The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-06-11

all about it-what 1t will be every
hour of the day-and night" he said,
so that she hardly heard him.
Il thought for a time, Agnes" he
went on. "of taking up another line,
for you. l mean, with the idea that
it might just possibly increase my
chance with you. Not to make more
money, but to make myself different,
for you. But I couldn't be different"
"Not you, Rod"
"No; it'd be no use. There's only
one job 1 can care to do. You know
what it is. It's-to find Sut wha:
makes one person live and another die.
What brings one child health and
strength and happiness, and what con-
dennis another to be a cripple or to
pain or wretchedness for life. What
does It? Not God, not Divine judg-
ment and punishment. We don't be-
lieve in travesties like that any long
er. And it's not the sins of the IA
theirs, in most cases, either. It's some
condition we can discover and cor
rect It's some secret Of biological
balance that We can uncover. It's sim
ply a problem of biology that I've got
TO work at as long as I'm any good. ]
couldn't turn TO anything else If
tried to. It's the one thing that mat
tiers TO me-except you.
1--WE been trying to put you two
together. l mean to imagine you to-
gether-my life, as l live it, and you.
can do it in my dreams. Oh, love
you so much; and I can see I'll new
er have you. Don't mistake me
in how l imagined you in my dreams,
dear; oh, my dear. You were there
waiting for me; that was all. You
always were there for me at end Of
day. Wherever I was, whatever
was doing, was going back to you.
No; I'll tell 1t all TO you. Some day,
dreamed, we'd have a little girl like
you. A very little girl with blue eyes
and hair like fax as yours used to be.
=. :"
1T wasn't strange, Rod. Don't
think I misunderstood. Kiss me, Rod. "
when go, 1 will, If you'll let me.
I couldn't bear it now. see how you
feel-sorry for me. It's plain 1 can
never have you. I won't make you
say it. l know. l always knew. That's
why the dreams began; but they'll be
gone now, too. That's best, 1 sup
pose.
Ten minutes later, Rodney left; and
she knew better than to try to detain
him. I'm driving you back to the
station" she said.
mo. Let me leave you here. {.
You can send me, If you will, with
Simmons; but you-let me kiss you
now"
Never with such tenderness, never
with so much strength restrained, had
a mans hands clasped her. His arm
| did not encircle her. His hands upon
her shoulders, he drew her to him
she lifted her lips and kissed him.
| Once; that was all; he did not try to
repeat it.
again, Rodney" she whispered,
reaching up, stretching on tiptoes to
offer herself once more.
You don't repeat-death." he de-
MED her.
Agnes moved about the empty house,
gazing out at the snow.
She could do no differently about
Rodney: she did not love him. She
| felt for him with a keen pity which
had no equal in her meetings with
men; but she did not desire him. Was
love-desire? Was that the decisive
sensation in your life?
Was admiration for a man, sympa
thy for him, caring for him, nothing
in comparison? Did no qualities In
you or in him count, unless you de
sired him?
| Flames were leaping and swapping
| from maple logs freshly laid on the
huge stone hearth of the hall; and the
green glass eyes in the pair of jag
uar heads on the wall opposite
cleaned their reflection of the dane
ing fire.
Five years ago her father had sho;
the jaguars in Brazil, having sudden
| ~ found need to cease to be a manu-
facturer of electrical equipment AM
| to become, instead, a hunter set upoI
traversing tropical jungles to xii
something dangerous and savage
Among other trophies, he had brough
these back, installed them here, ant
dubbed them "Hansel and Gretel."
This house, which had never beer
as happy as the home on Easter Lane
had descended undeniably after that
OF course the jaguar heads had moth
ing to do with the descent; they were
simply a symbol of what had hap
pened.
What had happened in this house
| Rogna, the little Swedish maid. ap
peared. She was lady's maid shared
by Agnes and her mother; a slender
small boned. golden haired. bright
checked, impulsive type of Swede. Sh,
was oyeremotional. indeed, but dis
Greet. Rogna, if any one, knew wha
had happened in this great importan
house; for Agnes suspected that he
mother, in her despairing helplessnes
to regain what was slipping away
sometimes talked TO" Rogna. Neva
to a soul would Rogna repeat a wort
Of il.
Mothers returned?' Agnes aske
her.
4