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

her wanderings afield alone, more than
once encountered Bart. These encoun-
tiers seemed to her accident; but Marin
Pierce thought otherwise. Bart, the
old woman guessed, preferred to see
Jenny without subjecting himself to
her grandmOther's watchful vigilance.
1T was true that he came sometimes to
sit in the kitchen, his hat between his
knees, and talk with them both to-
.gether; true that when he fetched dry
groceries from the store in Liberty he
might stop for a while in the dining
room where the warm lamp burned.
But he seldom came openly and frank
ly to see Jenny. Rather he met her
casually by the brook, or on the road,
or in the woods.
There was in the lower reaches of
the brook just above the bog long
pool with a sandy bottom and deep
water at the head; and Jenny, on a
hot summer day. used sometimes to go
there to battle. She could not swim;
but she liked to gather her skirts
about her thighs and wade in the cool
clear water, or even sometimes remove
all her clothes except a white shift
and immerse herself completely in the
refreshing flood. The place was remote
and solitary, more than a mile down.
stream from Carey's bridge, and none
but the most ardent fishermen ever
went so far; so she was not likely to
be surprised there.
But one day when she was wading
into the foot Of the pool, the sand soft
between her toes, her skirts high, she
saw or felt or heard movement on
the bank above her and looked up and
discovered Bart standing smiling there.
She dropped her skirts into the wa
ter, needless of the fact that thus they
were wetted along the hem, and faced
him steadily; and he called, raising
his voice to be heard above the song
of the small ripple at the head of the
pool:
waters cold, amt it,"
She shook her head. "Feels good,
hot day." she said. She was not con-
fused or embarrassed, not even re-
SeuIIui. hS udu IlSHI " Uo there
if he chose.
He slapped a mosquito on his cheek.
Give you the rheumatism" he pre-
dicted. "Me, L wear rubber boots when
/ go to wade. Yor better come out of
there"
Jenny asked: "Fishing?" Then real
lied that he had no rod.
Just looking over the brook" he
explained. couple of men coming to
fish tomorrow, and / wanted to see
where the trout was lying. Waters
kind of low"
Guess I've scared them, if there
was any in here" she said.
He grinned. "Sho," he said flatter-
ingly, mo trout wouldn't ever be afraid
of you. Wonder to me they amt nib
bling at yore toes"
She looked down at her bare feet,
and realized that she was standing
here with her wet skirt drabbled
about her knees. SO she came ashore,
and wrung out the hem of her skirt,
and sat down with her back to him
to pull on her stockings and her shoes.
He stood behind her, coming no near
er, speaking of casual things, till she
rose to face him again.
He asked then: I'm a hurry, are
you?"
"GrannyT be wondering where I've
went to-"
''Set and talk" he urged.
la1 foin
would eat us up" she said. "Ill go
along"
Il want to talk to you, Jenny" he
insisted.
Walk along with me, then" she
proposed, and moved resolutely on her
way.
But as she passed him. he caught
her arm. Deep silent wood lay all
about them, and the shadows were
cool. "You don't ever give me chance
to talk to you, Jenny" he protested.
what about, Bart?" she asked
gravely.
He laughed. "Sho, there's a-plenty of
things for a fellow and a girl to talk
about, Jenny. High time you got on to
that"
She stood, her head little bowed,
thinking of viii. Il do know that,
Bart" she said. "But-not you and
me-"
whats the matter with me?" he
asked, half angrily.
"Why, yo're all right" she said hon.
estly. You've been mighty good to
Granny and me. fetching things from
the village, and helping with the hay,
and the farming. and ALL But--not
the sort of thing you mean. Bart"
How do you know?" he challenged,
curiOusly abashed by her calm Serenity.
You can't tell. You might git to -
She shook her head. mot you, Bart"
she said simply. His clasp on her arm
relaxed, and she moved quietly away
from him. There was In the moment
nothing in the least dramatic; and vet
Bart perceived that there was in 1t
nevertheless tinality. He stared after
her, baffled. rebuffed; he did not fol-
low. stood where she had left him.
And when she was gone he said only :
well, I'll be :"
He did not say what he would be /;
but later on mis- way up the brook to
his home. he grinned at his own dis
comfiture.
Win Haven vas at the AR wheD