The Ely miner., 1939-05-04
CHAPTER vI-Continued

g.
Gloyere explained then, watching
these newcomers: 81 don't know
anything about-last night. Miss
Leaford had just told me that her
mother was dead" His eyes flick
- cred from one of them to the other;
and when no one spoke, he said in
a sort of swift passion: "Some one
tell me what has happened. Why
did you come here?"
''They said Miss Leaford might
be here" Clint answered. ST was
driving past, last night, overlook
her on the road. She was running,
through all that rain. I gave her
lift as far as Doctor Cabler's
house."
June was afraid he would say
more than this; she hurried to ex-
plain:
''You see, Uncle Jim, Mother hat
ed thunder and lightning. So when
the storm came near, went in to
see if she was all right. And when
] saw her, I knew she was-dead.
But lost my head, guess. Calling
the Doctor was the only thing !
could think Of"
"What happened?" Uncle Jim in
sisted.
''She took too many sleeping-tab-
let's" June told him, in a low tone.
''You know, she was sick from do
ing that, once before" Her face sud-
denly was stony calm. 81 gave
them to her." she whispered. 81
gave them to her, and she died"
Clint caught her hand. ''Now lis
ten," he protested. "You- :"
Her head leaned back against the
cabin wall. "She insisted on taking
two," the girl said. 81 couldn't per-
suade her not to. I was afraid"
She whispered: "Oh, I wish I'd
spilled them ALI" And then she ex-
planned:
"You see, she couldn't get to
sleep, so she got up and went to
the bathroom and took the rest of
them"
Tope asked thoughtfully: ''You
spilled some of them, you say?"
''While I was getting one for her."
June answered. 81 set the bottle
down on the basin, and it fell and
tipped over. They spilled out, and
there was water in the basin, a lit
tie. The tablets in the water dis
solved. There weren't but three left
in the bottle. And I took one of
them to her, one besides the one I
already had. Then she must have
heard the thunder coming, and she
was afraid of lightning. So she got
up and took the other two. Oh, I
wish I'd spilled them ALL"
''How do you know all this?" I'm
Gle Jim asked. There was rasp
In his tones; something challenging
and angry. "How does anyone know
what she did?"
"Why, the other tablets were
gone," said June.
Bottle empty?" Uncle Jim in
sisted.
The girl hesitated. ST don't
know" she said. "We didn't find
the bottle. It's probably under the
bed, OF in the bed or something.
We didn't look there. She was
there" Her tone wavered.
Clint held her hand hard.
He said: "Now you forget it,
Miss Leafordl Don't worry. There's
nothing to be afraid Of"
"I wasn't afraid-of you," she
confessed, and saw the leap of
pleasure in his eyes, and was happy
that she had pleased him. But sud-
denly she was uneasy; she had
stayed too long. 81 must go back"
she said.
Clint rose. 'I'n go with you.'
"Win your" she asked gratefully.
They went past the others. "Miss
Leaford is going home," Clint ex-
planned. "I'n come back here"
They came within sight of the
houses; and Clint paused.
"I won't go in," he said. ere
member, though, I'm coming again.
Soon."
He caught her hand and held it.
Incredibly, he kissed her hand, the
backs of her fingers. She saw his
eyes shine.
"Good-by," he said.
She loosed her hand and went on
alone, and she held one hand over
the other, to protect and treasure
the spot his lips had touched.
She went on toward the house.
When she had gone in, Asa came
after her, quietly, out of the wood.