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

GOrbel struggled, but the lock on his
wrist was secure. He bent forward
for relief as John opened the door.
The cold night surged in on them, and
then the one was running down the
steps to regain the balance that the
others shove had imperiled
At the bottom he whirled and lifted
his face, normally handsome, now
wrenched with rage.
'You swine!" he cried. you'll pay
for this!''
Collect, then! But you stay away
from here until you're sent forI Get
that?"
He closed the door and turned back
to the office, removing his cap as he
went.
Brighter lights burned now, for a
cluster in the ceiling had been switched
on. The girl sat at q Uttered desk in
the middle of the room, pale, shoulders
hunched, head bowed. He stopped,
poised in surprise. She was the girl
he had seen in the station waiting
room, and with her coat and hat re-
moved, in the jersey dress which ex-
posed a graceful column of throat, she
was as out of place in this office with
its battered desks and dingy walls as
flower in a wood yardi
John spoke:
"He called me an eavesdropper.
guess, in way, he was right"
Fortunately, you heard" she MUIR
INJURED, and then looked up. "Oh!
Oh, didn't know it was you'll" She
brushed at her soft, short hair nervous
ly and managed sort of smile. 81 -.
/ wanted to tell you how how
sorry l am that the boys did what
She rose, and he could see that she
was rallying her composure rapidly.
Il feel like an intruder" he said, ad-
vancing. 81 came over here on the
chance that l might find the manager
and ran into the late unpleasantness ~
81 am the manager" she said simply.
And now surprise had him wholly;
so completely that he blinked and
laughed outright.
What! You. -. Why, a girl in
this mess?"
She flushed deeply.
81 guess that's what it is: mess
Even strangers know! l am Ellen
Richards. This was my fathers COM
pany. I've been trying to carry on for
over a year now, since he :. since
he died."
"Oh." he said DULY. "Oh pa bit
longdrawn, this time, and in sort of
relief rather than amazement or stupe-
faction. Relief, because it was girl
on whom his father made war!
1t simplified matters for a chap in
an embarrassing position. A man,
even in pinch, might want to fight
through to the finish on his own re-
sources. A girl like this-the sort Of
girl you took to tea and the theater
and to supper clubs; a nice girl who
looked as though she read books and
played golf and would complete the
picture of a smart roadster-would be
needing help. Lots of help! Immedi-
atelyl 1t was her tough luck that she
had incurred the attention of an old
tyrant such as his father was turning
out to be; his good luck that she was
in trouble, filled with animus as he
was for old Tom, and aching as he
was to show what he could do.
"Well!" he said as he took the chair
she indicated, and in the third ejacu-
1ation was a deal of satisfaction, as
of one suddenly rounding a dubious
corner into an unexpected bonanza!
at was terrible the way the boys
oh. Hns6 -.
cuse for 1t. of course. 1t can be ex-
planned by the fact that they're so
worked up over what has been going
on and so loyal to my fathers memory
that they do these things regardless of
my wishes. I'm I'm so sorryl
feel responsible for it, and for their
hurting you"
He touched his cut lip.
Don't mind me. As l understand
the situation you seem to have troubles
enough without worrying about a
scratch on a strangerl
Her eyes dropped. "And it was aw-
fully generous of you to to do
what you did just now'-voice tremb-
ling ever so little. First we hear that
lOui DSihhf1p ouliy Is COLHlIS uere 10
harm more of my men and we beat
you up in our excitement. Next, you
walk in here to find Tom Belknap's
partner demanding surrender and save
me embarrassment. There are
some matters girl can't handle
alone"
John stirred uneasily. To tell girl
who could speak of man with such
contempt and luminosity that he was
that mans son was bit more of an
ordeal than he cared to undertake,
considering his objective. He had
found her in mans job. In mans
fight, confronted with mans prob
lems but she was no man; a girl. with
feminine reactions and prejudices, and