The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-05-30
THEIR
ELOPEMENT
PROVED A
FAILURE
20 by d. j. Walsh.)

AIRY ELLEN was running
n away with her fathers best
1v friend. She felt warm and
excited in her new blue suit
and she gazed demurely straight ahead
at the road that was unwindng before
them.
Happy, Mary Elem" her compan-
ion queried, smiling fatuously at her.
He was ford and somewhat stocky
and his eyes held a too bright CLEAN.
"Yes, Mr. West" Mary Ellen agreed
respectfully.
But you promised not to call me-
Mr.. West, little Honeybunch," he
chided her.
"Oh! yes" Mary Ellen sighed. "But
you see I've called you that all my
life. lit doesn't seem exactly re-
spectful to call you-John."
Mr. West laughed loudly.
you'll get over all that when you're
my wife and mistress Of farm
you'll be mistress of two farms when
your old man cashes in"
Mary Ellen was silent, vague hurt
creeping beneath her ribs. She didn't
exactly like Mr.. West to talk about
her father like that.
She wondered if she would like be-
ing married. II had been rather fun
lately to have Mr.. West bring her
boxes of candy and smile at her as If
she were chocolate cake or peach ice
cream. Ii would be fun, too, to play
with his children. Jack was just a
year older than herself. 1t had been
lonely at her home with her folks so
strict and not letting boys come to see
her. Father had laughed and mother
had smiled at Mr. Vests boxes OF
candy. She wondered what they
would say when they knew she was
really married.
"Only ten miles farther to this here
town where we're going to get hitched
up" Ir. West Grated, sending his
fiivver forward with a little burst of
speed.
Mary Ellen jumped. She had been
looking at the pretty houses they
were passing. She was sorry the ride
was almost over.
Mr.. West somehow did not appear
as much a man of the world in the
city as he had up on the farm. He
didn't know in which direction the city
hall was, and when he inquired of a
traffic cop he winked at him and tried
to be funny.
At the city hall an eld-maidish look
| ing woman surveyed them keenly and
asked a lot of senseless questions.
"How old are you?" she queried of
Mary Ellen.
Eighteen, come last June" Mary
Ellen replied promptly.
The woman yanked the sheet out of
her typewriter with a jerk.
81 can't issue you license-yOu're
too young Have to be twenty-one."
Mary Ellen thought that the
woman's eyes rested upon her rather
pityingly. 1t wasn't as If she were
sorry about her not getting married.
but as if she were sorry about some
thing else.
man whispered something to Mr..
West as they went out.
go over the border. The age over
there's eighteen"
Mary Ellen sighed. She was getting
tired. and she had thought that what
the woman said would settle the mat
ter and she wouldn't have to get mar
ried.
After all marriage might not be as
| pleasant as people limited by laughs
and winks.
They scuttled along over bumpy
roads. and after asking the way sew
eral times located an UNCOVERED
court house.
Another couple were there ahead of
them. The girl was just little older
than Mary Ellen, but the boy was very
different from Mr.. West He was tall
and straight and sun-tanned. and
when his blue eyes rested on the girl
they lighted up like church windows.
/ Mary Ellen suddenly noticed how
very red Mr.. Vests cheeks were and
how his eyes were imbedded in little
puffs of fat. His coat sagged where
the boys shoulders held his nice and
straight.
Mary Ellen felt slightly sick when
Mr.. West marched up to the clerk and
button-holed him with Sinking grim
! "This little lady and want to get
! marriage license"
/ Mary Ellen's hands were like ice.
She responded eighteen" very family,
and when the clerk accepted her age
without comment her heart sank TO
her toes. She had begun to hope that
maybe this clerk would object to her
age, too.
slow long have you been resi-