The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-10-19

lis that you-is that Doris? Yes, it's
mel It's Jim, all right. Couldn't fool
you, Ell? I'm just in.-Pm very well,
and you?-That's fine. When can /
see you? How about this evening,
after dinner2-Yes.-Tha be won
derful-yes. How Is Rollin? Good.
All right, after dinner then-Au re-
vIir."
During this conversation Wilson's
eyes never left Stanley's face. As
Stanley's ear caught for the first time
the sound of the well-known voice,
there flashed across his face q look
that was not lost upon the secretary
"a look that told In a fraction of a
second tn secret of his heart. If
Wilson had been in any doubt before,
that doubt was ended. Swiftly his
nd worked. Ought he to tell Stan.
ley everything that he knew, and ev
erything that he guessed about Water
mans affairs and his relations with
his wife? Or ought he to hold his
tongue about it and let Stanley see
for himself, make his own observa.
lions, draw his own deductions-and
answer questions when they were
asked? AS Stanley hung up the re-
ceiver, Wilson decided to hold bis
tongue for the present.
Doris Colby Lung up the telephone
receiver automatically. Her heart
bounded in her breast. Jim Stanley
vas back !-Jim!! A wave Of happi-
ness surged o-er her whole being. For
the first time in months she was hap
py. In little while she would see
him again, take his hand, hear his
vOice-EcStasy A few moments of
sensation, then a chilling thought
What should she say to him?
Swiftly her mind reviewed the
events of her life since Jim had gone
4. 7ay. She could not talk of that
she must not let him guess to what
a pass things had come. There had
been changes enough in many ways,
but she suddenly realized that nothing
had changed in relation to Jim.
Nothing-yet everything. Then she
had believed him to be q scOundrel.
She had accepted Nina Morgan's story
at its face value. Now she disbe-
lieved 1t utterly She had recovered
her faith in Stanley. Why? Why?
1t was illogical. There was no sense
in it. Why was it?
At this instant the door of her
morning room opened, and her hus-
band appeared. Instantly, with the
terrifying illumination of a flash of
lightning the answer flashed upon her.
1t was because she loved Jim STAN
ley! This she knew suddenly, beyond
peradventure of doubt, as she looked
upon her husband. In the great white
light of this illumination all her life
suddenly took On a new meaning,
now value. Cold dark places were
lighted up, old proportions were re-
arranged. Her husband was there.
b; t he meant nothing. Jim had re-
turnedl n a little while she would
see him! She could think of nothing
else. What Waterman said to her
and what she answered him she could
never remember.
1t was not until they sat at dinner
half an hour later that she was able
to think. Her first impulse was to
telephone Stanley not to come That
would be the wise thing to do. She
must have time to get herself together,
to determine what she ought to do,
organize her forces to carry IT
through. She had plenty of time dur
ing the meal for reflection. She and
Rollin had little to say to each other
these days that was not perfunctory.
Just now he himself had sufficient ma
terial for reflection, so that the meal
passed in all ost total silence.
In the drawing-room, after dinner,
he broke silence that had lasted
some moments.
''Doris. old girl" he said, "I'm sorry
to be so dull tonight-but the fact Is
I'm terribly worried"
With an effort she turned her mind
to what he was saying. whats the
matter?"
ooh, business, as usual"
"YOu've been specializing againT
"Well-yes."
81 suppose l need scarcely remind
you that you promised me, not once,
! but many times, to keep out of the
stock market"
81 know"
Sand that you've repeatedly broken
your promise"
"YOu don't understand, Doris. There
are times when it seems impossible
to do anything else, and when a man
gets as deep in hole as / am. he'll
take almost any chance to get out.
He's got to-"
SLOW deep is this hole you're in?"
SHOT so very deep, but it's deep
enough to bury me In If l don't get
out Of it.-Oh, I wouldn't tell you
about 1t, II ] weren't driven to it.
It's humiliating enough for a man to
be forced to ask his wife for money,
even IL she has plenty of It."
Doris allowed herself the first Jeer
of her married life. "It's humilia-
tion," she said, ''to which you seem
to have accustomed yourself pretty
well. | don't mean to be ungenerOus,
but you know how often this has hap
pened."
"That's true enough" be admitted.
1--WE no excuse except that I've had
the rottenest luck that anyone could
imagine. Everything I've touched has
gone wrong. and now, we;l,-if can't
raise $4,000 by Tomorrow morning,
shall be completely wiped ont"
"You mean The bus!nnss-?"
"Oh, no, no. he said hastily, "the
business is all right This is my per-,
sonal account"
Doris had not been listening TO bis