The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-06-23

WUdt JOhn thlnhS VI liC.
Silence for a moment, except for
the buffetings of the gale about that
Chicago skyscraper.
you've got three kids, Harrington.
had only one and humding-
err! That cub HIS bells, a
man can't say what he feels on
some thingsl Nobody'n ever know
how hard tried to play up to
what he's thought of me ever since
he was so high; nobody ever can know
what a burden it's been to be the
kind of party he thought | was"
The rough voice had become mono
tone now. as though he fought for
self-control.
"He opposed me just once; he
warned me just once Him, kid,
warnin' me about my judgment, Of a
mani 1 laughed at him and .
Well. | laughed at him and"
Harrington added:
"And he was right"
Another guess"-in another surly
growl. "But"-looking up again, face
furrowed with intense earnestness-
"if that was so-rm not admittin 1t,
but If 1t was so-would you let him
find it out first? Would you LET him
come to you and say told-you-so?"
Pause. "Not on your life, you
Wouldn't
"You wouldn't let him even suspect
that the thing he'd worked for and
waited for wasn't what he'd expected !
You wouldn't let him think that the
one present he'd wanted was married
before II got into his hands. Not
much, you wouldntI You'd fix II up.
somehow. even If the trouble was so
mysterious you couldn't locate 1t, be-
fore you handed II over so so
the estimate he'd had of you wouldn't
lose anything of of what 1t had |
Then you'd tell him he'd been right.
but not before ~.
He waited long moment. wouldn't
your" he insisted.
"If | had your devotion and the
Belknap pride, Tom, expect would"
Harrington answered gravely. But
the devil of it is that you're leaving
today for Europe, and won't be-"
"Yes! The devil of It! And the
devil Of 1t Is. the d-n doctors are
right I'm no fool, Harrington;
know that they know. know when
they say need three months In a
place where business can't reach me
that I'd better hit the grade for that
place. Well, nobody but the doctors
and you know this trips forced. ]
amt going to worry anybody big
timber operation can't go to HI In a
heap in ninety days. I'll be back; I'll
be fit to go into the Kampfest thing
with sleeves rolled up, find out just
what and how much Is wrong, and I'll
set it for John as we'd planned
it'd be!''
"But don't you see that while you're
away the office could"
81 wash my own dirty linen!"
But suppose, Tom. something should
happen?"
The old man shook his head. half
in negation, half In agreement.
"I'd have to come clean, then, /
guess. I've prepared for that" He
opened drawer and took out a sealed
envelope. 81 wrote this last night
It's for John If If some cathe-
dral should fall on me. If come
back, | want it back from You.
And if | don't come back. you might
i,,ct COW HARRINGTON Gov fo +bo
boy that that he was a hum
dinger will you?"
The strong voice shook a trifle as
Harrington eyed the firm pen strokes,
inscribing the name of John Steele
Belknap ON that envelope.
"Sure. Tom," the secretary said Just
a bit huskily. "Sure thing. And !
hope he'll go to Belknap Seven. But
remember he's got his fathers pride
he's high-strung. You can't give colt
too much bit even to save him a fall ="
And a half-hour later in thai cham
Der, the brain housing of vast indus
try, young man was about to
burn up.
big young man, this John Steele
Belknap, tall and broad and thick of
chest. Out of place. he looked. in this
room. with its deep-napped rugs and
heavy hangings. He wore a maroon
checkered Mackinaw and staged pants
chung to stalwart calves; feet in the
creased pacs were spread a bit as a
man will when he meets an assault.
His face was weather-beaten but a