The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-10-28
CATTLE KINGDOM
CHAPTER IX-Continued

''Not very much. Aren't you 60
ing to help me find some break
fast?"
"You bet I am" They went into
the cook shack, and he lighted the
lamp again.
Moving slowly, he quietly showed
wood into the banked fire, and got
bacon into a skillet. I'm sure sor-
ry can't stay while this cooks" he
said. "But I've got to make ride"
maybe I'll go with you"
"I'm afraid" he said gently, "you
wouldn't want to do that"
"You mean you don't want me-"
'It isn't that. But"
eff you had any imagination you'd
know got up at this unearthly hour
because I want to talk to you"
He waited, disturbed. She stood
close to him, talking almost in whis-
pers. He knew he must get going,
but he could not bring himself to
move away.
"You see-I heard part of what
you and Uncle John said last night"
"You heard-what?"
"Uncle John has a voice like old
Rock in full cry" she explained.
'My room isn't next to his, but it
isn't far away. And when he's an
CRY, I'll bet he can be heard ten
miles back into the Tuscaroras. I
couldn't help hearing what you said
about Bob Flagg being dead. And
if that's true"
Wheeler was startled. ''Mari-
an" he looked at her square
what else did you hear?"
Her eyes did not waver. "That
was ALL"
He thought he detected a faint
wicked gleam in her eyes, but he
kept his face expressionless, and
stood pat.
We've got to find Old Man Cot
fee," she said.
Seems like he's left, Marian"
you've got to take me to him, I"
the girl said. "You can find him-I
know you can find him."
what makes you think so?"
"Can't your"
Wheeler hesitated; what Old Man
Coffee had told him had been told
in confidence. Yet, invariably, he
found it almost impossible to speak
untruly to this girl.
His hesitation was fatal. "You
know where he is" she said sud-
denly.
He picked up his bride. 1--WE
got to get out of here"
: "Billy-you're riding out to meet
Old Man Coffeel"
"Tell your uncle I'll be back to-
night" he said abruptly, and moved
toward the door.
"I'm going with you."
"I'm sorry" he said, "but you're
not. You're a pest, that's what
you are! Go on and eat your break
| fast"
Yet he knew that he could not
bluff this girl, nor control anything
that she did; and what was worse,
she knew it too. AS he left her she
was writing a note to her uncle,
telling him where she had gone; and
SIG was Will IlGI
own pony, as he left the layout.
Wheeler pressed his pony along
steadily, eyes to the front; and he
was combating his keen awareness
that the girl was at his side. He
| had loved this gaunt, clear-colored
country of blasting sun and sharp
shadows; differently than he had
loved the girl, but as a man loves
his home. But now he knew he
would need another different coun-
try, new type of grazing land, if
he was ever going to forget this
girl who rode beside him, whom he
could never possess.
They were almost in the shadow
of Lost Whiskey Butte when she
broke the silence between them.
Billy told you something that
wasn't So"
He waited.
at was when we were talking
about Bob Flagg, and how I heard
what you and Uncle John said about
that. And I said that was all ]
heard. Well-that wasn't ALL"
''What else did you hear?"
81 heard-it ALL"
Unexpectedly he found it difficult
to tell himself that it didn't matter.
But now he realized that she was
waiting for him to answer, and he
managed to say, That's all right. "
isn't it BETTER" she said, "that
we both know now how things really
stand-between us, I mean?"
He made himself say, 81 guess so,
Marian"
''It is BETTER" she said, and he
wondered why her voice seemed SO
sad. "Because-don't you seer
there's nothing to keep us from be-
ing friends now-really friends. And
each of us-all of us-are going to
need what friendliness there is left
in the world, I think"