The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-03-30
THREE Shattered HOUSES
By BEN ARMES WILLIAMS
nusRnr

| gracefully, he remembered that.
His heart was pounding, shaking
him. He pulled up the car and
opened the door on the side toward
her.
whats the matter?" he asked.
He spoke carefully, in gentle tone,
so that he might not brighten her
further. whats the matter? Any
thing l can do?"
"No, no." she stammered. She
was breathless, painting.
81 can give you lift" he urged.
"This is no night
She appeared to change her mind.
She came toward him, and he
swung the door wide. "Yes, take
me on" she babe him. Straight
on" And she climbed into the car
and sat down beside him in the wide
seat here.
She was, of course, drenched.
"Put on my coat" he urged, and
started to strip it off.
mo, no." she repeated. ''It's not
far" And she urged: go on. Quick
ly, pleased"
He set the car in motion; and he
looked at her sidewise in an in
| credulous and delighted wonder.
Her hair, heavy with water, lay
across her shoulders in dark rib
bons; her single garment was so
much a part of her that she seemed
like wet marble. He thought of
sculptured nymphs under foun-
tain's arching screen. In one swift
| glance he saw her entire, and I'm
forgetably.
She did not return his glance;
but neither did she seek to cover
herself from his eyes. Her own
were fixed straight ahead; yet by
something in her very posture, in
the rigidity which she maintained,
he knew she was conscious of his
scrutiny, fighting to ignore it,
choked and stified by her own sud-
den realization of how she must ap-
pear to him.
Clint, in a swift sympathy and
tenderness, switched off the DASH
light, so that she sat in a cloaking
darkness. He kept his eyes there
after upon the road and did not look
at her again. So presently he felt
her relax a little, beside him; and
he was conscious that she studied
him for a long moment, with a
deep attention.
Suddenly she said: ''Thank you'll"
'No trouble" Clint assured her.
"I'll take you anywhere"
81 didn't mean that" she said
honestly. BUTTS not far"
He felt, rather than saw, that she
was breathing with long careful in
halations, as though she had to be
on guard lest she shudder or sob.
He asked slowly:
Observation-Disclosures you? Can't
I help?"
''No, no, no." she told him, her
voice trembling. ''I'm not afraid.
I'm not" She whispered with a sud-
den passion: "I'm notI I won't be
afraid"
Yet he saw that she was desperate
with terror.
LISTEN" he urged. 81 don't want
to butt in. But-don't you need
someone to stand by?"
"Pm all right" she insisted.
He nodded; but he said gently:
"I'm Clint Jervies. Pm-respecta-
BILE. If you ever want help, I'd
like to"
She said: "Let me out, please"
Clint protested: "I don't mean to
bother you. You needn't run away
from me-"
"This is where I want to Co." she
insisted. "Quick. Stop"
Clint obeyed her. The car had
scarce ceased moving before she
slipped to the ground. She closed
the door behind her. She called:
THANK you." Then she was gone,
vanishing into the wood beside the
road.
He hesitated, all reluctance. The
rain still pelted; lightning f1ickered
| remotely, or crashed close at hand.
He saw something like path where
she had disappeared.
But she was gone, and Clint rue
fully drove on. He passed a cross
road; and presently the way he fol-
lowed joined the main thoroughfare
into Boston.
Before he came home he had de-
cided what to do. Inspector Tope
had proved long ago his capacity for
| finding an answer to the most OBJ
scure conundrums; the old man
might be able to read the answer
to this riddle of lovely girl, scanti-
ly clad, running so desperately
along a lonely country road in the
night and in the rain.
1t was too late to seek out the In
spector and Miss Moss tonight; but
tomorrow, Clint decided, he would
go to them with this fantastic tale.
! ITO BE CONTINUED)