The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-09-24
DRAGONS DRIVE YOU
By EDWIN BALMER
Usrvce

their beliefs had shot themselves while
cleaning" revolvers, died of monoxide
gas poisoning in their garages, or had
leaped-or 'fallen"-from their office
windows.
Arthur Linsdale, a neighbor of the
Gleneiths, rose from dinner-table and
went to the lake shore alone and put
bullet through his head. He was i'm
portant enough so that cables carried
the news that night to European pa
pers; and Beatrice Gleneith read it in
her room at her hotel in Florence.
She sent Rogna for her daughter.
agnes, we're leaving for home.
No; your father has not cabled for
me; and I've had no letter today. It's
this: Arthur Linsdale's shot himself
He's just your fathers age. I've often
thought of them as alike. We're
leaving at once"
When Bees mother and sister were
on the water, she met, driving to mar
ket, neighbor of hers whom she had
often seen when she had lived in her
own house. 1t was Joyce Mereday,
whose husband, though out of a job
since January, had held on to their
home, though 1t was well known that
the grocer and the butcher had not
men would not carry slow accounts.
and so Gene had got rid of his car.
Joy was walking from the market
She had had no servant since Christ
mas.
Bee asked her to lunch; and Joy got
into the car casually enough, and as
they drove, she referred easily to her
children, who were being sent to the
public school; they took their lunch
with them to save the two-mile walk
two extra times day. Joy was older
than Bee, and her girl was ten, and
the boy eight.
1t was when Bee and her guest
were at the understandable, with Bobby
and Davy between them, that Joy sud-
denly broke down.
T. Cravath had just served her and
Bee, and he had laid before the little
boys exactly what they ought to have,
when Joy dropped her fork, which she
had lifted to her lips.
Il can't eat! How can I eat? How
can put this food in my mouth when
my children-my children are hungry?'
Bee jumped up and caught her in
her arms.
No! Mop Joy cried. 81 can't eat {!
. d. sent my girl and boy to school
again with bread with a little butter
spread on it! All had in the house,
That's all they've had for days in their
lunch-bOXeS! And oatmeal at
home. That's box of oatmeal left
in your car; all we'll have tonight and
tomorrow. And my Sally said to
me this morning: Don't mind :.
don't mind, Mother. Nobody knows
You see, Bee, they go off by them
selves to eat,-Sally and Gene,-so
nobody does know, from them. And
they eat the oatmeal morning and
night at home! They're such little
sports!"
Bee made the mistake, that night,
of letting Davis learn of this. She
would not have told him, but she had
to explain two circumstances-Bob-
by's report to his father that big
lady cried at lunch time, and the fur
Their fact that Bee was without ten
dollars, which was to have served her
for the rest of the week; for she had
made Joy take it.
Bee herself did not sleep too well
that night. She heard Davis walking
about; he came into her room and bent
over her.
Hello" said Bee. and put up hand
which he clasped so tight he hurt her ;
but she let him.
I've been looking at our boys" he
said.
They're all right, Davy."
"And they will be. Nothing-noth-
ing will ever rob them Of their op-
portunity!'
"Of course not"
"And by God, I'll take care of you
and the little you that's coming"
"Of course you will"
kiss me, Bee"
She put both arms about his neck
and found his lips.
That's like-old times-almost, Bee.
Oh, God, how 1 want you to love me !"
The huge ship, upon which Agnes
and her mother crossed, was almost
without passengers in the first class.
1t carried, actually, more stewards and
attendants for that class than travel
ers.
Topics Of discussion between the
homebound passengers were seldom
cheerful; they felt themselves favored
and protected people on their way 70
hear, at home, the full facts Of dis
asters which had been withheld or
CLOSED over in cables and letters.
why" said Beatrice Gleneith again
and again to Agnes, why did Mr..
LinSdale do it?"
ITO BE CONTINUED