The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-03-09
CHAPTER XI-Continued

| Wnelp. Anu JIlGH WulIGT leICllSO
Parish again and gave it into his
hand-and made him swear to hold
it till ten the following day.
At half past three I saw the Ouch
ess again.
She spoke to me very kindly and
said that my lady had told her of
our "most unpleasant experience"
the night before and hoped that I
was no worse for my struggle to
save my life. After that she wished
me good luck ''in the matters you
now have in hand" and said she
should look for my coming in four
days time. And when I kissed her
hand, she lifted me up and held my
face against hers and thanked me
for "plucking our darling out of the
jaws of DEATH"
Then, though knew my way, she
called Godolphin and told her to
show me out; and, before I knew
where I was, I was passing through
the state of the bedroom which Brief
reserved for persons of royal de-
scent. Thirty seconds later / stood
in the picture-gallery
Elizabeth turned from a window
and came to my side.
"Come and sit down, my darling"
She put her arm through mine and
led the way to seat. ''You look so
tired and shaken, and though God
knows you have cause, it isn't like
you. And now you're going straight
off-to travel day and night to Lon
don and back. Oh, wish I was
going with you. I shan't know a
moments rest till see you again.
With a superhuman effort, I
braced myself for the part which
I could not play. Somehow I had
to play it-for both our sakes. She
simply must not know that this was
, the end.
I got to my feet and drew her into
my arms.
"My sweet" said, eff seem to
you unnatural, that is because / am
trying to play part. l am trying
my best to pretend-to make my
/ self believe that I do not mind
taking my leave. If you cannot
help me to this, then my resolution
will crack and / shall not go. After
/ all, I've fine excuse-.I have mar
ried a wife, and therefore I cannot
come And the man I promised to
speak for can go to hell -.
"Now / never realized how much
it was going to cost me to keep
the promise I made. It is costing
me so much that dare not consid-
er the price, because, if I did. I
know that l shouldn't pay it-and
yet it's got to be paid, if I am to
keep my word. So I'm trying to
make believe.
''Now, of course, it's utterly hope
less to pretend that I don't mind
going and leaving you here. l might
as well pretend that I liked being
down in that well. So I've made
up my mind to pretend that, when
| / run into Innsbruck, I'm running
out of some dream"
"After all, it's been rather like
one-for me, / mean. Raven, Ira
Gerry, Brief: and the Duchess of
Whelp-and you. Who ever saw any,
one like you outside some dream?
Who ever saw such beauty of face
and form? What hair ever smelled
so sweet? What temples were ever
so lovely? What hands were ever
so cool? And what queen ever spoke
so gently, or told man that she
loved him, or put up her darling
mouth-except in a dream? So I'm
going to pretend I've been dream
ing for if I've been dreaming,
l don't have to leave you behind.
My dream, my shining wonder, will
always be herein my heart. There
can be no separation. No miles can
lie between us because you are not
of this world. When I'm crossing
the Channel, l shall hold you as
close in my arms as I'm holding
you now. Day and night you'll be
with me-always: sleeping and wax
ing, I'll have my cheek against
yours" I threw back my head and
laughed. 81 shall be so rich I'll be
almost afraid to come back, because
that will mean the rendering up of
my dream
Dropping shadow for SUBJ
stance" she smiled. Perhaps you
won't like me so we'll"
Then she laid her head on my
chest and I laid mine against hers.
| And so we stayed, while the merci-
less sands ran out-and the blood
ran with them, out of some hole in
my heart.
Some clock struck four, and I felt
a tremor run through her before it's
knel.
Once more 1 braced myself.
Then I put my hand under her
chin and lifted her lovely head.
"Good-by, Elizabeth Virgil"
"Good-by, my love-"
kissed her lips.
Then we let one another 60, and
turned and walked out of the gall
lery, down to the hall.
One minute later the Rolls was
clear of the terrace and was whip
ping up to the woods that neigh
bored the entrance-drive.
remember next to nothing of the
journey we made that night.
A petrol-pump, highways and
mountains and the growl of a from
tier-guard; bridge, all white in
the moonshine, and then the glare of
my headlights fading before the
dawn-these things make up the