The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-03-23
CHAPTER XII-COntinued


Don't" screamed Herrick "How
dare you? When you apologize, I
want to kick myself and burst into
tears. If you must wear your sleeps
skin, do: we all know it comes off.
But for you to bleat is indecent
Oh, yes, I can see you laughing,
but that's because you don't under
stand. We're cast in two different
molds. We come, I see, you con-
quer-I can't put it better than that.
And I warn you, my simple SER
pent, I'm not going to let you go.
You may take a Duchess name
and marry the Countess of Brief,
but I knew you before they did and
I'm not going to give them place.
And when I change my name, as
one day I shall-it'1 mean that
you'll have three houses, instead of
two"
And there you have John Herrick,
sterling, efficient, adroit, with glo-
rious sense of humor and the heart
of a little child. His way with all
was wonderful. Duchess, steward
and scullion-he was at ease with
the lot; and they with him. What is
more, he inspired affection. 1t gave
him pleasure to make his neighbors
glad: and his neighbors recognized
this and thanked God for such a
man. Upon what l owe him myself,
I will not insist, for l think these
pages have shown that, but for his
present help, I could have done
nothing at all and Elizabeth must
have been broken and Percy Virgil
succeeded to her estate.
To three others must pay tribute
before I end this tale-for I shall
leave it at Raven, which was for
me journeys end.
Winter is still in my service, but
soon will leave it to marry Brenda
Revoke. I often think that his was
a trying office, for all the time he
stood upon the edge of the fray.
No vengeance was his, and three
times he missed the battle for which
he longed He knew too much or
too little from first to last, and yet
he never complained, but kept his
eyes upon his duty and did it with
all his heart. No servant was ever
more faithful or gave a fuller meas
ure than Winter did, and it gives
me lasting pleasure to think that to
some extent he found his fortune
with me-for Brenda will make a
fine wife and Raven is his idea of
heaven on earth.
Of Elizabeth, what can I say? I
think there is no one like her, but
that is natural enough. Still, Her
rick is a fair critic and the Duchess
is hard to please. And both of them
commend her. Of course she has
her faults: but I am thankful for
these, for otherwise she would be
too good to be true. Her beautiful
features have lost their wistful look,
and gayety, long confined, is now
at large to leaven her dignity: but
her ways are as gracious as ever,
her gaze is as level, her shining
head is as high, and, though know
her so well, I never can lose the
1lllP1 CSS1Oll IIldI BIC Ii ldCl OClOIlSS
to the age of chivalry, for she has in
fee the haunting, fabulous beauty of
ballad and story-book, and she nev-
er seems to notice that, whereso-
ever she goes, she always receives
duty which is not accorded to 9TH
ers because it is not inspired. "Was
this the face that launch'd thou
sand ships?" sometimes think that
it was. Though God knows I am no
Paris Perhaps Menelaus was
burly, and could not tell Judgment"
from instinct" and went with
scales on his eyes. In any event he
set great store by his wife
And as, when a play is over, the
most illustrious player stands last
and alone upon the stage, the latest
to figure here must be Harriet Vim
centia Saying, Duchess of Whelp.