The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-04


these With her dark eyes raised {,
his. her face cameo-pale in its Iigat.
she was enough to thrill any young
mans heart. After alt Steven began
To think when he az last tired ut wait
ing daily for what the postman never
tie had found OUT In time that he and
Susan wee not suited TO each other
The cause OF their quarrel, George
Handicapped. was back at the hotel hui
on him Steven bent an Indifferent
eye. lie was too dapper TO suit u
Was popular with the women and
girls.
Ii did not occur TO Steven thai
Isabel might he attracted because she
had so devoted herself TO him since
his trouble. And when one night, in
stead of finding her waiting for him
in their special veranda corner. Stew
CT stumbled upon isabel standing In
the moonlight with George Rander-
pool. her hand in his, the same tight
in her eyes she had bent on himself.
IL was distinct shock.
This was too much. He felt tina;
he was through with women forever
and all of Isabel's efforts to talk To
him the following day he successfully
foiled. That il was injured pride in
stead of broken heart in this case
was what he did not realize. Very tall.
very white, he stakeG about the
woods. solitary, musing upon life in
general and girls in particular. There
could not identify, but of one thing he
was sure. he did not care if never
again he laid eyes on Susan Card or
Isabel Dewey or any girl whatever!
Steven made things very difficult
for his samily during those weeks
elapsins before he should leave for
his last year in an eastern college.
His patient mother thought grimly
OF the things she should like to say
10 both the young women who had
brought him to this pass. And Susan,
in her opinion. was pre-eminently the
one and only girl for her son. But
she learned not to mention her name.
She kissed him goodby and sent him
on his way at last.
He sat in the little launch bearing
him away TO the village and the train.
His mother stood, a placid, middle
aged figure, on their dock, waving
longingly in his direction, a tiny speck
of white in one hand occasionally
dabbing her eyes. This was the fourth
year she had waved him goOdby and
Godspeed-and it was the first time
that another figure, Slighter, taller,
golden, had not waved more vigorous
ly but as yearningly from the end of
the Cards dock. Stevens lips were
set hard as he waved his hat in re-
Spouse to his mother. The unidentified
ache rolled over and through and
well-nigh obliterated him. The con-
slant nagging ut his inmoSt soul which
had tortured him for weeks suddenly
grew into an intolerable hurt and his
throat sweled as it might have done
ten years before.
Man though he was, there was
film over his eyes and the launch APP
preaching them from the direction
of the village was almost abreast be-
fore Steven Eoted its single passenger.
AS he recognized Susan Card in the
stern seat, Susan tritle thinner and
very sober, the unidentified ache with
in him suddenly vanished. The mere
sight of her cured it. She saw him
at the same moment.
Both of them sprang to the sides
of their boats. reaching out to each
Other-and because the boatmen knew
the affairs of the lake people, and
these two especially. with no direc-
tions whatever from their fares they
jockeyed their crafts about and shut
off their engines. In the stiffness the
two launches drifted together and two
hands clasped at last. There were
tears in Susan's eyes.
"Wh-what an idiot I've been, Stew
en!" she gasped.
you've nothing on me-" Steven
stammered in his relief and excite
ment. And there in the middle of
Crescent lake they kissed each other
for all the world to see if it chose.