The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-07-12
The Trail of 90

in fine faltering hand and so full
of gentle affection. brought the tears
to my eyes; SO that IL was very
bleakly | leaned against the ships raj
and watched the hustle of departure
1--we just heard from the folks"
said, land | feel like going back OH
you"
| "Uh, beat it," he cried; ''you cant
renig now. You've got to see the
thing through. What you want TO dc
is TO get busy and make yourself ac
quainted. Say Of all the lOcoed
outfits this here aggregation has got
everything else skinned to a hard,
boiled finish. They've got a notion
they've just got to get up there and
pick big nuggets out of the water like
cherries out of cocktail. It's the
limit"
Our eyes rOved round from group
to group. picking out characteristic
| figures.
Salvation Jim was talking to two
! men.
There's a pair of winners. put
| my money on them. Native-bOrn
Americans. all grit and get-up. See
the tall one smoking a cigar and
| looking at the women? He's an ath,
| lete. Names Mervin. See the 9th,
er. HewsOn's his name; solid as y
tower; muscled like bear: built
from the ground up You can't down
man like that"
He indicated another group
Now there's three birds of prey
Bullhammer, Marks and MOsher. The
big. pig-eyed heavy-jOwled one is Bull
hammer. He's in the saloon business
| The middle-sized one in the plug hat
| Is Marks; calls himself q mining
broker. The thirds Jake Mosher
He's an out-and-Out gambler, sure
thing man, once was a parson."
"A bad-lOOking bunch" said.
"Yes. there's heaps like them on
board. just get next to those two
Jews, Mike and Rebecca Winklestein.
They're going to open up sporty
restaurant"
The man was small bandy-legged
creature, with eyes that .squinted, q
complexion like ham fat and waxed
mustaches. But it was the woman
who seized my attention. Never did
see such a strapping Amazon. six
foot If an inch. and massive in pro-
portion. She was handsome, too. in
swarthy way, though near at hand
her face was sensuous and bold. Dan
gerous, INSCRIPTIONS and cruel,
thought; man-woman, a shrew, a
termagant!
But was growing weary OF the
crowd and longed to go below. was
no longer interested. yet the voice of
the PrOdigal droned In my ear.
There's an old man and his grand
daughter, relatives of the Wrinkle.
stems. ] believe. | think the old fel
lows got a screw loose. Comes from
Poland. Speaks Yiddish or some such
jargOn. Only English be knows is
'KlOndike, KlOndike.' The girl looks
hearthroken. poor little beggar. You're
not listening to what I'm saying
Look, why don't you'll"
So, to please him, turned full
round and looked. An old man. patri-
archal in aspect. crouched on the
| deck. Erect by his side, with her
hand on his shoulder. stood slim
figure in black, the figure of girl.
| Indifferently my eyes travelled from
her feet to her face. There they
rested. drew deep breath. for
| got everything else. Then for the
| first time saw-Berna.
| will not try to depict the girl Pen
descriptions are so futile | will only
say that her face was very pale. and
that she had large pathetic gray eyes.
Twas the face, thought, of vir.
| gin martyr with a fear-haunted look
hard to forget.
poor little beggarI'
| Then | cursed myself for a senti.
mental impressionist and | went be.
We three had been separated in the
shuttle, and knew not who was to
| be my roommate. Feeling very down.
hearted. stretched myself ON the up
per. berth, and yielded TO a mood of
penitential sadness. AS lay, there
came voices to my door. cultural
T tones blended with liquid ones; lastly
timid knock. Quickly | answered 1t.
SIS this room number forty-seven? p
soft voice asked.
/ Even ere she spoke OWNED 1t was
the Jewish girl of the gray eyes.
YES" answered her.
She led forward the old man.
"This is my grandfather. The
steward told us this was his room"
"Oh. all right: he'd better take the
lower berth"
THANK you, indeed: he's an old
man and not very strong"
| Her voice was clear and sweet, and
there was an infinite tenderness in
the tone.
"You must come in" | said. "I'll
leave you with him for a while Sc
that you can make him comfortable
THANK you again." she responded
gratefully.
So withdrew, and when | returned
she was gone; but the old man slept
peacefully.
1t was late before turned in. Ev.
cry one had gone below, | thought.
i and the Loneliness pleased me.
| Suddenly | heard sound of Sob
hing. the merciless sobbing of won,
ans breast WOnderingly looked
around Then. I'm shadow of the
upper deck. made out a slight girl
figure. crouching all alone II was
Grey Eyes. crying fit to break her
heart.
"Poor little beggar!" | muttered
.