The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-10-18
IN THE
LOCKED
DRAWER
xxxxxxxxx*xxx X X X X Y X X xxxi
(0 by D. J. Walsh.p

4 Ted glanced up from the letter
MI he was writing. conscious Of a
i y steady stare. Frances was
looking at him. Not looking as
one looks at one she loves-as wife
should look, he reflected. So seriously
was she contemplating him that she
was entirely unaware that he was
looking at her. After moment he
lowered his head and continued the
letter.
He had intended to write at least
another page. Now. however. he felt
upset. Why had Frances regarded
him so strangely? Did she suspect
that he had committed some misde-
meanor of which he was entirely
guiltless? She had not seemed sTs-
picious. Her look had been more a
blank stare at him as though she
were hardly aware of him as a person.
But why had she looked like that?
She had gone now to her own room.
After a moments thought about his
letter, a profitless moment. Ned fol-
lowed her. II there was anything
wrong between them, and he felt sure
that there must be from her gaze, he
must get it Strengthened out prompt
~. The door of her room was slight.
ly ajar and without the slightest In
tentiOn of spying Ned paused. In that
second he saw her lock drawer in
her desk and glide toward the other
door of her room.
Ned scowled What had she locked
in that drawer? In all their married
life they had never, as far as he knew
at least, had any secrets from each
other. Never had there been any
locked drawer or locked anything else.
He strobe across the room and stood
before the little writing-desk. For
a long time she had had a picture
frame lying there, face down, its vel
vet back waiting to be removed for
the picture she wished to put in.
Frances was conventional. She
wanted to have a picture of her hus-
band framed on her writing desk as
had so many another Mrs. Rabbit
the country over. And Ned hated to
sit for a picture. always feel like
fool" he said. So Frances had never
had a picture of her husband to put
in the silver frame. In the lazy fash.
ion he always kept saying that he
would have picture taken one of
these days but the days slipped into
weeks and months and still the frame
remained empty.
And now the frame was gone, too
Puzzled, Ned eyed the desk drawer.
He thrust his hands deeply into the
rear pockets of his trousers. He want.
ed to reach out to try the drawer.
Perhaps it wasn't locked at all. Per-
haps she
The front door closed at this mo-
ment and Ned knew that his wife was
gone. He had the apartment all to
himself. He-he would try the draw
err to make sure! His face flushed,
for he hated to stoop to anything like
prying into his wife's affairs. The
drawer, when he pulled at it gently,
was locked. He took little bronze
hairpin that lay nearby on her pencil
tray and picked at the lock hastily.
He must know what it was that she.
had locked in there.
The lock did not give easily. Be
fore it yielded to his pin, his face was
red both from STOPPING and embarrass-
ment. Then when it opened he pulled
out the drawer hastily to see-the
face Of another man staring up at
him!
Ned could scarcely believe his eyes.
The mans serious eyes met his frank
ly and directly quite as though he had
a perfect right to be locked In
Frances drawer. There was certain
ly no secret as to the mans identity
because scrawled across the right.
hand corner. diagonally, were the
words:
Faithfully yours,
WEBB AMES."
swell! I'll be darned!" gulped Ned.
81 wonder just what he aims to do?"
He looked at it moment longer
and then deliberately placed his hands
on either edge to tear that SNUG face
directly across the middle. He had
not heard the door open. Frances
stood there looking at him, amazed.
"Don't you dare tear that!" she
said suddenly.
He whirled to face her.
"Who-who is this MANI" he de-
manded In tense tones.
A pickering smile made its way
through her amaZement. "His name
is right there" she said calmly.
"What does he do-for q living"
demanded Ned. manlike.
"He's an actor" she replied coolly.
Ned wanted to stagger backward,
but he controlled his limbs manfully.
An actor! Ye godsl So Frances was
like all womenl
He noticed now that she had the
silver frame in her hands. Instantly
he knew that she was going to frame
this picture. 1t was too large for the
frame, but the scissors in her hands
explained what she intended to do
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