The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-12-05

| Wits. MIS- Ferrln showed me the path
down to the brook"
Marin Pierce's tone was suddenly
unfriendly. Guess likely you visited
with her for a spell?" Saladine shook
his head; and the other said tartly !:
''It's wonder she let you get away"
There seemed no reply to this; but
Saladine, standing by the stove, was
deeply uncomfortable. He had caught
one foot between two powders, and
had felt sharp burning pain In his
| ankle. Moving a step away from the
stove just now, that hurt reminded
| him of its existence with a pain so
sharp that he WINGED, and limped. The
old woman looked at him shrewdly.
'Your foot hurt?" she asked.
II twisted it." he confessed, and
she came to her feet with spry alac-
| rity.
High time you was a'telling me-"
she said. Il can tend that for you.
| Set down and take off your shoe"
She began to heat something in
saucepan on the stove.
"Wormwood boiled in vinegar and
rubbed on hot. That'n take out the
pain in no time!" Acid fumes arose
from the mixture she was stirring.
| How'd you do it?' she asked.
He said with a smile at his own
| clumsiness: "a fool thing. All down
brook today, kept feeling as if some
one was watching me. So kept look
;pr hoo ly ap6 pafurolIv T ctoppad into
| hole" And he said, watching her:
''This Valleys gloomy place for q
stranger, ma'amw
She nodded. 1T is that" she agreed.
"And for folks that live here, too.
could tell you tales" And then sud-
denly she became motionless, her head
cooked, listening. Heavy foot accom-
ing" she said softly, and looked
toward the outer door.
Saladine, seated, did not Immediately
rise; and Marin Pierce was busy, so it
was Jenny who crossed to the door.
She was thus the first to see Bart,
striding toward the house through the
rain. He bore burden in his arms,
woman. Her head hung down over
his elbow, and her upturned face
streamed with rain. Hubby Ferrin,
limp and still and broken! That dark
red garment she wore was drenched
and shapeless now.
Jenny instinctively recoiled; but
Marin Pierce came. to fling the door
wide. Bart stepped up on the porch,
painting. He crossed the threshold
and his dripping burden stained the
clean scrubbed floor.
For an instant none spoke. Jenny,
like one poised for flight, backed into
the dining room. There was a hideous
Hubby with blank, glazed eyes. Even
Marin Pierce was startled into silence.
Then Bart told them in explosive
ejaculation "She fell off the ledge
back of Wills. 1 fetched her here
case you could-do anything"
So Marin Pierce recovered her wits
and took quick command. Garry her
in here" she babe; and led the way
into the dining room. Jenny moved
aside, and Bart deposited Hubby upon
the couch against the further wall.
Jenny saw that he was curiously
disheveled. Something's dead stub
which he had brushed in his passage
through the WOODLAND gouged three
deep scratches on his cheek; and the
shoulder of his shirt was torn. His
garments all were soaked, save that
across the front of him, where he had
carried Hubby in his arms, the faded
blue of his overalls was of a lighter
hue than elsewhere. Her body, pressed
against his, had kept the denim there,
save for two thin trickles, completely
dry.
And Jenny remembered that ledge
where she had seen Hubby, lying in
the sun, on day long ago; and she
remembered, shudderingly, the steep
declivity below.
Then Bart was speaking, still pant
ing little.
II was fishing" he said. "Down be-
low Wills place. Heard her let out a
screech, and then kind of thump;
and l scrabbled up there to the foot
of the ledge and there she was.
Il low she's dead and done for" he
confessed. But l never took time to
think of thatr'
Marin Pierce nodded. "Aye, done for,
| finally" she said in low, almost trium-
plant tones.
Il could've lugged her home, up the
HILL" Bart admitted. But it's steep,
and thought you might do something
] It's some further over here than up to
, Wills; but it's easier going Looked
| to me could get her here as quick as
| there!"
He was rubbing his right hand with
his left, and Jenny saw that the right
was bruised and swollen, a split across
one knuckle.
"You hurt your hand" she suggest
ed, huskily.
Fell on it; fell and landed on a
rock" Bart agreed.
The girl turned toward the couch !;
she stood beside it, her back against
the wall, her hands spread at her sides
and her palms pressing against the
plaster. She looked down at the hurt
woman over her shoulder, sidewise,
with wide eyes; her lips were white
and still. Bart stood in the middle of
the room, and while he spoke he
scrubbed with his palm at some dark
stain on his sleeve. His palm was
stained when he was done; and he
stared at it, and rubbed it against his
oyeralls.
Marin Pierce said softly to herself,
like an old crone mumbling some mys-
tic charm: 1.-THE blood still runs %
| She darted out to the kitchen. lightly.