The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-07-08
share in Linforths to your father.

| have lived in the middle of money all
your life! To say nothing of having
mighty great heap of your own. :"
II haven't got it now" she an
swered quickly. 81 gave it to dad to
help Gresham's along a bit. SO you see
I'm poor, too. -. :" He uttered a
cry as he turned on his heel and
stared out of the window.
$50 you did work against me, after
ALL" he said slowly.
Against you? No, dear. For you.
couldn't let you succeed. Too
CHASTITY a defeat, really. . !. Aren't
you sure of that yourself?"
Yes. I'm sure of it. l didn't know
that it was your money. Doesn't
it set an insurmountable barrier be-
tween u.s."
could mere money do such thing?
Could it be powerful enough? Besides,
on the contrary, if you are going to
be poor again, it makes us equal. :"
Without turning he said:
"You are breaking down all my reso-
luton. shall have no strength
!
"You never should have strength
against me, JIM
The rebuke was very gently made.
He turned and saw that her arms
were stretched out toward him. !.
He came plunging across the room
to her, crying out.
Lucy. Lucy. :" And was
around her girlish slightness. clinging
to her as man might cling to his one
hope of salvation.
rs it true, Lucy?' he said presently,
his voice very low and shaken. True
that you can love me after all I've
done? True that you can let me love
you ="
There was never anything truer,"
she answered him.
But I've been so objectionable to
you. SO brutal. I've even tried to
cheaper your love- oh, Lucy,
that night at Newchester will take a
lot of forgetting!"
She raised quick hand, and COW
cred his mouth to stop the words.
"Jim, when did you know first
that well, that it was going to
be awfully difficult to go on hating
me ?"
Looking back, l don't believe
,, ever did hate YOU" h" confessed. ut
was always easy enough to take you
in my arms easy enough to kiss your
lips. /. All, God, how ashamed it
makes mel"
Don't let it. Face it, as something
that has been a -. mighty bad
dream, jim; and then, cut it out and
begin again from now. But tell
it all, so that everything is square. :"
81 know was just sheer mad when
you wouldn't come near me, those first
few days | felt just utterly
outcaSt, and yet fought against your
power to make me feel so. And
when you told me to {. give way
to it /. - he drew a breath, and
added: "You were thinking of Joce-
Ign, I suppose. :"
Eyes, she'd told me that you had
always loved her. ;"
Auu me, llldl YOU udu SOuc "
Ames! can't tell you what that
meant to me. stood it for two
whole CHASTITY days. +. :"
"And then came to me. +. Jim,
1 don't know whether to be angry with
her. or thankful to her :" she
whispered "At least she showed me
that you loved me- :. :"
Lucy" he said, out of tiny ST.
lence "Be young again. Be that
young, sweet thing that first put her
hand into mine That angel
thing I /. killed with the
telling of those awful truths that
first evening. ;" His voice was
badly shaken.
"How can one ever make repara-
toni" he cried.
But that's all gone by. Jim. It's
past and done with. Reparation?
That is owing from both Sides
Haven't we a big, big debt toward
you? Such a debt as can never be
paid, for we cannot bring back that
lost three years. i. +. All, darling"
she broke off to raise her hands to his
| face and bring his lips to level with
her own. "Let me pay back little
| Let me give you all can, to wipe out
| the bitter memories. II all the
love of my heart, and all the loyalty
| Of my life, can compensate little,
then let them, for they are utterly
| yours. :" Her voice died away
| TREMENDOUSLY.
"They are the only things that can"
| he answered her. 1.-THE only things
| that can. :" And she found her
| self swept up close into his arms, his
thankfulness in her heart, great
peace in her soul. Out of the
| darkness of vengeance she had found
/ the light that big love sheds. The
| past seemed to fall away, as she stood
| there. within the strong circle of his
| clinging arms, sheer away into the
| mists of things that are not true.
| Nightmare things. that love had sent
| scattering.
'I'm free man at last, Lucy. !.
| You have set me free Free Of that
self of hate and vengeance. My
dear, there are more kinds of prison
| than one. :"
"But none that love cannot en-
| ter. 1t is love that has set you
| free, JIM" she said softly.
Love and you. !. Do you think
! the two can ever be separated In my
mind?" Her face close to his, she