The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-04-13
CHAPTER H-Continued

Rab set the pan of milk on the
bedside table. He said: "Pve been
telling June she ought to get out Of
this mausoleum once In a while.
Kitty, why don't you let me show
her around? Why don't we three go
on a party some night? I'll get
theater-tickets, and Wen have din
ner IN town"
Kitty said without turning her
head: Good night, Rab. I'm dead
tired. June's all right. III take
care of her"
Think it over" Rab urged. ''Ev-
eryone here is old, except June and
me and you. And maybe Asa. And
we're all old compared with June"
Kitty swung around. Don't wor-
~, Rab," she said, a slow passion
IN her tones. ''Pm going to get
June out of this. She sha'n't live
as I've lived. Good night"
Rab made an amused grimace at
June and went away.
June came behind her mothers
chair. LET me brush it." she Of
fered softly. as your head bad?"
1--WE got to sleep tonight" Kitty
Leaford whispered. "Or go madl
This is one of my bad days. Warm
the milk for me-"
June took the milk into the bath
room, lighted the gas on the small
burner there and stirred the milk so
that it should not burn. By the time
It was lukewarn, Kitty Leaford was
In bed. June poured the milk into a
glass, and brought it to her mothers
bedside. The glass was not quite
full.
''I can feel thunder in the air."
said Kitty Leaford, and shuddered.
She had prepared for the night, as
she always did, with an elaborate
care. June knew the ritual: mas
sage - unguents - waving-irons in
her hair-gloves saturated with an
em0llient to keep soft her hands.
Kitty Leaford still served beauty
that had vanished long ago.
''I'u come in to you if it storms"
June promised.
Bring me tablet" the older
woman directed.
June hesitated. Wont you be
able to sleep without, Mother? With
just the MILK" she pleaded.
Kitty said petulantly: Don't ar
que with me tonight, June. I'm not
fit to bear it. They're in the bath
room cabinetI"
June went back into the bath
room. She rinsed the pan under
the faucet, delaying, trying to find
some argument. She noticed that
the milky water was slow to drain
out of the basin. The trap must
have become plugged.
Her mother called: Hurry,
JuneI"
The girl opened the cabinet and
took out familiar bottle. The bot
tie had no label. She removed the
cork and let one tablet roll into her
palm. She set the bottle down on
the edge of the basin and was about
20 replace the cork when Kitty Lea
ford called:
"June, III take two tonight.
want to go to sleep quickly, sleep
sound"
June made an unhappy gesture,
and her hand touched the uncorked
bottle. It fell into the basin, spill
ing tablets. She rescued it hastily.
There was still a little water IN the
basin, and the spilled tablets were
already half-dissolved. There were
only three remaining in the bottle.
June stood in some CONSERVATION,
and her mother called:
what was that? June, did you
spill them?"
at tipped over the bottle" June
confessed. 81 spilled one or two"
"For heavens sake, be careful"
Kitty Leaford cried fretfully. tDoc-
tor Cabler always cross-examines
me when they go faster than he
thinks they should. Bring me two"
June took one more tablet out of
the bottle, so that she had two in
her hand, while two remained. She
put the bottle In its place and went
back into the other room She said:
Mother, wish you wouldn't take
them both. You remember what
happened that other timer"
''I took three that time" her
mother retorted. 1.-Two won't hurt
me-"
'tYsu were awfully sicki"
ST must get to Sleep" Kitty Lea
ford insisted. She picked up the tab
lets from her daughters palm and
dropped them in the warm milk.
She waited a moment to give them
time to dissolve. These are HARM
less, June" she urged. ''Practi-
caIlyi And they do make me Sleep"
She laughed feverishly. Twice
this many wouldn't really hurt me,
June" Her eyes were haggard.
sand ! can't help it. If I don't
sleep, I go mad"
She drained the draft. s'That does
taste strong" she said with a faint
grimace. Now run, baby. Kiss
me, and go. III be asleep in
minute"
June kissed her, made her lie
down, covered her over She opened
one window a crack. Kitty Lea
ford was not fresh-air addict. June
looked at her and saw that she was