The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-05-27

N ! home the notorious Minnie
w Dupont as bride to the square
stone house he had occupied
as a bachelor, he must have done so
with his eyes fully open to possible
consequences.
The consequences were of course
that nobody called. Within three
months after the marriage, the area
of silence and isolation around the
Thomas Ardens was like a vast park
affording them more privacy than
they knew what TO do with.
Minnie was not accepted. The cir
Giles in which Tom had moved as
popular bachelor might have vanished
in thin air so far as his further par
ticipation in them was concerned.
Not that they had actually vanished.
The prosperous town in which Tom
had prospered simply turned a cold
shoulder upon the advent of Minnie
into Toms life, and resented what
was regarded as outrage.
Minnie had what is known as an
unsavory reputation.
Eligible Tom Arden's marriage to
her came as the proverbial clap of
thunder. The community gasped,
gossiped, turned its back. The play
full, good-humored, good-natured, alb
sOlutely dauntless qualities which
had first attracted Tom to Minnie
now stood their test. Minnie saw TO
it that, one way or another, Toms
home was source of constant delight
TO him. Her laughter rang in it, her
def handiwork transformed it, her
skillful cookery made it's table an cpl
curean's delight, and her bold efful-
gent beauty thrived in it.
If, in the long watches of the day,
there descended upon Minnie, whose
spirits loved to soar, long fits of ire
concilable depression, Tom was not
to know it. The woman whose life
had been filled with activities and
gayeties from one day to the other
accepted this strange new lot without
reference to it, without whimper, with
out complaint.
Sometimes blatant things happened
that brought color to her face and
caused her avalanches of secret tears.
The Ravenels, who lived next door,
family of social prestige and no
wealth, had ever since the arrival of
the bride consistently kept the blinds
of all the windows which faced the
Arden house drawn to their limits.
Before his marriage it had been
Toms habit to shout across the lawn
to the Ravenels from his own side
windows. Minnie knew that, because
time and time again Tom used to de-
scribe to her his habit of waving
goodnight to the four-year-old Dotty
Ravenel, who was his pet.
Not once, since their arrival from
the honeymoon, had Minnie so much
as clapped eyes upon Dot. The Raw
enels, along with the rest Of the COM
munity, turned cold shoulder, but
in the case Of the next-door neigh
bors the shoulder was most obvious.
The skill with which Minnie domi-
mated the difficult situation was ex-
traOrdinary. There came time when
Tom began to make references with
anger to their behavior. Not on his
own account. AS a matter of fact,
Tom was happier than he had ever
dreamed he could be. But his heart
hurt angrily for Minnie. "Your lit
tie finger is worth more than the whole
gang Of Them" was his frequent way
of summing up the situation. "Pll
take my business away from every
u.s."
81 wouldn't do that dear. What
does it matter? Now, this is what /
would do: I'd go my way and not
harbor resentment. Life is short and
hard enough at best. Forgive"
What could you do about a woman
like that! Couldn't sour her. Couldn't
get her to admit a heartburn or a
snub.
"Next time / see Lucy Ravenel on
the street, I'm going to walk up to
her and tell her where she gets Off"
IL wouldn't do that. This is what
l would do. I'd ignore it and see if
in time she doesn't sort of come
around to realization of how petty it
all is.
Bless her. Didn't need brick
house to fall on Tom, as he put it to
himself, to make him understand that
inside she was hurting and aching and
bluer than her beautiful eyes. Minnie,
who had been born and reared in no.
torious environment, was accustomed
to attention.
Minnie cried, sometimes great deal.
Alone. But then there was always the
redeeming miracle of Tom. The mir
acle of the man who had suddenly
brought into her life quiet, new, and
lasting significance.
One cheerfully endured loneliness
for that, and secret heartache and
wounded pride and decorating humili-
alton.