The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-08-05
The eyes assured her.

you"
Again he let her know, by the only
means that he possessed, that he UNI
derstood. A break came into her
voice.
Il just can't face life," she said
brokenly, without something!" Her
tongue ran over lips pale from lack
OF carmine. The hands knit more
rapidly. eff you married me,
Bruce"
The eyes moved swiftly. The girl
turned, only to stiffen.
Here comes Jack Hammond, {"
said frontier nurse at the window.
'That ought to cheer up that Tow
ers girl"
'She needs something" Another
member of the Frontier corps had
joined her. God knows, she's had
little else, the way she's been work
ing"
Kay sank back in her chair,
queerly frightened. She kept telling
herself over and over again that
she must wait-Hammond must not
know about this-he'd guess why
she was doing it
But Jack Hammond had no idea
of what was going on at Bruce
Kenning's bedside.
Somewhat rested after long Ia
bors, he stood on the steps of the
pavilion, looking back over the val
ley.
The fire was dead-buried under
eight inches of snow from beneath
which it still steamed impotently.
What trees remained were beauti-
full in flagreed silver. The slopes
of the giant hills were serrationS
of reddish earth and smooth white,
a calm expanse which looked down
upon the gaunt place which once
had been Sapphire. But even now
hammers were sounding. Fires
burned in front of tents. There
were huge ruts in the snow, where
man power and the dogs which had
escaped the forest fire dragged logs
to the building of new cabins. Here
and there placer claim was being
worked. Internationally, an airplane
roared out of a leaden ceiling and
dropped down to the lake, heavy
with new supplies. The snowfall
had ceased, but the clouds which
had brought it still fingered, form
ing again for another downfall.
Hammond went up the steps and
into tho yoYyi1in,, C0r1noVt
was there, match to his black
pipe.
'How goes the battle?" the pros
pector asked.
partly good. Partly bad. A cou-
pie of new pneumonia cases. And
it looks like Kenning's going to save
us the cost of a trial"
HAS he talked YETI"
Cant. Won't. Tongue too swol-
len."
A girl passed, heavily laden with
dishes from the kitchen. Hammond
leaped to aid her. 1t was Jeanne
Towers.
Thanks" she said with a smile.
''I'm not much of a hasher."
"You had enough there for two
men to carry" the man said.
"Did L? I didn't notice"
AS he walked beside her, Jack
remembered that she had said
many things like this during the
long hours. That she didn't notice
she was alone, when another nurse
should have been helping her to
turn suffering patient in his bed;
that she didn't notice that she was
carrying a double armful of wood
for the big stove, now set up in
the middle of the gambling hall;
that she didn't notice she had
worked hours past the time when
others had sought rest.
Somehow she seemed to shame
him. Yet Jack was proud of her.
Now that he thought of it, he al
ways had been proud of Jeanne Tow
ers-proud of her that night when
she had borrowed her dogs, in the
raw, new camp of Fourcross; proud
of her when she gathered the wood
for him, during the snowstorm on
the long trek to Sapphire; proud of
her for her stalwart courage in the
little store; even proud of her that
night when she had brought his ev-
cry dream crashing down about
him by her accusations of Kay
Joyce.
The food distributed, he walked
down the line of cots. Here a man
had a message to be taken to a
partner. A wife wanted her hus-
band, down in camp. A fellow work
er in the fire zone held him, talking
Of their fight together against
flames. At last he came to Ken
ning's cot.
"Well," he asked, without bitter
ness, sis he any better?"
Kay came to her feet, sullenly de-
faint.
''Why don't you 60 away?"
81 didn't mean to annoy YOU"
The girls lips frightened.
ITO BE CONTINUED
Robert Cayelier de la Sale