The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-02-19
CHAPTER II
Lucy Meets James Lee Again

Lucy Meets James Lee Again
When oliver AmeS, gOrgeOuSly and
effectively disguised as a spanish
grandee OF the time of Velasquez, ar
rived for Lucy GreSham's birthday
festivities. Lucy herself was just COM
ing downstairs into the hall She was
dressed after the fashion of her own
grandmother, in fOunce upon fOunce
of delicate. creamy lace, that billowed
clOudily round her as she moved. Her
wide-set eyes. so almost unbelievably
blue were bright with kiddish excite
ment in the occasion
She greeted him very sweetly, with
only the smallest hint of nervousness,
and took him into the drawing room,
where her father was ready to help
her receive guests.
Sir John Gresham, tall, white-haired
and handsome. welcomed him warmly.
I'm glad you've come in good time,
Oliver" ne said as they shook hands.
well, sir, | have to go early, so
wanted TO have all the time could"
answered Ames. There's some hitch
over that big Norwegian timber deal
and they've cabled me to go over and
see about it without delay"
Wont old Nilsen sell after ALP
asked Sir John.
Il f,ncy il is young Nilsen who is
creating obstacles. Perhaps he thinks
he can get better price" answered
Ames. Sir John glanced at him
quickly.
You don't mean that Linforths are
bidding against us?" he asked. 'Have
they the means?'
Ames rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
The. said:
Three months ago, I should have
said no. without Hesitation. But late
". they have shown signs of renewed
life. I'm not sure of them.
Anyway. I'm going over 70 look into
this business myself. I'm taking the
midnight to Hull Lucy knows I don't
want to-" Ames -urned 20 the girl,
his eyes rather longingly on the pic
ture of grace and loneliness she made.
"Oh, I'm awfuIly sorry" she said,
cordially. But of course, under
stand
Well, Oliver, if you must GO you
must. But I'm sorry. Anyway. en-
joy the meantime" said Sir John.
Lucy is keen for you TO see the ball
room before the crowd arrives. She
planned the decorations all herself,
and | think they're quite tolerable."
His handsome old eyes twinkled round
at Lucy.
In his eyes she was the sweetest.
and the most beautiful girl in the
whole world She could do nothing
wrong: he spoilt her so consistently,
that il says all that need be said for
her innate sOundness of nature that
she was almost entirely unspoilt by it
He had married late in life, having
reached fifty before meeting his ideal
He had idOlized his wife, and when she
died. when Lucy was only five. was
so frantic with grief that his friends
all feared he would not long survive
her. He pulled through, however, but
was greatly changed. Something had
been knocked completely out of life.
for him. He could no longer give to
the business of Gresham's the interest
he always had given. Year by year he
had left it more and more in Ames'
hands. until five years ago. he had
definitely retired from active service.
Lucy, growing up in the living image
of her mother, absorbed most of his
interest in life.
years that some day Lucy was going
TO marry Ames Every one looked
upon il as settled, except for such
details as precisely when and exactly
where. Lucy had known Ames all her
life. She had been brought up so
much with him that she looked upon
him almost more as a brother than
as 4 cousin. And although she had
always known that some day she was
going to marry him, yet il was none
the less a surprise, and something of
q shock. to her, when nearly three
weeks ago, he had asked her TO make
the some day a definite day. He loved
her tremendously. and. it seemed to
him. that loving her was the chief rea-
son of his existence; the thing he had
been born for. he felt that he had
waited long enough. But Lucy had
been curiously unready when be had
asked her 10 name a definite day: she
had not known what to say, and didn't
know why she should be SO IN
sure She could find no reason
for being suddenly so fiustered. when
he asked her when she would marry
him. Perhaps it WIS Just because. in
stead o. asking would she marry him.
he had asked when would she marry
him. Or perhaps il had been
because he had, by some unlucky
chance, hit on the evening of that very
day, when she had nad that queer.
fieeting adventure with the stormy
eyed man WHIP had nearly run her
down with his big blue car.
II had just seemed to her that to
say definitely:
Yes, | will marry you on such and
such day. was terribly ir-