The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-07-21

But in the office small group wail
ed while John repeatedly made un-
availing efforts to rouse central. 1t
was four o'clock before his persistent
ringing brought an answering sleepy
voice. He called Roberts, the mill fore
man, at his house, not wanting to dis
turb Ellen.
Rapidly he told what had happened.
"We'll need q car of lumber" he
said, "and saws and hammers and
nails. The fire was set by drunk
who wandered in. He suffOcated.
Send the sheriff out with the train to
take charge of that angle. Guess I've
told you everything. Don't forget the
grain and hay"
While the crew was still at break
fast the shrill, familiar scream of the
locomotives whistle came echoing
down the forest. A car Of lumber and
the caboose made up the train.
Ellen was the first off. Her mouth
was set.
Old Wolf ran towards her as she
dropped from the way-car and John
the protecting posture in his whole
body as he reached out for the girl
Their meeting was so obviously an
affair for the two that John did not
approach until Ellen, who had been
looking at him an interval while she
listened to her uncle, raised her chin
in reckoning movement.
Zone more body blow" she said as
he came up. Her tone made him
vince. and the fragment of smile
which she sought to summon wrenched
at his heart. 1t was unfair for a girl
TO be forced to mix in mans fightl
mo getting around that" he agreed.
"But it might be lot worse. Sup
pose the whole set of camps had gone?
Where'd we be then? went right
ahead without consulting you and .
guess we'll have new barn, of a sort,
up by night"
He took her over the ruins, outlining
his plan for reconstruction. He did
not go into his theory of the fires
origin.
"There's loss, of course" he said
finally. zone horse gone; some har-
ness ruined and some lost; several
hundred dollars worth of feed gone
up in smoke. But they haven't got Us
licked YETI
Haven't they?" she asked. and in
the tone was cynicism, suggestion
of surrender.
"Come into the Office" he muttered,
and turned to lead the way.
Alone, there, she stood before him,
| YEARLY drawing off her gloves.
Don't quit nowI" he said. "It's
| body blow, yes; but we're not licked,
Ellen! We're not through yet! We've
only commenced to fight!'
She looked up at him, studying his
| face with her large eyes, and smiled
| a trifle, with her lips, not with those
eyes.
You're finel" she said. "Yeu :.
without you doing just what you've
| done I'd have given up weeks ago,
I'm afraid. You've done so much for
me, you've fought so we'll and so hard
| to make a showing. Il. But it seems
| a little unfair, doesn't It? A little as
| though the cards were stacked against
| us? To have thing like this happen
on top of all the things that are
planned and executed against us?"
She turned away suddenly, as though
fearful of breaking down before him.
| 81 wish | were a mani" she said
tensely. I'm tired playing a mans
| part; worn out with trying not to
show what l think and feel and /.
fearr"
John stepped forward and put his
hands on her shoulders, forcing her
to face him.
I'm glad you're not a man." he
said gently. I'm glad you're just /.
who you are"
He felt her tremble as his fingers
| pressed the firm flesh beneath her
Mackinaw.
"Oh." she said weakly. "Oh
| thati"
THAT" he repeated with a vehe-
ment nod. And the reason | haven't
said it before, the reason l haven't
said lot of things that there are to
| be said, is because trouble has been
coming too fastl In a pinch. survival
comes first; living afterwards.
That's one thing want to say. The
other is that you'll have to keep up
your courage. | don't want you ever
again to say to yourself, even, what
you said to me out there. | want you
to keep on saying and thinking and
believing what you said to Gorbel that
night when l stood outside your Office
door: that we may lose, but well go
down fghtingl And I don't
think we're going to lOse!"
(TO BE CONTINUED.)