The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-22

letter that he left with me to be
opened In case well. 'in case q
cathedral fell on him. was the way
he put 1t. It's dated In December, the
day he left. He wrote It just before
you came In from Witch Hill, l guess.
'This is 1t:
Dear Johnny-If you read this, 1t
will be because the doctors overlooked
a lot of shakes and blow-downs when
they cruised my insides two weeks
ago. I've kept my mouth shut about
being under the weather; time enough
to worry folks when there's q cause,
especially your mother. They tell me
that three months of rest will put me
spry again. l hope they're right for
a lot of reasons. but only one of them
| frets me much.
| This Is because If l hit the grade
for the last time now you are going to
beat me to finding out just how big a
| monkey I've been made In the Kamp-
| fest operation. Yes, son, things are
wrong up there. guess you were
right in your estimate of Gorbel. For
over year I've been certain that a
plenty is being put over on us. |
can't run it down now: that is job
for a well man. I'm going off to get
well so can fix what broke.
aft there's one thing I've prided
myself on it was the picking of men.
l took Gorbel on, first. because he had
a hold on just the layout you and
needed for the Big job; and, second
because-spiteo of all of you-he looked
good to me.
"There are some men who can ad-
nit mistakes, but a Belknap hates to.
When we have to, though, we want to
do it ourselves and not have somebody
else finding out what fools we've been.
Besides, any man with a son like you
wants to be able to turn over the
works to him without any messes to
clean up. ! don't even want you to
guess that there's mess until ! get II
fixed up. Then l can tell you and
save my face. That is straining a
point, perhaps. but if you ever have
the sort of son you should have
such a son as you are to me-you1l get
the idea that the admiration and re-
spect of a boy will keep his old dad
hustling to be worthy of them.
"'The thing that | especially want
to keep is the look that used to be in
your eyes when used to drag you by
the hand around through millyards
and along skid roads. You were only
about hopper-grass high then. You'd
get hot in summer and cold in win
ter; the flies would bite you and you'd
be tired and hungry. But 1t was al
ways all right with you. Anything
l did was all right. You believed in
me. For you. was burned near in
falhble and able to do anything
set out to do. I've got to hang on
to that, Johnny; it's the real treasure
I've had In life.
"'You'll be In soon. For the second
time I'm going to steer you away from
Kampfest. It's going to break your
heart and mine. too But you're not
going to show It; neither am l. The
reason is that we're Belknaps. and the
breed doesn't show hurts or affections
much. II feels lot, though. and so If
the doctors are wrong and you have to
get your explanation this way. please
believe that I'm hurting you so | can
have chance to wash the clothes I've
dirtied and by doing so keep your re-
spect.
".And above all, you must realize
this: that an old man, has a devil OF
a time playing up TO what father of
son like you should be. I'm SO
proud of you it keeps me awake
nights. Good luck; God bless you.
"sTOM.'"
Harrington paused. His voice had
shaken trif1e on the last.
John blinked his eyes and cleared
his throat with a brave, long hur-r-
rump!
.Tll I'll -" he began. II
guess I'll be d-d"-weakly.
"But you should have heard him
cheer, clear across the Atlantic. when
| told him what the afternoon papers
said about all the embarrassing
you'd forced Gorbel TO confess.
"And he said for you to stay right
there in Kampfest and run the job and
that he was coming to ask for
chance to help-that's just what he
said: to ask for chance to help-as
fast as boats and trains can bring
him. Says that he feels fit as a fiddle
and had already booked passage two
weeks earlier than he'd intended to.
You can use your own Judgment. of
course. but don't know as I'd make
any important changes until he gets
here"
John reached out for Ellen's hand.
"How long will 1t take hfm?" he
asked. commencing to smile.
"Why. not long; ten days. say"
''Ten daysl Don't you call that
long? What's tT-leaning
| closer to the phone as the wire went
| had for moment. "Oh :. the Job
Sure, the job can stagger along for
| ten days without any changes. But
| there are other things up here. Har-
rington. so important that they make
| the Job look like a joke. And
ten days? Man. for these other things.
| ten days Is ages and ages . /. +.
| and ages.
rTuE END1