The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-03-09

up 10 my chin. InaL nlBnL WneH-
when Elsa fed, we were more or
less pitchforked into each others
arms Had stayed"
"Why didn't you come to me and
tell me the TRUTH"
"And ask to be let off-in view
of what had done? Forgive me,
madam, but I don't think you'd
have done that"
''No, shouldn't" said Old Harry.
II should have come and demanded
the hand of the Countess of Brief"
started at that, but she took no
notice at all. "And if my demand
had been questioned, I'll tell you
what I should have said. I should
have said, Look here. That she
loves me is nothing: that love her
is less. But I've saved her life
twice over and damned near lost
my own. I've made one man cut his
throat and I've killed two more :.
And if you imagine I've done all
these parlor tricks to keep her nice
and warm for somebody else, then,
by God I'd have said, you've
made mistake in your man.
l stood up and folded my arms.
Madam" I said, ''I'n see you.
Take it as said"
Old Harry regarded me straight
ly.
''This, to me, Richard Exon?"
was all she said-but the words
were sharply spoken and stung my
ears as lash.
Such rank injustice was more
than my blood could stand.
"And this, madam. Your wis
dom is infinite, and you can draw
distinctions which l cannot compre-
bend. You speak of Judgment and
instinct as if the one was black
and the other white But I can see
no difference between the two. In
all / have done in this matter, I
have acted as I thought best: and
when left Brief last Wednesday, I
was acting according to my lights.
You saw fit to call me back =.
Give minutes ago 1 told you a
laundering lie. / said that I had
come in obedience Madam, I
did nothing of the kind. / came to
receive your permission to marry
the Countess of Brief. Had your
note not promised me that, you
might have called me until you were
black in the face and would
never have answered, much less
have come. And now, if you please,
/ should like to have my cake"
'Wen, I'm blessed" said Old Har-
ry. Black in the face Never in
all my life has anyone ever dared
to address me like that. The more's
the pity, of course. If only they
had, should be more tolerant now"
81 do not find you intolerant, ma
DAM"
"I'm much obliged" said the
Duchess; ''but don't let's get on to
my faults, or we shall be here all
night. One picks up quite num-
Der in 10 years. And now unfold
those arms and sit down in that
chair. You shall have your cake in
due course. But first, as once be-
fore, must take a hammer and
chip the scales from your eyes. I
like to think, Richard Exon, that
when you came into this chamber
you found your reception cold. !
mean, / didn't burst into tears and
throw my arms round your neck. "
"You have been kinder, madam. I"
"Well, I'm glad you got it." said
Old Harry. "Your reception was
cold, because it was meant to be
cold. deplore and despise the sex to
which / belong. I always have.
We have few virtues and many con-
temptible traits. But who is Rich
ard Exon to tread on our traditional
corns?"
Madam" said 1, something star
tied, "I've no idea what you mean"
"Of course you haven't" says
she. "But that's because you're a
fool. Women are curious, Richard
get hold of that. They must know
everything. And what is more to
the point, they've got to know it at
once" She held up my letter. Sand
you walked out of my life and
left me this" She covered her eyes.
"And I helped you to do it. I
helped you to keep me waiting for
days"
Madam, L"
Listen to this. 4 told him that he
would be arrested, unless he made
himself scarce That's ALL That is
your dispatch-your account of the
fall of a stronghold which I had
been racking my brain how best to
assault. Fall? Crash. The man left
Brief the same night And now
perhaps you'll tell me by what SUI
pernatural means you uprooted in
half an hour, without any tools, a
tree which has stood and fiourished
for % years. And that, if Parish
may be believed, upon an empty
stomach"
Madam, I'm sorry. l."
Damn your SORROW" screamed
Old Harry, waving her arms. DE
clare to me how you did it, you
wretched boy. Cool my brain in
explanation. Assuage my thirst.
That's all 1 sent for you for-to
learn the truth"
l tried not to laugh, and failed.
And the Duchess got up and shook
me, and then pulled me on to a
sofa and sat with my hand in hers.
"Word for word" she said quiet
ly. Don't leave a syllable out"
/ told what there was to tell: and,
when I had done, she thanked me