The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-11-28

|
ing. She seemed large, yet he real
lied that she was in fact small, and
smoothly formed. It was only that
her head was perhaps somewhat larger
than due proportion would have re-
quired. with that resulting emphasis
upon the conformation of her lips and
| eyes which is so often an attribute Of
the great women Of the stage. And her
hair was black as ink, and her eyes,
too; and they shone, and In them a
deep flame burned. Her cheek was
warm with sun, and her arms, bare
| TO the elbow below sleeves rolled high,
| were likewise summed to the very
sleeve, with no thin white circle above
| the elbow to suggest that where her
| dress covered her, her body all was
| white. Saladine had, disturbingly, an
instant picture OF this woman all in
the suns embrace, no garment to him
| der the gliding brush stroke with
which its rays laid their deep color
on. She was one of those women who,
! no matter what they wear, seem to
mans eye unclothed.
Then the woman addressed Saladine.
"Yes," she said. You can rest your
car in my yard" Her tones were
light, almost testing, half fiattery, half
challenge.
Much obliged" Saladine said. 'Tt's
only while try the brook a SPELL"
Its like TO rain," she told him gen.
| tly. 1.-The fish won't take hold. You
| could find better ways TO use your
timeI" There was in her a physical
passivity astonishingly disturbing: she
was like an animal crouched ready to
| spring.
He began to set up his rod. Maybe
| l can get at them before the rain,"
he eVaded. The ak chopped and chopped
behind her, and a chip flew spinning
over her shoulder toward him. She
| did not turn her head.
81 expect yo're Mis- Ferrin," he haz-
| arded, in the silence.
I'm Huldy-Ferrin," she assented,
and smiled, and he could find no rea-
son for this smile. She continued TO
watch him, calmly, and he dropped his
reel, and picked it up in haste. 1t
seemed to him that he was long time
at this business of preparing to fish;
and he was incredibly clumsy, thumb
fingered, unable to tie the simplest
| knot.
Then the kitchen door opened, and
a man came out Of the house upon
the side porch yonder. He was a
| blond giant with steady eyes of a
| deep blue like the sky at dusk; his
hair was straw yellow above his wide
brow. One leg was gone below the
knee; he wore a peg. And Saladine,
seeing this, remembered the tale of
how Seth Humphreys died. This then
was VIII Ferrin; those calm blue eyes
| could upon occasion blaze and burn
Morning" said this man TO Saladine.
"Yo're VIII Ferrin, 1 expect" Sala-
dine returned. How do. My names
| Saladine."
VIII nodded. "Fishing?" he asked.
Saladine assented. II hear tell there
are some big ones in the brook" he
said.
The woman in the shed door watched
them. She seemed half asleep, seemed
| browsing there; yet Saladine thought
warmth emanated from her as from a
| good stove. Behind her the ak rived
wood.
Some" said Will Ferrin. "Yes.
there's a few. 1 used to fish a pile"
He glanced down at his peg leg; then
he gave advice.
You go along the road to Carey's,
and start there and fish down through
! the quick water" he suggested. 1T
runs a ways below here. Then there's
dead water below that, through the
bog. The big ones are mostly in the
dead water; but times they won't take
at all, and it's hard fishing, unless you
know the holes"
IF it's too tough, I'll pass it up"
Saladine decided.
Guess you'll stick it, by the looks
of you" VIII predicted. But it'll save
you some hard walking, after yo're
through fishing, if you strike over to
the Valley road"
| And he explained in more detail
You'll come to where there used to
be a mill; an old stone dam. You
leave the brook on the far side, there,
and go up through the woods till you
hit the road. Follow it north, and
take the first right. That'n bring you
back to Carey's, and back here Be
heap easier than drilling through the
woods
Saladine thought there was some
thing defensive in Wills garrulity, as
though by speech he sought TO avert
that which he feared. much Obliged
Jim told him, and slung basket on hip
How far down to Carey's from here?"
But before VIII could answer, Hubby
Ferrin moved, and spoke. "Yo're vast
ing time, going by the road" she said.
TN show you better than that" And
without waiting for Jim's assent, she
moved toward the barn.
Saladine looked at VIII Ferrin.
Wills eyes were heavy with a deep
shadow. Also, the ak had stopped its
clack and bite, as though Zeke in the
shed were listening, too.
Through this way" insisted Hully
Ferrin slowly, summoning Saladine.
| He'll do full as well to go the
road" her husband urged; but her eyes
| touched him, and he was still.
She had paused and Jim felt impa-
tience in her; and then he found him
self following her through the barn,
following her along a faint path be-
yond. Past apple trees, down a little
slope, through a cIump of spruces thar
| hid the house and barn.
He would remember, afterward. that
Zeke's ak in the shed did not resume
] its rhvthmic sound but now be watched