The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-12-07
CHAPTER H-COntinued

WnSn Autumn drew ABREAST or ler
father again, his face was oddly
rigid and colorless. Hector Cardi-
gan had been right, then. Her IA
Their had changed. He was not the
man she had known in other years.
He was getting old, and the burden
of living had lain too heavily upon
him. Her impotence with his mood
melted to pity as she thought of him.
"By the way, father, how are the
Landors?" she asked casually, when
they had ridden a short distance.
"Eh? The Landors? Ah-they're
well, presume" he said absently.
You told me at Christmas time
that Mrs. Lander had been ill.," she
reminded him.
''Oh, yes, yes, of course" he said
hastily. "Old Jane has been very
low. She's not long for this world,
I'm afraid"
"And Bruce?"
But Jarvis had fixed his eyes sud-
denly on struggling bunch of frail
new weeds close to the trail. He
dismounted abruptly and pulled the
grasses up by the roots.
milk vetch," he remarked, and
got back into the saddle.
When they arrived at the camp,
old Absolom was in his shack, brew
ing coffee and frying bacon. While
her father went indoors, Autumn
fingered for a moment outside, her
eyes sweeping the rounded skyline
above her, where the morning sun
was Furnishing the hills. The snug
little valley into which she had rid
den was filed with the bleat of ewes
and the tiny cry of hundreds of new
born lambs. On the sunlit slope
above her, the main f1ocks grazed,
ewes with their lambs old enough to
be released from the pens, or ewes
which had not yet dropped their
young.
Jarvis Deans voice called to her
from the doorway of the shack.
There was old Absolom Peek, grown
more wizened and gnome-like than
ever, his weathered face contorted
in a shy grin. He held the screen
door open and she ran up to him.
Hello, Absolom!" she called.
He shook hands with her, his old
eyes beaming and watering with de-
light.
Welcome home, Miss Autumn!"
he said, achieving a gallant little
jerk of a bow. you've been gone a
long time. But fine young lady
they've made of you, l see."
Autumn laughed and glanced at
her father who stood by, tall and
elegant in is riding clothes, smil-
ing indulgently down upon his old
herder.
1--WE been gone too long, Absol-
om," Autumn said. 'But I'm home
for good now, and I'll be over to see
you often"
We'll be maxim for the hills right
after shearin'," Absolom told her.
Sin about another fortnight"
"Stay and visit with Absolom
while / go out and look over the
new family" Jarvis said, starting
for the coral. "Come along when
you feel like it."
Autumn entered the shack and
seated herself while Absolom tended
to his coffee and bacon.
9TH be like old times havin' you
back at the Castle, Miss Autumn"
the old herder said. you'll be put
tin new life into the old place."
Perhaps the old place could
stand little new life," Autumn re-
piled.
Absolom turned to her with the
frying pan in one hand, then glanced
quickly through the doorway.
land I'm telling you it could stand
a lot of it." he said. 'You never
saw such place as that's got to be.
The Laird's a great man, an still
hearty for a man of his years, mind
you, but there's need of someone
about the house there besides that
poor old body that does the cookin'
and the cleanin' In the old days
we used to have bit of a dance
now an then, or something to keep
a man from gettin' old before his
time-but yon's morgue, gettin'
to be-"
"Yeu give me an idea, Absolom,"
Autumn said. st isn't every day in
the year that daughter comes
home. I'm going to celebrate. I'm
going to invite the whole country
side to dance. VIII you come? We
couldn't give party without you"
We'll be leavin' in another fort
night" he reminded her.
'We'n make it next Friday night,
then"
Absolom's face lighted UP with
enormous pleasure. ''I'n come, right
enough, if / can get away to it.
But yen promise to put on few o.
the old dances, mind. I'm gettin'
too stiff in the j'ints for the stuff they
call dancin' nowadays"
Autumn laughed. eff some of the
youngsters today tried your reels,
Absolom, they'd have to be carried
off the floor"
AYE, that's right enough, too. But
who'll ye be askin', now?"
Everybody" Autumn replied.
The old fellows eyes became
dreamy with Renaissance. 1--WE
had many a good turn in my time
with Katie Macdougall, down at The
Bend-if yen think of it to ask her."
he suggested archly.
well send her a special invita-
ton, Absolom," Autumn promised,