The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-11-15
CHAPTER II-Continued


enough. and content; buI we had
never been much amused tie amused
Us. He made US laugh He took the
mechanical player of the old grand
piano, and played II as we had never
before heard II played He spoke
pieces and sang funny songs Cntil we
held our sides with laughing. He was
a ventrilOQuist. and a mimic besides
He could initiate all of our voices
to T.
Martha adOred him He played
with her by the hour. He made two
dolls, like and Pat for ner. and he
would let them sit on her knees while
he made them talk for her.
At the emo of November, when be
began to talk about leaving, Sam
offered him a hundred and fifty
month to stay on. be said. ike HUI
bert Hand had said, What for?"
For living" Sam said
Chad laughed and shook his head
Double it, then" Sam urged 81
wouldn't have you leave the pIaC-,
and Martha, for three hundred a
month; so why shouldn't pay 1t to
have you stay?"
Chad never would take any regular
money from Sam. But be stayed on.
He called himself the Perpetual
Guest-P. G." for short, but some of
the others said it stood for "Pollyanna
Gush" and called him Polly to twit
him. POllyanna may not be Iitera-
ture, don't know: but a person Of
that nature is most unccmmonly pleas
ant to have around the house
The girls got here on Friday, the
eighth of May. Sam aud rode down
to 2attail in the sedan to meet them.
and John took the small truck down
to bring up their baggage.
| don't know what there Is about
riding in a train that turns folks
naughty and supercilious; but there Is
something that does. person who
would he right hearty and human on
his own two feet, sits In car win
dow and looks out al the platform
people as If they were something he
wanted TO be careful not to step on.
more windows, and had reached where
the girls were standing, was 80
heated up couldn't find a word to
say but. PLEASED TO meet you" which
was not the truth.
One of them smiled real sweet. and
said, Mary Upon my soul you
haven't changed at all In sixteen
years." and made as if to kiss me;
which / did ar once.
The other one gave me jerky nod,
and stood there. watching the train
pull out. until Sam. who had been
poking along behind me. managed to
catch up.
Uncle SAM" she exclaimed, laugh
ing and standing on tiptoe. and put
ting her hands on his shoulders. and
tipping her pointed chin up to him.
you dear, TO have as I had always
remembered that you were the big
gest man in the world. and now see
that | was right about IL"
Sam didn't kiss her, as she had ex.
pected him to. he patted her hands.
took them down of bis shoulders and
held them minute before he dropped
them and reached to shake hands
with the twin who mad kissed me.
well. now" he said this is sure
great Little girls all grown I'D to
ladies, and coming to see their old
uncle" (He had bitten Oh thar uncle
bait. though he was no more their
uncle than | was.) Which of YOU 3
which. nOwi Let's get you sorted
out, so can call you by uame.
used to get you all mixed up. when
you were little tykes-couIdn't tell
one from the other"
You won't have that trouble any
more" said the one who had nodded
al me- Il am Gabrielle. and that
prim little puss is Danielle People
never get confused about Us any
longer"
The population OF Rattail had come
running TO the depot, Of course. when
the train stopped: and, at last. swag-
gering his way among males. females,
Indians. cowpunchers. and dogs, here
came John
she caught sight of him. "Who Is
this picturesque man thing coming
toward usT' ......
John did look pretty fine, wearing
his new corduroy suit. and his shining
new feather puttees. and his new six
teen-dollar sombrero. Ee had even
gone so far as TO button up the collar
Of mis- brown flannel shirt
he" Sam answered. beaming with
pride. lis my boy, John"
How thrillingT" chirped Gabrielle
"It is like living in cinema. isn't il.
DannyT And of she went. sort of
skipping along the tracks. to meet
him.
When they met, John gave her
about the same attention that a pas
senger gives the ticket chopper at the
gate. in city depot. when ne sees
the train he is trying to catch moving