The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-10-25

held the glass WITH shaking
hand:
"whats the matter. old mani
| You're ill.,"
clutched him by the arm.
"Garry. there's some one In that
room"
Nonsense there's no one there"
'There is, tell you, Listeni Don't
you hear them breathing?"
he was quiet Distinctly could
hear the painting of human breath.
was going mad could stand It no
longer.
Garry" ! gasped, I'm going to
See. I'm going to see."
Hold on" ~
Leave go. mani I'm going. say
You won't hold me. Let go. ! tell
you, let go-Now come out. come out.
whoever you are-Ahp
Ii was a woman.
Hal" cried, ~ told you so, broth
err; q woman. ! think know her.
too. Here, let me see-l thought
So"
|
the light II was Berna.
Her face was white as chalk, her
eyes dilated with terror. She trem
bled. She seemed near fainting.
Il thought So"
Now that 1t seemed the worst was
betrayed to me. was strangely calm
made her sit down She said no
| word, but looked at me with wild
pleading In her eyes. No one spoke.
There we were, the three of Us
Berna faint with fear. CHASTITY, pitt
full: calm, yet calm with strange.
unnatural calmness, and Garry-he
surprised me. He had seated himself
and with the greatest sang-froid he
was lighting q cigarette.
A long tense silence. At last
broke It.
''What have you got to say for
yourself. Garry?" | asked.
II was wonderful how calm be was
| Looks pretty bad, doesn't it, broth.
err" he said gravely.
ayes. It couldn't look worse"
| "That's So" He rose and turned
up the light of large reading lamp.
then coming to me he looked me
square In the face. Abruptly his
casual manner dropped. He grew
sharp. forceful; his voice rang clear.
Listen TO me. | came out here TO
save you. and I'm going TO save you.
You wanted me to believe that this
girl was good. You believed It, You
were bewitched. befnoled, blinded !
could see 1t, but had to make you
/ see 1t. | had to make you realize
how worthless she was, how her love
for you was sham, a pretense to
prey on you. How could | prove 1t?
You would not listen to reason: l
had to take other means. Now, hear
me-" ... l..
IL hear" g 81. .E.....T
81 laid my plans For three
months I've tried to conquer her. TO
win her love, to take her from you
She was truer to you than | had bar
gained for; | must give her credit
for that. She made good fight. but
think | have triumphed. Tonight
she came to my room at my invita-
| ton"
"Well7"
well. You got a note. Now, }
| wrote that note. planned this
scene, this discovery. planned II
so that your eyes would be opened
so that you would see what she was
hnf OF hnr
-unfaithful. wanton. a."
"Hod ON there" broke in; broth
er of mine or no, ! won't hear you
call her those names; no, not If she
were ten times as unfaithful. You
won't, | say. I'll choke the words fn
your throat I'll kill you, if you ut.
ter word against her. Oh, what
have you done?"
'Whaf have I doneI Try to be
calm, man. What have done? Well.
this is what I've done, and it's the
lucky day for you I've done it. I've
saved you from shame; Eve freed you
from sin; I've shown you the base
ness of this girl"
He rose to his feet.
'Oh, my brother, I've stolen from
you your mistress; that's what I've
DONE"
"Oh. no, you haven't" groaned
God forgive you. Garry; God for
give you'll She's not my-not what
you think. She's my wifer'
| thought that he would faint His
face went white as paper and he
shrank back. He gazed at me with
wild. straining eyes.
God forgive mel Oh, why didn't
you tell me, boy? You should have
trusted me. You should have told me.
When were you married"
Just month ago. was keeping
1t as surprise for you. was wait
ing till you said you liked and thought
well of her. Oh. | thought you would
be pleased and glad, and was treas
uring ii up to tell you"
"This is terrible, terriblei 70
His voice was choked with agony
On her chair, Berna dropped wear.
lily. Her wide. staring eyes were fixed
on the floor in pitiful perplexity.
"Yes, it's terrible enough. We were
so happy. We lived so joyously to-
gether. Everything was perfect,
heaven for us both. And then you
came, you with your charm that
would lure an angel from high heav.
en-. You tried your power on my poor
little girl. the girl that never loved
but me. And ! trusted you, tried
to make you and her friends. | left
you together. In my blind innocence
| aided you In every way-a simple,
loving fool. You came like SER
pent, feIl. crawling thing, to steal