The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-03-02

of a man of taste, she decided. and
then smiled broadly as he continued to
eat her sandwiches with relish. The
word struck her as peculiarly appro-
pirate in the circumstances.
Her gaze then travelled to his face.
Any prejudice she might have had
was rapidly melting away and she
found 1t an interesting study.
"You can have that sandwich" she
volunteered. weakly giving way to the
instinct innate In every woman from
the time Eve shared her only apple
with Adam. to feed the male of the
species. Buttons will be here soon
with more"
"Sure you don't want It'll" he In
quired as nursery manners dictated.
and took it eagerly. while she went on
with her mental appraisal.
Unexpectedly his voice broke in on
her thoughts.
swell. what's your decision? hope
to the lord don't look such fool as
am"
He was not unobservant then. Per-
haps even he had affected his intense
interest in the sandwiches to give her
the opportunity to study him.
Buttons, arriving with unusual ex-
pedition, relieved her of the necessity
of replying.
Cream and olive all out. cream and
walnut, too" he explained breath
lessly. 81 took what they had ready.
Swiss cheese on rye: lettuce on whole
wheat and two club"
They'll do excellently well so long
as there are enough of them" the
stranger averred, cycling the pile hun
grily even as he, waved aside some
change that was offered him.
Are you a man or an ostrich"
Sniff demanded, speaking as If they
were childhood friends who had quar-
relied amicably for years. 81 warn
you right now that I'm going to have
one of the club sandwiches If you ex-
pire of starvation before my eyes,"
The man too forgot the professional
position.
Fair enough, but you don't have to
get in pet about it. offered you
that last sandwich. you know. all hon.
orable and aboveboard, even though 1t
tore my heart to do it."
Sniff took club sandwich.
"Why were you so famished?" she
inquired casually.
interrupted at breakfast this morn
ing. Haven't had any appetite for
days before" he replied. Mental
strain. you know. Too worried to eat.
and that's a fact. I'm bit easier In
my mind now that know you. You're
the sort to pull a chap out Of
scrape I'm dead sure of it."
$50 you're in scrape?"
He nodded his head, his eyes on her
face.
KILLED somebody"
"Not yet"
"Run away with all the available as
sets of bankf'
mo. not tempted. Poverty's not my
affliction."
Sniff finished her club sandwich In
silence. In silence watched him eat
until he was satisfied. Then she rang
for Buttons to remove what was
left.
"And now" she said when they had
both lighted cigarettes, "this is not
game of Twenty Questions. expect
another client shortly. We must get
down to business. What is your
trouble"
The man assumed hang-dog air.
Watching him intently, Sniff decided
he might be as much as forty years
old although she had previously judged
him much younger, his expression be-
ing singularly ingenious
"The trouble is l can't bear fat
women" he averred.
No woman of her proportions un-
der such circumstances could have
failed to remember the last time she
had stood on her bathroom scales.
Smif's sense of the ridiculous warning
her against personal application of
the remark, she laughed. assuring her
self that she was not interested in his
likes or dislikes.
HAS your wife put on thirty
pounds?"
'It's not so bad as that" he said
simply. I'm not married-yet" He
paused and looked up at the ceiling,
then with an effort brought his eyes
to meet hvrs. "Please try to believe
that I'm not an utter fool when l tell