifting warily
in the same way his father did. Clouds
marched up the sky, a black battalion
with reinforcements of fresher winds.
Lightning rasped out of the north
II came without warning, sudden
sheets from the heart of a somber
bank. beating spitefully on the earth.
Julie Richaud shivered
81 don't like it y she said. "Light-
ming, clouds, storms | always
want TO cry"
Norman stammered. 81 don't like
ii either. It's funny thing, Julie
"What?"
He plunged recklessly.
"The way my father likes bad
weather, way my mother didn't. She
used to tell me how 1t Numbered
worse than the crack of doom the
night ] was born"
ARE you afraid of storms?" she
asked.
NO" Norman protested Then:
I'm not sure, Julie. I've never been
out in a bad blow"
Julie leaned forward swiftly and
put both hands on Norman's knees.
Listen. Norman" she said. tits
all right to tell me that. But don't
tell anybody else. Other folks might
not understand ii the way | do. Nor
man. You're not afraid of storms You
may think you are, but you're not.
You're just afraid you might be. Your
mother wasn't scared Not really.
Why'd she marry sailor If she wasp
Norman was silent. He couldn't an
swer that He'd often wondered him.
self why his mother had married a
sailor, wondered at least why she mar
ried old Gustaf.
Julie arose briskly.
"Come." she bade," sits raining.
Let's 90 inside"
1t was pleasant in the Richaud liv.
ing room. Rain thumped down upon
the hard new shingles of the roof.
making a hollow. humming sound. IN
like the dull beat of storms against
the heavily beamed house of the Err
icksOns on the beach. In all way. the
room was unlike his fathers kitchen.
He knew his mother would have found
il much more friendly here than In
the stiff seamanIy house she had kept