The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-03-14


Presently he got Up and folded the
sheet of paper as he came toward
her. Her eyes followed him with a
slow, spent interest as he thrust the
paper into his pocket and drew out a
slender packet tied with gold cord.
Hector unbound the packet, and
with fingers strangely reverent, lifted
from il a letter that lay uppermost.
These letters" he said in a gen.
tly modulated tone, ''were my rea-
son for asking you and Bruce to din
ner at my house that night. As it
turned out-you could not come, but
I had wanted you both tc read them,
even then, difficult as it was for me.
These letters belonged to your moth
er. They were written to her by
Godfrey Lander. Before she died
she entrusted them to me. am
giving them to you now so that you
may read them when you are alone.
In them he tells of his efforts to
leave the country with his wife and
son when his life here became hope
lessly involved"
Autumn drew a quick breath.
"You mean-he tried to get away?"
she asked softly.
Hector cleared his throat with a
painful hesitancy. ''He did. ! my
self know how he tried-quite apart
from anything he wrote here"
81 did not know that" she muir
INJURED.
your father did not tell you that,
because to him it was not impor-
tant," Hector went on. Jarvis nev-
er had true perspective Of the
thing that happened to hin-to all
of them. He was obsessed. Jeal-
ousy viii drive a man to do things
for which he is not altogether &C.
countable. Your father believed it
was Geoffrey's plan to leave and
have Millicent join him later. But
Geofrey's property at the time was
heavily burdened-and Jarvis held
the bag, as we say. He had Geot-
frey at his mercy"
Autumn sat on the edge Of her
chair, her fingers tightly interlaced
IN her lap. Her eyes burned fxedly
upon Hector as he talked.
ST shall leave the letters with you,
then, to read when you wish. But
this" he tapped lightly the letter
he had selected from the packet
this one I want you to read now
while am with you. II was your
mothers wish that should give it
to you when-and i'll should ever
think it necessary to do So"
He removed fragile, folded sheet
from the yelowed envelope that en-
closed it.
why haven't you told me about
this before?" Autumn asked him.
Hector flushed painfully. ''You for
get, my dear, that your father was
my friend. It has been difficult
enough for me to decide to tell you
even now. Nothing but your resolu-
ton to leave this country and spend
the rest Of your days In England
convinced me that the time had
come for me to place these letters
In your hand"
lie unfolded the letter and took
from within it a short note that
had been enclosed with the longer
one
This" he said, handing Autumn
the shorter one, ''you may read be-
fore the other"
Autumn took It In trembling fin
gers and let her eyes dwell upon the
delicate, paling script.
Hector, my dear friend MILL
cent had written), I do not think
that I shall recover. Please do not
forget your promise to me. I trust
that the task I beQueath to you will
bring you no unhappiness. In graft
tude, Millicent."
With unseeing eyes, Autumn stared
for moments at the slip Of paper In
her hand.
Now, my dear-you may read
this" Hector said, handing her the
letter he held.
When at last she was able to gov
ern her emotions, the phrases
seemed to burn into her eyes with a
ghostly incandescence.
''To my beloved daughter, Au-
tunn (she read. When you read
these words, If you ever do read
them, it viii be because Hector Car
digan has deemed it proper that
you should do so. They concern
things which I myself should have
wished to tell you If events and cir
cumstances had made it necessary
or possible.
81 want you to know, dear Au-
tumn, that neither your father nor
Godfrey Lander was to blame in
the unfortunate accident that took
Geofrey's life. Godfrey had done
his utmost to get away and forget
me-and help me forget him. Hec-
tor can tell you why it was impos-
sible for him to go. Since that terri
bic day, In the spring, your father
has brooded constantly over the
death of the man he once called
friend. I fear that it may become
an obSession from which he shall
never escape. ! am the one who IS
to blame, Autumn, if any one is to
blame for hopeless love.
81 can never tell you, my darling
girl, how love came to me at last,
after years Of cropping. I can only
tell you that it came, after you were
born, but that I never forgot the
vows that had made me the wife
of your father. I can tell you, too,
that love-when It is love-is a worn-
ans whole life and being. She can
never escape it though she go to the
ends of the earth
ST do not know what lies before
you here. Jane Lander is a strong
willed woman and she has already
made It clear that she intends to
continue at her own ranch, dis
charge all her OBLIGATIONS and bring