The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-12-19

| heard FAMILIAR sound, remotely, COM
ing near. He rose and moved to the
door, Bart at his shoulder
ITS Will Ferrin," Saladine re-
marked. And Jenny. In my car"
And Bart said in a low, surprised
tone: $50 'tisi I didn't know but
VIII would've got out Of the country
by now!"
Saladine, TO avoid reply, opened the
door and stepped out on the porch.
Then VIII and Jenny, VIII with an
old suitcase in his hand. alighted from
the car and came toward then here.
When Hubby. with that black accu-
sation on her lips, died, Jenny was at
first left desperate; till quick loyalty
brought her strength again, and reso-
luton too. Marin Pierce, seeing with
out understanding the girls deep dis
tress, as soon as they were alone
asked gently:
Jenny. you all right? I'm troubled
about you"
Seeing her die upset me-" Jenny
whispered. THAT was all, Granny"
Marin Pierce. only half convinced,
yet forebore to question further. We'll,
she's dead" she said. She touched
Jenny's arm reassuringly. "Child, she's
dead; and Will, he'll be coming soon.
Nought now to keep him away from
you
Jenny's pulse failed and the blood
drained from her lips. Don't, Granny"
she protested softly. with her laying
there. Not now" And she urged
"We'd ought to dress her in dry
clothes. VIII, he hadn't ought to see
her So"
Marin Pierce nodded. Jenny's
thoughts were plunging now. There
was in her a blind desperate hunger
to see viii, TO comfort him, to assure
him of her loyalty and silence and
deep understanding and forgiveness
too. She wished on any count 90 see
him, TO be with him now. Yet it was
some time Before she devised that err
rand involving Huldy's clothes.
Even when she proposed this errand,
Marin Pierce at first demurred; but
longing to be with viii, Jenny would
not be restrained. In sort of breath
less rush, she Overbore her grandmOth-
er's circumstances, and so was away.
She took by habit the path toward
the woods; and her lips shaped I'M
spoken words of tenderness and COM
forting. But when she came to the
dark border of the wood, the girl
paused, shrinking, reluctant to plunge
into the shadows. This path would
take her by the foot of the ledge, by
the very spot where Hubby a while
ago had fallen to her death and Jen-
ny could not endure the prospect. So
she retraced her way and turned aside
toward Careys. And halfway up the
hill she saw ahead of her a figure,
tremendous in the dim rain, familiar,
beloved. Will, coming toward her. She
stood, weak and shaken by the sight
of him; yet when he came near, lest
he might think she shrank from him,
she took one step forward to meet
him steadily.
VIII looked down at her for a long
moment in silence. He said at last,
heavily:
Jenny, where you going in this
rainT'
ITO find you, WILL" she told him.
SIN on my way to Bart's," he ex-
planned. Ito see if maybe Huldy's
there"
Jopnv EoI+ ba- SD;po chill acha,S NOT
there, WILL" she said. "She's at our
house"
He frowned in a deep bewilderment.
Your house?"
WILL she told him gravely. Hui
dy's dead!''
The man stood huge above her:
wind whipped his hat brim. rain dashed
his cheek and struck his face and filed
his eyes. He wiped his eyes with his
hand, shook the water off his hand.
wiped it on the side of his coat. A
storm, visibly, swept across his coun-
tenance and left a shadow there.
Yet she thought he was not sur
prised: and she spoke quickly, to spare
him need of speech. "She fell off the
ledge down back of your house." she
said. Bart found her, and fetched her
over to our place. case Granny could
do her any good. But she died"
He asked. after a long moment,
dumbly: Bart know how she come to
fall?"
Jenny steadied her tones, made them
all reinsurance. mo one will ever
know that, WILL" she said; and she
added: "We did all could be donel'
Il guess you would" he agreed
Even for Hubby. I been out hunting
her. I didn't know where she'd gone.
Her and Zeke."
The girls pulse lifted. "Zeke?
Where's he?"
He was always around where Hubby
was" Will confessed, humbly. Il dun
no where he's got to, now" And he
asked: Want he with herr"
She looked at him intently, bravely,
searching his countenance. mo, Will"
she said. ''Not that anyone knows"
His shoulders bowed as though under
a crushing load; and after a moment
he said heavily: We'll, I'll go on over"
But Jenny checked him. IT have to
get some clothes to dress her," she
said gently. You'd best come back to
the house with me, show me her
things"
He accepted this without speech
and he and Jenny climbed the steep
grade side by side. In Wills barnyard
Jenny saw car standing. and so re-
membered Saladine. THAT man. he's
over 1.-THE house." she told VIII. 81
guess he wouldn't mind if we drove
his car over He'll want If and that