The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-04-06

L Jill ShhAs tAy W oCC mC ~ obNCs ny
nerves are all shot,"
"What is the matter?" Sniff asked
sharply. "Of course I'll see you-but
what's wrongr
The phone was dead. Instantly on
receiving her promise Pam had
hung up.
| When the girl arrived, looking white
and strained. her hair struggling out
from beneath her smart hat, the first
thing Smif asked was:
Tell me-have you killed anyone?'
mo-" Pam answered. 81 wish I had.
only slapped the fools face. Like an
angel. give me cigarette while pull
myself together. I've driven IN so fast
everything's still moving. and it's one
of the worlds wonders why ! wasn't
given a whole bunch of tickets"
LET'S have 1t, Pam. doubt II It's
as bad as you think 1t is" Smif sug
gested gently.
Pam drew deep and audible breath.
"Tm being blackmailed," she said sue.
cinctly.
That was something she had not
expected. yet Sniff never WINGED
what form has the blackmail taken?"
she inquired.
"A demand for two hundred thou.
sand dollars" Pam answered. (which,
of course. not being of age, | haven't
got"
"Give me all the details, Pam, and
| don't look so desperate"
Il feel desperate" the girl said with
a painful gulp. 81 feel soiled, as If I'd
really done something disgraceful the
moment my mothers back was turned
But honestly, I've done nothing. Smif."
"You don't have to tell me that"
Smif replied. don't know your"
At this the girl began to cry. child.
ish tears of relaxed tension.
you're brick, Smif. might have
known you'd stand by me, you are al
| ways such rock to lean on" She
wiped her eyes determinedly and sat
forward in her chair. Now listen"
she said. I'll try to tell you every
thing exactly as II happened, and
you'll be able to see If I'm 70 blame
in any way. I'd been looking around
for something to do. l can draw a
little, and Cousin Garcia suggested
that l might be able to do miniatures.
copying from photographs. you under
| stand. Mother then remarked that
she would love to have a good copy
of a miniature of one of the Phelps an
cestors. Father has the original ]
| was feeling pretty mushy about mother
because she had consented to let me
stay at home. and I determined to
copy it for her. and. II I didn't sue
coed, I'd have some one else do 1t as
a surprise, understand?
II wanted to take some lessons
thinking that teacher would be able
to correct my drawing. keep me up to
the mark generally and solve the diff
culties I was bound to have with
medium that was new to me. Cousin
Garcia, 1t turned out, had heard of
exactly the right person. This was a
Monsieur Mabeuse, q Belgian refugee
who had first gone to England with
his old mother. When she died, he
came here and, not having the right
| introductions, had not been very sue
cessful. Also. he had married. had a
sweet little wife and three babies.
| These expenses had made it necessary
| for him to give lessons, although nat.
urally he was nothing short of a
genius and Cousin Garcia appeared to
consider it great condescension on
his part"
"Cousin Garcia seems to play quite
a part in this tale" Smif remarked
dryly.
Pamela colored. sit would be ter
rible to suspect her." she said trem-
blingly. "She's my own cousin. Any
how, even before father and mother
sailed, had begun to take lessons
Monsieur Mabeuse had little studio
in his house. | never saw the man
work but he talked largely of pictures
he had exhibited abroad. | had been
asked If / wanted private lessons.
which were more expensive, and Cousin
Garcia, who went with me to introduce
I me, at once said that they would be
advisable. didn't want that. | want
ed to do as much work as l could un-
| aided, and / thought | could learn
something too from watching the other
! pupils, so said / would prefer to go
into a class. Cousin Garcia didn't
like that at all Against her deter
mined opposition, insisted on having
my own way. joined class There
was one man, or boy rather, a shabby
and unattractive Jew, but with talent
thought; two other girls besides me
They didn't always come. except just
! at first. His wife and the children
wandered in now and then, and it de
| veloped that the oldest child. boy
named Eugene, was crazy about auto
mobiles. So, one particularly fine day.
suggested that Brennan should take
Madame Mabeuse and the children
for drive in the park instead of wait
ing idly for me- After that, they were
! always standing about wistfully when
arrived, and it seemed so little to do
| for them that 1t became a regular Gus
tom. Let me think.-Did | say Mon
| sieur Mabeuse was handsome? Not
in way that had any appeal for me-
Now have | told you everything? No.
/ I committed one other sin. Madame
/ Mabeuse is German. Her husband
begged me to speak French with him.
since he so seldom heard the Ian
guage that he was losing all facility
in speaking it. He said his Trude IN
derstood It but dared not speak be
cause of an atrocious accent