The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-04-27

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words. Rab and Asa were in the
room, but they did not see June.
Grandpa Hurder was here in the
hall, walking ceaselessly up and
down. Then Uncle Justus came in
through the kitchen, and said some
thing about breakfast, in the hollow
voice of the deaf; and Grandpa Hur-
der shouted into his ear:
"Kitty's deadl"
"Eh?" said Uncle Justus.
Aunt EVE came swiftly past June
and went to silence him; and Grand
ma Bowdon repeated in a grim an
ger:
"She was always selfish. No con-
sideration."
June cried in passionate stified
anger: "Ohi" she strobe swiftly
into the room. ".What do you
mean?" she demanded. ''What do
you mean?"
"June," said Grandma Bowdon
severely. mind how you speak to
me-"
But Grandpa Hurder said stern
ly in the doorway: kitty was cruel
fied!" There was the dignity of an
ger in him in this moment. "Cruci-
fed" he said. Long ago."
June pressed her hands to her
lips, understanding what it was they
| thought. "She didn't! She didn't"
she cried. She turned to escape |;
she went out through the front door.
But there was a garland of rib
bons on the doorknob, so she re-
turned indoors again. Later she
slipped out of the house, this time
by the side door so as not to see
that garland; she moved directly
away from the house, into the tract
of wooded land behind. Here she
could be alone.
| There was a sound at some dis
lance; and she raised her head,
without other movement, to see
what it was. She saw Asa 60 quietly
past, a little way off among the
trees, and without seeing her, along
path that led to the bluff above
the pond, where Uncle Jim Glovere
had his cabin; it passed beyond,
down to the highway near Thayer's
filling-station. And of course this
was the way she took when she
went to see Uncle Jim.
He would know how to comfort
her. She was deeply fond of Uncle
Jim. He was big, chuckling man,
with an amusing eye. He lived alone
in the cabin by the pond, stayed
there sometimes for months on end,
disappeared sometimes for as long.
He wrote, absurdly, poems.
When she came to the top of the
knoll, he was still asleep. His cabin
door was open; and he woke when
she darkened the doorway-woke
and looked up and said: "Hullo,
there, youngster!"
"Hello, Uncle Jin," she said.
He sat up, in yellow pajamas,
and rubbed his eyes. "You caught
me mapping" he chuckled. ST was
awake till dawn. Writing a poem
about a thunderstorm"
She stood beside the cabin door,
her back against the logs, looking
down toward the pond while he
dressed hurriedly in the cabin be-
hind her. He talked steadily, cheer
fully; but she spoke not at all, until
Uncle Jim, remarking her long ST.
lence, said behind her:
"Tongue-tied this morning, June.
What's the matter?"
Mothers dead" she said SIM
ply.
Something dropped to the floor, in
the cabin, and silence trembled
there. Then Uncle Jim cleared his
throat. "Dead?" he whispered.
EYES," she told him.
He came close to her shoulder.
'Kitty Leaford dead?" he repeated,
in an incredulous tone.
She turned her head alertly. There
was sound in the wood; the sound
of voices, then footsteps.
Someone's coming" she said.
He started to speak, then stood 81
lently beside her in the doorway
and thus they faced the two men
/ VINO CllInDeQ the trdli.
A young man came in front; and
now the color flowed across June's
cheek and burned there, for she
knew him. She looked past him
| quickly, at his companion. This was
plump, white-haired old man who
walked with surprisingly alert
step, his hands swinging at his sides.
Uncle Jim passed her and inter
posed himself between her and these
newcomers; and he said casually:
"Hullo!"
The young man extended his
hand. "I'm Clint Jervies," he ex-
planned. ''This is Mr.. Tope." He
turned to the girl. you're Miss
Leaford, aren't your"
She nodded slowly, without words.
She was trembling.
Uncle Jim asked with narrowing
eyes: "An right. What of it?"
And Clint said, in swift, friendly
fashion: ''Why, you see, / hap
pened to be passing, last night, in
time to give Miss Leaford lift. And
wanted TOTO make sure she was
all right this morning :. heard
about your mother" he added, turn
ing toward June. "Pm awfully sor-
ry."
June felt the strength 60 out OF
her. There was a bench built
against the cabin front, and she
sat down as though her knees gave
way.
Uncle Jim turned to her with a
quick solicitude. "June! Are you
ILL.," he whispered. "Are you all
right?"
"Quite," she said, and tried to
| smile ssIet me rest a minnie -