The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-03-07
The Wings of
Love
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

X
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Johnson roared, his tone sup
plying all the profanity the syllables
lacked: What's this you're sayin'f
Polly Mix has gone and bought the
Melloo place right under my nose?
Take my word-sheIl rue her bargain
before she's a year older"
Squire lay not. Maybe | don't
know wimmen nigh as well as you do,
but sorter reckon to know Miss
Polly from way back and the word
go. She makes er full hand at any
thing we've the mind ter start-bein'
good friends er bad. playfn' high er
low" Zeke Triplett answered.
eff she wus only he thar'd be
q chance to lick some er the con-
trariness out Of her." the squire re-
turned.
"D'ye know what she paid fer the
iandf" he continued suddenly. "Makes
me mad to think how set waitin' fer
the Melloo gals ter come ter my price.
I'd a-give theirs ruth'n have sech a
neighbor-"
"She won't bite unless We set her
back up" Zeke interrupted. "She paid
every cent she was asked and said,
why not? They've got land / want.
I've got money they want So they
traded"
Zeke laughed tantalizingly, then
said, Maybe hits all 'appened fer the
best-Miss Polly has took one Of her
Gray nieces ter live with her-so your
son Tommy can marry the place
that's cheaper'n buyin' hit"
"I1l disown him eff he even thinks
Of sech foolishness," the squire sput-
tered.
"Easyi easy" Zeke cautioned.
"Young schoolmaster Likens they tell
mes got a mortgage on the Gray gal
so after all ye may owe salvation
ter the breed"
With that he rode OF, laughing fit
fully and now and again rubbing his
hands.
Polly Mix had sloughed the Mrs"
when she buried her man-partly out
Of inchoate rebellion against the mar
ried woman status, more to aggravate
the tabby cats who had gossiped about
her ceaselessly since she was In short
frocks.
Elsa Gray was q sunbeam in the
sad Melloo house. Not sad for long
what with new paint, new paper,
daintily chosen furniture, books, flow
ers, outside and in. the place did not
know itself at the end of three months.
So avowed young Epictetus Likens
when he was permitted to come and
see 1t. He had known the place we'll
It had been his sole approach to q
home In his motherless boyhood-now
he found no trace Of what he remem-
bered.
Epictetus came Often-sOmetimes he
brought his father. Miss Polly quick
ly made her house, Cedar Trees, q
hospitable center, Squire Johnson
swallowed bis grievances, whatever
they were, and tagged along with son
Tommy, personable, broad-shOul-
dered, six foot fellow, as sunny-faced
as the squire himself was dour. Tom
my rather put Epictetus out of court,
but nothing to compare with the
eclipse that Likens pere cast over
the squire.
"You houndT the latter said at
fectionately to Tommy; 'if you go
and let that ganglin' big-nose, splay-
foot Likens fellow cut me out Of the
daughter have set my heart on you'll
be sorry for 1t good and plenty"
"Surest thing you know, sir" coun-
tered Tommy; ''but not on your ac-
c0unt-strictly on my own"
Likens pere talked to Miss Polly,
not his son. "You must know my wife
Is dead" he began, ELISE should not
be coming here. But I must tell you
something more-she went mad when
our boy was born-and tried to kill
him-her own little child. Thank God,
she never knew-after years of raw
ing she became imbecile. Too late
knew her mother had been the same
her mothers grandfather likewise.
So I am going to counsel my son
against marriage-especially now that
cynic fate has made him rich. Almost
on her deathbed his mother inherited
a fortune-a trust fund passes to him.
want him to get the good Of it
to travel, to see, know, hear, all that
is possible-thus he may escape the
family curse-at least not pass II on
/ have tried to save him by keeping
him busy, happy-and poor. You know
am not quite pauper, but l have
let him work his way as far as pos
sible. Now-what do you advise"
''Why ask me?" said Miss Polly.
He gave her a compelling look, saying
Because you have known all along
the truth-and helped me to face II as
never man was helped. was scarcel.
older than my eldest pupils when /
came to teach here. Your bright brav-
cry, your sympathy saved me from de-
SPAR. Can / requite all that by max
Ing the child of your love unhappy"
"Never you worry over that. Tom
my Johnson is sufficient antidote-
even ef 'Tetus hadn't the nose he car
ries," Miss Polly flung back at him.
"But, oh, how I'll miss the child
When / lose her 1t will be like the
world coming to Its end"
"Let me try to ill the void" Likens
pere said gently. "Pollyl Pollyl You
know how it was, could not love
thee, dear, so much, loved not honor
more"