The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-10-24

picSChtiy W tdhe uihiSSh away.
On this day when Jenny saw VIII
run toward Seth Humphreys mill, he
had planned to go to Liberty to get
some lumber for piece of repair work
on the barn; some studding, and a
bundle of shingles. He set out in the
farm wagon, behind his slow team
Hubby asked whether he would be home
In time for dinner. viii thought not
Don't have me on your mind. I'll
pick up a bite when l get back" he
said.
He took the steep road up the hill;
and a little above the house he met
Seth Humphreys big truck, Seth at the
wheel, descending. Will lifted a hand
to the other man as they passed by.
Seth was hauling his sawed lumber to
North Fraternity; but the easier road
back to the mill would have brought
him to the Valley at its foot, three
or four miles lower down. Will was
mildly surprised that Seth should have
come this way.
Yet the matter stayed not long in his
mind. He thought casually that Seth
might mean to stop at Bart Carey's.
He was fifteen or twenty minutes
from the house when the right rear
wheel of his wagon dropped off; and
Win, alighting to investigate, found
that he had lost the Tut which held
the wheel in place. The incident might
have provoked less composed man
to irritation; but Will accepted it
calmly enough. He walked back along
the road, searching in the ditch and
by the roadside for the lost nut; but
the weeds were tall in the ditch, and
the nut escaped his search. 1t was
always possible tEat he might have
dropped it a considerable time before
the wheel, slowly revolving, worked
off the axle and let go. In the end,
as the quicker way, Will decided to
cut down through the woods to his
farm, where he could find spare nut
among the miscellaneous litter of hard
ware which accumulates in every farm
er'S shed; so he returned to the wagon
and led the horses off the road to let
casual traffic pass by, and tied them
there. Then he set out to walk home.
1t was not far, in a straight line
through the woods. Five minutes fast
walking brought him into his upper
field, with the house in plain sight be-
low. He paid it no particular heed at
first, coming on rapidly to do this er-
rand; but as he drew nearer, he saw,
stopped in the road in front of the
house, Seth Humphreys truck. Seth
passing by, must have alighted for a
word with Hubby. There was in this
nothing unusual, yet Will vaguely re-
scented it. The inconvenience of the
lost nut had family frayed his tenn
per; the sight of Seth's truck stopped
here-Seth must have been with Hubby
for a long half hour-made Willis
cheek hot, his pulse fretful. He went
on toward the house more swiftly
and across the barnyard to the kitchen
door.
The door was closed; and this was
in some degree surprising, for the day
was warm. Will opened the door and
stepped in.
Neither Hubby nor Seth was in the
kitchen; and when Will saw the kitch-
en- empty, he stood rooted in his tracks
for an instant that may have been
longer. Then he called, harshly, his
wife's name. There was no reply.
Beyond the kitchen lay the dining
room. Will crossed to the dining room
off hn I'm
ing room, in the front Of the house,
toward the road. The bedroom door
was closed; but Will heard movement
there, and strobe that way. His cheek
was white as stone.
Before he could come to the door,
however, it opened, and Hubby con-
fronted him. She stood, smiling inso-
lently, as though she were just awak-
ened from deep sleep.
He said hoarsely: "What you do
ing?"
81 laid down a SPELL" she told him.
where's Seth gone to" he de-
manded.
"SethT Her tone was amused, de-
risive.
His trucks in the road outside"
There was a window in the bedroom
on the side toward the road; she
turned to look out of this window, but
without moving. II don't see it." she
retorted, maddeningly.
VIII brushed past her, himself
looked out. The truck in fact was
gone; but the screen which belonged
in the window lay on the ground out
side, and it was broken as though a
heavy foot had stepped upon the light
mesh.
Will turned back into the room. He
passed Hubby silently; but she caught
his arm.
"Where you going?"
"After him." said Will, in thick
tones strange to his own ears.
"Why?" she challenged.
He shook loose, freed himself from
her, moved toward the kitchen. She
said, behind him, in a rising, defensive
fury:
"You work all day and sleep all
night. What do you look for me to
do?"
He swung to face her, and there was
death in his eyes. "Pll be back to tend
to you." he said; and with no further
word burst through the kitchen and
away.
She came, with one of her rare quick
movements, after him as far as the
kitchen door; she called mockingly:
go on, theni But time yo're done
with Seth, there's a-plenty more!"
Win, If he heard. made no sign; he
went plunging through the barn and
down through the orchard. Hubby