The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-11-21

set of lumbago, and lay prone Will.
Jenny slowly ironed her back with a
hot fiatiron over blankets, till the old
woman ithed from the heat, yet de
clared she felt better by and by. Jenny
was as well pleased to stay at home
VIII would have been at the burying
and Jenny might have seen him there
and she shrank from seeing him. To
do so could only open afresh old and
weary wounds. He must be, she
thought, somehow broken by these
months that were gone; to see him, TO
see his grief and WEAKNESS might pro
woke in her storm of anger which
she could not govern and control So
Jenny willingly stayed at home, nurs.
ing in her heart the image of Will as
he had been, covering him and shield
ing him with her love, drawing 1t
around him like buckler against all
he must day by day endure.
They had during that summer word
now and then of VIII, and Of Zeke and
Hubby, too. The word ran through the
Valley that nowadays Zeke never went
where Hubby did not CO. Marin Pierce
and Jenny heard that he tralled Hubby
like dog, like jealous dog, nipping
at the heels of those who came near her.
Once during the summer the Valley
was filed with rumor of q fight he
had, with one Of the men from the
mill, till he was soundly whipped by
this NAH half head shorter than him
self. And in September there were
vague, fragmentary reports that he
had struck Hubby, had tried to choke
her, in some passion of anger at her
for a cause unknown.
There were whispers in the wind,
words, phrases, lies and truths and
dim conjectureS; and each was in itself
fragmentary and almost meaningless.
but out of them all, Jenny began TO
form a picture in her mind. Will, 1t
appeared, made no effort to send Zeke
away: he treated Zeke with a slow
courtesy, and Hubby. too. He seemed
to preserve by his demeanor the fiction
that Zeke was a loyal hand, willing
hand about the farm; that Hubby was
all a wife should be. Old Win Haven,
according to rumor, tainted him one
day; and then shrank In alright be-
fore Wills blazing eyes, and babbled
his apologies, withdrawing the offend
ing word. This had happened in Lib
erty village, by the store, with other
men about; and it was said that Will
had looked like death, till the others
hurried Win away.
Zeke, someone said, was not so stall
wart as he had used to be. He had
begun to cough, and to lose weight. It
was even predicted that he might not
live the winter through. Bart came to
the door one day. on his way home
from the village, and he said:
"Huldy and Zeke was in Liberty to-
day. Driv' over in Wills Sleigh" This
was in February, with snow deep on
the road. He chuckled. "If Zeke and
me went at it again, 1 guess could
handle him now. He's failed pitiful."
"You leave the pore thing be, Bart"
Marin Pierce warned him. Hes got
enough trouble on his hands,"
Bart nodded soberly. "It's a wonder
to me how Will stands it." he confessed.
Il see her today. She's the same as
ever, with an eye for every man
around, and that smiling way she
has,"
Marin Pierce, putting away the par
cells he had brought, asked with
glance toward the dining room whittier
Jenny had withdrawn:
"Will want along with them today?"
Didn't see him, no." Bart returned.
HE stays to home, the most of the
time"
And he chuckled, and said: SIT was
funny to see the men today, kind of
circling, and watching, like they was
waiting for something. Like a bunch
Of crows around a sick horse, waiting
to see what was going to happen next"
And he said: "Zeke, he won't last
longw
Guess you won't go to his funeral
when he dies" Marin Pierce com.
mented.
"Oh, 1 don't hold a thing against
Zeke," Bart assured her. 81 figure
I've got all the better of our argument,
by now"
"How would Amy feel about rhat?"
the old woman demanded; and Bart
said slowly:
Pore Amy!" But he rose as though
uneasily. WELL" he decided, 'I'll be
going along"
After he was gone, Marin Pierce was
busy with supper for a while, Jenny
helping her; but when they had fin
ished the meal, as though after long
reflection, the old woman said:
Child, there's things the less said
about them the better but can feel it
in my bones, something's going to hap
pen around here. l dunno what it'll
be; but I don't want you mixed up
in it."
Jenny looked at her gravely. "What
can happen, Granny?"
The old woman hesitated. II dunno
as l know" she confessed. "But
Jenny, don't you let what hurts other
folks hurt you" She added vigorously
"And don't let other folks hurt you,
Jenny. There's apt as not to be
trouble. Don't get in the way of 1t.
One Of these days, somebody, some
mans going to. :" She shook her
hood aCbYld0 che .o,a ur -.