The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-09-22
CHAPTER xvI-Continued

Id
Ed Dana and his sons came home
to dinner and it was a merry meal.
Once the door-bell rang and Gin
Jung said mysteriously, "Missie
Dana, you comet" and Mrs. Dana
hurried to the reception-hall, her
heart slipping in her breast, to find
a high school youth in a soiled
sweat-shirt asking for young Bill.
He was embarrassed by the warmth
of her greeting.
After their always formal coffee
IN the drawing-room the family sep
arated, the older sons off on their
own occasions, the youngest re-
luctantly to his books, the husband
TO a directors meeting at the San
Jose Chamber of Commerce, and
the mother went upstairs with Dun
can and Sarah Lynn.
Duncan read a solid biography
aloud in his pleasantly modulated,
cultured voice and Sarah Lynn
leaned back in her chair, her hands
loosely clasped in her lap, her eyes
half closed. The pretty room was
quiet and warmly and softly lit:
the canaries' cages were covered
with gay chintz and the Persian kit
tens were alseep in their basket
in endearing attitudes. Framed pho
tographs of plump babies looked
down from the walls in dewy inno-
cence, and Mrs. Dana began to
have a sense of safety, of sanctuary
so complete that she started in on
her rhythmic breathing again.
Then the door opened without a
preliminary knock and Miss Pen
nington walked in. The harsh color
had drained out of her hard, round
cheeks and her pale eyes appeared
to protrude farther than ever. She
stood still in the middle of the room.
Sarah Lynn" she said abruptly,
''Gunnar Thorwald is here
Sarah Lynn gave a muf1ed cry,
her clenched hands at her mouth.
Hush, Miss Pennington!" her
employer said sharply. 81 forbid
you to"
The governess went steadily on.
Sarah Lynn, he has come back
for you"
Duncan was on his feet. "Miss
Pennington, this makes no differ
ence to Sarah Lynn now!"
Listen to me, Sarah Lynn! He
came back, thinking you were still
helpless, that you would never walk
again. He came to take you away
with him, or to stay with you for
ever"
'This means less than nothing to
you, at this late date, darling" the
mother said. Remember, he went
away at the moment when your con-
dition seemed most hopeless"
Because you turned from him
In horror" Miss Pennington said
quickly. "You know that you de-
iberately sent him away" 49,
Sarah Lynn was out of her chair,
wide-eyed, shaking. "Yes-because
! knew how he despised weak
ness! Because I didn't want to spoil
his life-because wanted him to
be free!"
Duncan stepped close and put a
protecting arm about her. 'That's
all over, Sarah Lynn. Nothing mat
tiers now except ourselves, and
we're going to be married in three
days!"
ooh Penny!" Sarah Lynn turned
to her.
She nodded. eve had to tell him.
We told him you were well again,
and that you were to marry Mr..
Duncan. If you could have seen his
look"
'tHush!" Mrs. Dana said violent
", her beautiful face darkly GRIM
son. The gentle walls, so lately a
sanctuary, now looked down on a
battlefield. leave the room! Do
you hear me, Miss Pennington"
The first bitter and truculent tones
the pretty place had ever heard.
leave the room and leave my
housed"
The governess turned a stricken
look to her. ST hear, Mrs. Dana,
and I understand" If in that in
slant she visioned the inconvenient
cottage of her brother, the curate,
the sharp-tongued sister-in-law, it
failed to give her pause. 81 will go
at once. But first''-she addressed
herself to Sarah Lynn-'I must tell
you this. He is going away to-
night; he is going away forever"
The blood came into Sarah Lynn's
face and into her heart; she could
feel the exquisite agony of coming
alive again. She heard her own
voice vaguely, as if from dis
lance, saying stupid and futile
things to her mother and Duncan
Van Doren about being sorry. Then
she was running. She ran down
the hall and down the stairs and
out of the house, and someone ran
beside her, breathing hard, holding
her hand. She knew it must be the
old governess but she did not turn
her head to look. There were dim
shapes in the dark garden, figures
converging upon her, figures without
faces, familiar voices in unfamiliar
words, Lightning, the greyhound
leaping and bounding in beautiful
joy.
"Come! The cars waiting!'
someone said.
'I've packed a bag for you! Hur-
ry!" said another.
There was the drumming of wings
In the sky. Sarah Lynn flung her
head back until it hung between her
shoulder-blades to watch one star