The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-08-18
CHAPTER X-Continued

deep chair which made her seem
childishly small, and the aviator
stretched himself fiat again, his
hands folded behind his yellow head.
''This was the one I liked" Jor-
dan said, his fingers hating.
s'But I shall go down from this airy
space, this swift white peace,
this singing exultation;
And time will close about me, and
my soul stir to the rhythm of
the daily round,
Yet, having known, life will not
press so close,
And always I shall feel time ravel
thin about me,
For once I stood
In the white windy presence of eter-
nifty"
Sarah Lynn felt little shiver Of
appreciation. She had known it, the
swift white peace, the singing exul-
tation. Life would never press too
close on her, on Gunnar; they
wouldn't let it! They were not earth
bound; they had dominion.
Jordan played on and on, quietly
now, with a conviction of serenity
and permanence, and the crimson
of the hearth died down to a hot,
gray ash. It seemed to Sarah Lynn
that her heart must literally burst
with its weight of surging happi-
ness.
Gnnar let Sarah Lynn take the
Hermod up alone one day and stood
waiting proudly while she brought
it smoothly and beautifully to earth
It was her acollade: sign and SYM
boil of his utter trust.
They walked on the shore beside
the blue, bright water and he took
her in his arms. $780," he said,
lifting his head after a long kiss,
&'you are fearless, also wise. You
fly safely and skillfully my Hermod.
love you"
Sarah Lynn pulled herself out of
his embrace to look up at him.
''Gunnar, do you love me? Me?"
"Have I not said"
"I know. But I mean-is it only
because I've learned to fly proper
Iy? Because I'm not afraid? Be-
cause I do the kind of things you
like? Or is it-myself?"
He laughed aloud. "This is a
folly. I love you because you are
you-without fear, and wise, a good
Hier. It is answered"
mo, but"-there was a shadow in
the eyes of the queer, dark Dana
girl. Don't you think we ought to
care for people themselves, not for
what they do? Not even for what
they are? I think"
at needs no thinking" he said.
"But-Gunnar, suppose-suppose
stopped fiying?"
Suppose you stopped living?
Enough of folly! We fnishl" He
kissed her again.
Lynn Dana wrote to his travelling
cousin:
81 wish you were here to See them
now, Sally Ann. By and by, I sup
pose, an memorable calendar will
catch them and clip their wings,
but now they are soaring!
''Their visit at Jordan's Tahoe
lodge seemed to set them free. They
are armored against everything
now, even poor Cousin Adelaide.
They say little of plans but I gather
they are to marry in fortnight and
go at once to Norway where he has
excellent prospects.
ST think-at least, I suspect-that
they will fly the Atlantic in the
Hermod, in complete secrecy. I
doubt if they will even tell me.
t'Of course I shall miss them
blankly, bleakly; it doesn't need
your nirnble and trained magma
ton to understand how much of fla
vor and fragrance will go out of
things, but I shall manage to re-
joice for our dark duckling Matched
into an eagles mate.
There's something lyric, some
thing mythical and symbolic about
their romance: partly, I suppose,
because of its evanescent quality,
because they are looking constant
ly into the bright face of danger.
It's hard to imagine them middle
aged and portly; I can't see beyond
youth for them.
Doubtless this is all because I'm
a little low in my mind on another
count. Granny is going down hill
very perceptibly, and it gets me.
Everything dimming-eyes, ears; a
slowing down all around. She senses
it of course, and she loathes it.
$50, then! Sorry you're missing
the skylarks but glad you are being
spared the matriarch's defeat"
Her great-grandmother's condi-
tion was evident even to Sarah
Lynn's high-keyed preoccupation,
and she ached with pity and pro-
test. The old woman sent for her
and went at once to the point.
''Sairy Lynn, guess I don't need
to tell you I'm getting older every
minute"
'I know, Great-granny." She took
a small, lean claw in her warm
grasp. "And I wish I could give you
twenty years."
.sThe last ones? Think now, look
ing so far ahead, that you won't
want 'en? Well, you will, let me
tall vn,. vol1'Il want 'em the worst