The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-11-07

| had their own tasks TO do.
For this problem which VIII faced,
chance brought what seemed fortu-
nate solution. Toward the foot of the
Valley there was farm long owned
| by old Fred Dace, whose father and
grandfather had dwelt there before
him, and who lived there with his
son, Nate. But Nate had died a year
or two before; and this spring the
old man likewise sickened and came TO
his quick end. He had no kin about |;
but there was a son who four or five
years before had gone west, and this
son now came home.
Zeke Dace was a lean, why man In
| his middle twenties, who wore a wide
brimmed hat Of a western pattern,
| and rode pillow horses with a stock sad
die, and rolled cigarettes with one
hand, and had a laughing, ready
tongue. He had come home, he said, to
stay. The COW business was busted.
| jobs on the range were hard TO find.
But the Dace farm promised no
great return from even a vigorous cul-
tivation; and Will Ferrin sent for
! Zeke and hired him as a hand.
Jenny approved the arrangement
| She liked the newcomer; and he and
viii were from the first a congenial
pair. Zeke had acquired an alien col
| or, yet underneath bore still the traces
of his New England ancestry. That
| battered old hat of his amused the
folk hereabout; but it amused him as
much as it did them. He wore il with
an air; he played game Of cribbage
as keen as Wills; and the two young
men-they were nearly Of an age
were comfortable enough in the house
there above the brook together.
There were others who liked Zeke,
too. Amy. Bart's sister, was one of
| them. She was older than Jenny, but
not yet old enough to begin to fade
in that quick, relentless fashion which
hard farm work may impose upon a
woman. Since Huldy's departure,
whether by accident or not, Bart had
| fewer boarders; and Seth Humphreys
steam mill was shut down, abandoned
| and deserted now. So Bart and Amy
were much alone, and Bart went often
| for a word with VIII, and Zeke as
often came down the hill to stand in
| the door of Amy's kitchen and talk
| with her a while He had a teasing,
| laughing tongue that could whip color
| to her cheeks; but she liked it, and
she sometimes nursed happy dreams
II was mid-July when Hubby re-
turned. There had fallen one Of those
| periods of still, hot weather when hay
ripens quickly; and Zeke and Will
were busy with the harvest. VIII could
drive the moving machine, or the
rake: and when il came TO load the
hay cart, or TO put the hay n the
NOW. he nailed board across the foot
| of his peg leg TO make sort of snow
shoe which enabled him to stand Sc
curely. Jenny had gone this day early
to the farm; had helped for a while
in the fields, pitching hay up on the
cart with Zeke while Will slowed IT
there.
But later she went to the house to
get dinner ready for them; and at a
convenient time they came stamping
into the kitchen, and VIII made a jest
of that clumsy foot of his, and Zeke
tossed his wide hat aside, and they
washed themselves at the sink and so
sat down. Jenny served them, set the
heaping dishes on the table, then seat
ed herself TO eat with them; and the
three were laughing together at some
word Zeke had said, when a car drove
into the yard.
A car with a man at the wheel and
| Hubby by his side.
They saw her through the open door !;
] saw her, and sat still and frozen while
she descended and came toward them.
The man stayed in the car.
Jenny thought that Hubby was as
beautiful as ever. She found herself
on her feet. facing the door. VIII half
turned in his chair as though to rise !;
| but that board nailed across the end
| of his peg cramped under a rung of
| the chair and prevented. Zeke looked
| questioningly at Will. and then at HUI
| dy; and Hubby stood smiling, in the
doorway.
Then she laughed. st see you amt
lonely, Will?" she said He tried again
to get up. where's your crutch?" she
inquired derisively. Want me to fetch
it for your"
Jenny asked: What have you come
| for?" Her tone was steady, her heart
still
Don't worry" Hubby told her. 81
don't aim TO stay. I left some clothes
here; come TO fetch them. Unless
you've been wearing them!''
They're in box in the attic" Jen-
ny said, ignoring the taunt. II put
them away"
Moved in. have your" Hubby COM
mented. Seems like you was in quite
hurry. I waited till he married me.
anyway"
Jenny's cheek was white; yet she
curbed her tongue. and Hubby turned
TO Zeke. Il don't know as I know you"
she said amiably. But you look like
you had sense enough to realize three's
a crowd"
Zeke grinned. deriding her. From
what l hear, three wouldn't crowd you
none." he retorted.
Her brows lifted. $50 you been hear
ing about me. have your" Then she
smiled, fatteringly. But you'd find
that ones enough for me, If he's q
whole man. she said.
VIII wrenched the board of the end
Of his leg, with a squeak of drawn
nails, freeing his foot He stood I'D
to face her. Hubby" he said huskily,
you mind your tongue. Come in If
you want. Yo're always welcome here.
But mind your tongue"