The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-03-30
CHAPTER VI-Continued

MISS MERCEDES.
I'm a." Stone nodded. II went
over al once. The only time | ever
left Virginia for more than a week or
two. I'd been educated In England,
remember. and knew LOT of fellows
was useful as liaison officer was
going to transfer to our own forces
when we came in. Somehow I didn't.
Afraid they'd think was pushing my
self forward. you, know"
"You were wounded?"
Stone wriggled. "Oh. slightly. just
a scratch. Nothing worth mention
ing"
"You might as well tell me how II
happened" Sniff pressed him inexor.
ably. I'm noted for my tactless per
tinacity."
"0h, well.-there was a little chap
l was fond olive all were Irish.
not too young. he'd been a jockey in
early life and we all thought he'd dyed
his hair and lied about his age to get
taken on al all. Very sporting what?
Well, some men came In after a raid.
Said they'd left him in a shell-hole,
wounded. He'd begged 'em 70 go on.
II was useless to try to carry him in.
Things had quieted down. there
wasn't any danger: so. being fond of
him. as | said. just wandered over
to see what could be done for him.
That's all there was to it"
Except that you effected a liaison
with a German bullet or two" Sniff
said dryly. ~ see. Absolutely no dan
ger. of course" Then. with flash OF
intuition. 81 suppose he gave you the
emerald horseshoe you so often wear?"
81 always wear it," Stone corrected
her. throwing his coat back to display
It. dennis was killed the first day
after that that he was back at the
front. He'd left the pin with the
priest with orders to turn II over 70
me If he went west. 1t had been pre-
sented to him after he won q great
race by great riding, and he priced
1t above everything" silence fell
between them. each travelling far on
trains of thought aroused by what had
transpired. .........
"You have friends over there" Sniff
said at last. HAS 1t never occurred
to you TO go back to them?"
Stone set his jaw stubbornly. I'm
an American. I made up my mind all
Virginia couldn't freeze me cut, and
by Cd. don't mean to let them"
There was passion in the statement
and. sensing the spirit that had car
ried him through years of ostracism.
Sniff recognized it as final. At once
she dropped the subject and reverted
to the topic of Miss Mercedes.
did Mercy nurse your"
I'm alive" was Stones laconic an
swer Then after a minute he took the
matter up again.
''She wasn't a full-fedged nurse, a
fact which doubtless saved some more
or less valuable lives. | only saw her
occasionally in the South. She had a
Irritation at every cot and wheel chair.
After the armistice in Paris she began
to cling little; but her intentions
weren't really serious until she grew
fat. A fat man is the most hor-
rible sight in the world. but to my
mind a fat woman runs him pretty
close. So I'm counting on you to save
me from her, Sniff"
And she is counting on me to save
you for her." Sniff pointed out. May
/ ask how | am to reconcile my duty
to both clients? After all, I've taken
her money and I've not taken yours
Perhaps the best way out of the diff
Guilty would be to throw you over"
"Too late" Stone asserted. "It's i'm
possible now to forget I'm your cousin.
In Virginia. blood counts, you know.
You can't throw over a relative. Be
sides. as a problem I'm much more in
teresting than she can possibly be.
She's only fat. I'm morbid and intro
spective and obstinate and a lot of
other things I'll tell you abour later"
Not much later, If I'm to preserve
the Lovely name unsmirched" said
Smif, her eyes stealing to the clock;
"but shouldn't add bit of humbug
to the list you've given mel I'm not
sure you don't like Miss Mercedes
more than you'd have me think you do"
Stone made a wry face and shook
his head.
"Not while she's so fat" he said de-
cisively "Good night"
Good night" Smif echoed, but al
ready the door was shut between them.
She reseated herself to smoke final
cigarette. turning the pages of maya
zine and trying TO tear her mind away
from Stone Nesbit and the position
he had maintained so stubbOrnly for
years. 1t was a useless attempt.
So far as the situation in Virginia
went. she was sure she could clear II
up If she were on the spot She prom.
Used herself she would make short
work of II once she was at Lovelylea.
AS regards Miss Mercedes, she had
stated the case quite frankly to Stone
and after ALL wouldn't such mar
riage be the best thing for all con-
cerned? Mercy had struck her as
silly and sentimental. qualities which
might appeal TO some men as feminine
and affectionate. Plainly no woman
was fitted TO Judge what a man looked
for in a wife
Probably all that Stone wanted was
that she should bring pressure on
Mercy to induce her to reduce until
she was a more normal size. That
much. she was pretty certain she could
manage TO accomplish giving no guar
antee however that Mercy wonld con-
tinue sylphlike after marriage
"After one has won a race plainly
&bara &c NO inaontivo RI kaar, on ann