The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-02-26
John Gresham Girl

OF the garden, they stopped. and he
turned and faced her abruptly. They
were wrapped in shadow Through
which their faces showed oddly white.
MY answer. Lucy. | must
| have il. After all these years.
All these years of utter devotion
| You are going o marry me. dar-
| ling aren't your
The tearing feaI in his odd. ragged.
| imploring voice cut al Lucy's heart
and brought the hot pressure OF tears
the briefest moment still and silent
her eyes loking blindly into the deep
est shadow. And although IL seemed
| TO her that she had never seen any
thing so terrible as ais pleading voice,
| yet in that moment all her doubts fell
away as If they had been no more
than the little perplexities OF child
hood. She did not love Oliver; never
had; never could; ii seemed amazing.
! in that moment Of revelation. that
| doubt should ever have existed: she
was suddenly so unquestionably sure.
1 A1nC AOANCd lAC NOluS W iACl ups
mo; I'm sorry awfully sorry.
But l must say no.
His face. seen through the shadow.
all white and drawn. was terrible.
And then, suddenly, she was swept
up into his arms and his kisses were
hot on her face; his frenzied pleading
in hen ears. But she could only
say:
No. I'm sorry. No 1.
| let me 60.
He released her after a mad mo-
ment, muttered something. opened the
door and was gone And she
stood as he had left her, one hand
crushed TO her mouth, her neart beat
ing wildly.
As she stood there, James Lees
voice came TO her:
1.-The twenty minutes was up exact
ly one minute and thirty-five seconds
| ago."
She turned swiftly, and he caught
| her arm TO steady her. For a moment
she chung blindly to him, like a little
overweight girl And he let her.
Until she steadied up and drew away.
looking up at him. with the moonlight
in her tear-filled eyes.
$50 you did not find it difficult. after
all, TO know what you feel for person.
even when you have known him all
| your life?" he said slowly.
The moonlight showed him the quick
| flush that rose TO her cheeks.
NO." she answered, her voice a
whispe-. Il seemed :. to know
quite suddenly. l seemed to be quite
sure"
What made you surey' he went on.
"T. don't know. :"
"What made you sure?" he per-
sisted.
"Oh, / don't know | don't
know" she cried. LET me go in"
She started forward. but he caught
her hack:
"Tll tell you" he said. 1T is that
have made you sure"
She stopped stone still in the middle
of the path and looked up at him with
VIDE, amazed eyes Amazed and
startled; as if she found herself face
to face with something that was so
much a revelation as to be almost
terrifying. He stood still, too. look
ing down ar her. Yet again their eyes
met and held; and to her il seemed
that the whole. shadowy world around
them was palpitating with the wild
beating of her heart.
1t was true. what he said. IT
was he who had made her sure. :.
He, with his dark. thunderous eyes
and wide, unsmiling lips; with the
queer, grim force of him; the sugges-
ton of power; of relentless strength.
And that nameless, unfathomable I'M
happiness that caught at her heart
les, it was he Because
loved him.
He watched the tremulous realiza-
ton dawn in her moonlit eyes, and il
awoke no chivalry or tenderness in him.
Instead, triumph swept him headily.
Already, he had brought Ames dreams
to nothing; already he had robbed
the man who had coldly refused. three
years ago. to believe in his innocence.
of all that made life most worth liv-
ing. The next step would be easy.
for she, child that she was. was making
il so easy for him. To take her from
her father; TO take her cOldly, with
only hate in his heart. and let those
two men who loved her look on while
he broke the tender, childish heart of
her; banished the sweet youth and
joyousness from her blue eyes and the
happy smile from her lips. Triumph
beat hot within him. but he carried
it no further then: he Just bowed be-
fore her, offering his arm and said:
NOW take me in and feed me,
please"
Her eyes were the most exquisite
things imaginable, and her smile so
soft and tremulous that it was scarce
Iy smile at all. as she put her girlish
hand through his arm.
But Lee was saying within himself:
"She's making it easy. She's max
ing it easy.
The supper room, when they en-
tered it together, was already more
! than half full. Some of the tables
were only large enough for two;
others could accommodate parties. but.
large or small. they were nearly al oc-
cupied. There was. however. an avail
able one in an alcove, which salts
fed Lee.
Lucy was thankful for the seclu-
sion OF this little table, for her heart
was beating fast. and she knew that