The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-11-19

about it. You see I left Dorinda-"
Sarah Darbe interrupted, enter
ing with my breakfast tray. "We
let her sleep as long as she could,
Mrs. Avery" she took up the con-
versation. "She must have walked
up about eleven. She had her
breakfast little over a half hour
ago."
Sylvia watched me pour my cof-
fee. "How 1 wish I could have
some, Aunt Mary!" she exclaimed
wistfully.
"I'l be glad when you can,"
temporized Because then you and
can have our coffee together. But
you'll have to be a big girl be-
fore that happens. What are you
going to do this afternoon"
changed the subject.
Nancy and I are going to play
down at the Merry Mere. We are
making a little village. There's
my doll house and that birdhouse
that's been in the garage so long
and a lot of boxes that sort of look
like houses. Nancy and I made
up our minds that there was going
to be king and queen in the village
and so Dorinda Belle is going to
be queen and Nancy's boy-doll's go.
ing to be king. They're to be
crowned today"
"Oh that's why Dorinda Belle is
wearing that gorgeous dress!" ]
said.
eyes, Aunt Mary. l made it my
self" Sylvia held Dorinda Belle ul
so that could get the entire effect
of lanky draperies wrapped around
her.
Beautiful" l fbbed tactfully.
Sylvia chartered on, adding 9th.
er opulent details of the days
! plans, but 1 was not listening.
(which of the ladies did you
think looked the prettiest last
night" 1 asked.
ION the Snow Queen!" Sylvia
answered promptly and with en-
thusiasm. II thought she was per.
fickly wonderful Molly is the most
beautiful lady I ever saw!''
(Which of the men did you like
most?" l asked.
Doctor Acel" Sylvia's small
freckled nose wrin6led with her elf.
in mirth; she distilled her tinkling
laughter. ''Oh, Doctor Ace was
so funny asking me if I was Mrs
Broome and Ellie Dent and Tom
Boylan. Wouldn't you have thought
Aunt Mary, that he'd have known
wasn't any of them? He did not
take his mask off. He wer: away
before that. Oh I'm so sorry he
went away"
You love Doctor Ace, Sylvan"
eyes, he gives me nice medi.
cines. I don't like Doctor Spell.
man. Doctor Spellman gives me
horrid medicine. Doctor Ace tells
me stories too. l love him.
1t was one of the contradictions
in Ace Blaikie's contradictory char
acter that he preferred little girls
to little boys. He had an enchant-
ing way" with little girls and
this enchanting "way" had no re-
lation whatever to the fascinating
way he had with older women
For Ace Blake had always been
attractive to women-always.
"I'm sorry Doctor Ace didn't
come back and take his mask off, %
Sylvia repeated. Afterwards, I was
to recall that Sylvia had said twice
that Ace Blake had gone away,
twice that she was sorry he had
not come back. At that moment
of course it made no impression.
1t did make an impression how
ever, when she said, walter did
mt come back either"
said, Sylvia you will not say
anything to anybody about Wal
ter's being there"
II won't, Aunt Mary" she prom
ised me.
"You see it's a secret. Now skip
along darling! I'm going to dress
Sarah Darbe came in as Sylvia
went out-fresh linen for my bed
over her arm. ''I've drawn your
oath water, Mrs. Avery" she said,
handing me my kimono.
When I came out of the bath, my
| room had been put to rights.
is there anything further I can
do, Mrs. Avery?" Sarah asked.
Nothing, thank you Sarah,"
answered.
An invariable ritual of entertain
ment for the maids of Second Head
marks the Sunday after the Stow
masquerade. They all come to a
picnic in the Little House on my
place. A little perfunctorily, I said,
II suppose the girls are getting
ready for the picnic tomorrow"
"Oh yes, Mrs. Avery!" Sarah an
swered. They're all pretty ex-
cited. They always are. We
wouldn't miss our picnic for any,
thing"
"Are all the usual crowd going?'
I asked.
Eyes, Mrs. Avery" Sarah an
swered, "about a dozen of u.s."
ITO Dr nnNTJNrrrrn,