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

IN 10 ger II for us. Amt you now
darlin'l" tKnock. knock. knock.)
Family. very family. heard q
voice:
mo"
II II be possible to scream In q
whisper, the woman did IL.
you Will you Will Oil OIL oh
There's the cursed mule spirit of your
mother in you. She'd never tell us
the name of the man that was the
ruin of 'er. blast err"
Don't speak of my mother, you
vile woman!"
The voice of the virago contracted
to an intensity of venom | have new
er heard the equal of.
vile wOmanl Vile womani You
you TO call me vile woman, me
that's been three times jined In holy
wedlock. OH. Won brati You
whelp of SIM Ton misbegotten scum
oh, Ill fix yOu for that. if I've got
to swing for t."
Her scalding words were capped
with an oath too foul to repeat, and
then came a horrible pounding, like
head striking the woodwork. I'm
able TO bear II any longer. raped
sharply Oh the door.
Silence, a long, painting silence
then the sound of falling body; then
the door opened a little and the
twitching face of Madam appeared
is there somebody sick?" ! asked.
I'm sorry TO trouble you. but was
thinking ! heard groans and might
be able to do something"
Piercingly she looked at me. why,
no! my niece in here's got a tooth
ache, but guess we can fix it be-
tween US. We don't need no help.
thanks, young feller."
"Oh, that's all right" | said. IF
you should. you know, I'll be nearby %
Then | moved away, conscious that
her eyes followed me inadvertently.
The business worried me sorely.
The poor girl was being woefully
abused, that was plain | felt indig-
! nant, angry and, last of all. anxious.
Mingled with my feelings was a sense
OF irritation that l should have been
elected to Overhear the affair. ! had
no desire just then to champion dis
tressed damsels, least of all to get
mixed up in the family brawls of >un-
known Jewesses. Confound her, any
wayl | almost hated her. Yet l felt
constrained to watch and wait, and
even at the cost of my own ease and
comfort to prevent further violence.
For that matter there were all kinds
of strange doings on board, drinking.
gambling, nightly orgies and hourly
brawls. 1t seemed as If we had
shipped all the human dregs of the
San Francisco dead-line.
AS l sat in silent thought there
came to me Salvation Jim. His face
was grim, his eyes brooding.
Il don't like the way of things a
Bit" he said; Il don't like it. There's
enough evil on this boat to stake a
subsection in hell. Sooner or later
there's goin' to be reckOnin'. There's
many one shoutin' an singing to-
night'll leave his bones to bleach up
In that bleak wild land"
mo. Jim," protested, "they will
be all right once they get ashore"
Right nothin'! You mark my
words, young Teller, for I'll never live
to see them fulfilled-there's ninety in
hundred Of all them fellers that's
goin' to this here Klondike will never
make good. an of the other ten. nine
won't do no good. AS for me, feel
as sure as Gods above us guidin' us
through the mazes of the night, I'll
never live to make the trip back. I've
got bunch. Old Jim's on his last
stampede"
He sighed. then said sharply:
did you see that Teller that passed
us?"
1t was Mosher, the gambler and ex-
preacher.
THAT mans skunk, q renegade
sky-pilot. I'm keepin' tabs on that
man. Maybe him an mes got a score
to settle one of them days. Maybe"
He went off abruptly, leaving me
to ponder long over his gloomy words.
Although he was my roommate ]
had seen but little of the old Jew.
He was abed before | retired and
was up and out ere he awoke. For
the rest avoided the two because of
their obvious connection with the
WinkleSteinS.
What was there about this slip of
a girl that interested me so? Ever
and anon | found myself thinking of
her. Was 1t the conversation | had
overheard? Was 1t the mystery that
seemed to surround her? Was ii the
irrepressible instinct of my heart for
the romance of life? With the old
man, despite our stateroom propin-
guilty had made no advances. With
the girl had passed no further
words.
But the gods of destiny act In
whimsical ways Doubtless the voy-
age would have finished without the
betterment of our acquaintance
doubtless our paths would have part
ed. nevermore TO cross: doubtless our
lives would have been lived out to
their fullness and this story never
have been told-had 1t not been for
the luckless fatality of the Box of
Grapes.
Puget sound was behind us and we
had entered on that great sea thar
stretched northward to the Arctic bar
rens. AS we forged through the
vague sea lanes. we were like gilt
tering trinket on the bosom of the
night. Our mad merriment scarce
ever abated. We were blare of rev.
elry and blaze of light. Excitement
mounted to fever heat
But one there was who. amid all