The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-01-09
The Handsome Man
by Margaret 7HT1sbHH

L mink you're perfect! PerlecL uo
you get me? / wouldn't have an inch
OF you changed. Dammit, I've got sort
Of an affection for you. I've fought 1t
down, / don't mind telling you. say
ing TO myself 1t was fair foolishness
to get drawn into caring about anyone
belonging TO your generation. Fool
ishnessl It's ruinousi Look at
Robertai I've cared for her more
than any human being i have ever
known-and she grudges few hours
out of her round Of pleasure to help
out her old dad"
He stopped abruptly. His secretary
was looking at him so oddly.
Il think you are quite wrong, sir,
he declared. I'm very sure you are.
Whys if you will think Of il, she might
have given her life in just those few
hours you asked. / really don't think
you realized that"
GOOD Cd" exclaimed Roberta's
father. Il didn't She made so
light Of it"
Her fathers daughter" said the
younger man, with a smile which made
MacBeth's heart warm TO him again.
He looked at his secretary keenly.
"And yet you don't like Roberta
overly much"
Sir George flushed. "She doesn't
like me. ynu mean. l think her most
attractive
Macbeth meditated a few moments
in silence, then apparently dismissed
everything but the business in hand
from his mind and said: What about
the police?''
His secretary hesitated. 81 think
your daughter would rather not have
them called in" said he.
Macbeth frowned ''Why should she
not want the police called in?"
Sir George waited a moment, and
then said slowly: 81 don't know. may
be you could find out. I'll leave you
to question her"
He went through the window as
Roberta entered the room
Her father touched the bandaged
hand lightly. Doctor seen il yetT
be asked
Roberta shook her head. Hes CON-
ing soon" She hesitated, and looked
at her father imploringly. Il think I'd
like to see him here where you are.
thought that you could keep him from
telling anybody about how | got my
hand hurt I'd rather not have people
know. l. think ii was just some poor
frightened boy who had been shooting
ar a rabbit, or a-hawk."
Its funny. then" her father said,
that he should shoot the top of Sir
Georges hat so neatly"
Roberta turned white. "Oh, no."
she said, ''he didn't mean to do that.
1t was an accident-that it hap
pened So"
at looks like intention TO me-" her
father retorted. Il think, my girl, I'll
speak TO the police myself. not espe-
cially about this, but about keeping
an eye on the construction camp.
can say I'm afraid of bootlegging
among the workmen, if you like"
Roberta nodded THAT might do"
She paused and went toward the win
dow. "Of course, Father. | don't want
to make things harder or more dan
gerous for Sir George, but | think
he's all excited about American gunner
and things like that and is liable to
imagine any little accident is part of
a big plot TO get him. You're not
going TO send him up with that money,
are you?"
Here comes the doctor and your
aunt" Robert Macbeth warned her.
Then in answer TO her question: las
to that, my lass. I've got to send
somebody. Why not my secretary"
Roberta shrugged her shoulders.
Her father looked al her sternly, won
dering. Did she, as his secretary Lad
limited. know more than she told? He
could hardly credit that
Roberta" he said impulsfvely, do
you know any reason why Sir George
should be made target?"
She shook her head. Il can't IN
derstand it al ALL"
Her father felt the sincerity in her
voice. WELL" he admitted, Its a
puzzle"
Sir George strolled back and forth.
back and forth, trying to puzzle out
whether Roberta had or had not seen
the man who fred the shot. His mind
continually rejected the thoughf that
the girl, with all her bad manners and
temper, could play such a part. And
yet? Unable to decide, he finally
determined TO stop thinking about it.
Time would tell. 1t seemed iupos-
sible that Robert MacBeth's daughter
could be in league with her fathers
enemies. And yet what else did her
silence mean? Sir George was posi-
tive, despite her carefully worded
answers. that she had seen enough of
the man who fired the shot to know
or suspect much more than she had
cared to tell