The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-11-28
CHAPTER XII-Continued
b

answered me and when we were
seated again, she briefly and quick
ly patted my hand.
When the curtain fell and the
house awoke, I must have shown
my thought for Allegro looked at
me sharply as l took up her cloak,
and she said:
You are good egg, you know.
I think you've suffered a lot to-
night"
did not tell her how much or
why. only answered:
mot at all"
She wrinkled her straight little
nose at me and jeered:
Spoken like a gentleman of the
old school. Mr.. Wagner got you
down and you know it. He helped
me, though, if that's any comfort"
ITS more than that" told her,
and she glanced at me again as
though she expected to find some
thing in my eyes that was not there.
We moved with the crowd into
the lobby and 70 the street beyond
where the starters whistles stabbed
through the racket of cars and, at
last, found taxi-cab. l helped her
in and gave the driver her address.
Must WEI" she asked as I sat
down beside her.
I was a little stupefed by too
much music on an empty stomach.
I said:
'You ask the blindest questions. +"
"And you," she answered, don't
seem to have any human feelings at
all. Aren't you ever hungry or any
thing?"
Anything! I'm practically every
thing. So what?"
"All right" she snapped, eff you
insist on being led, instead of lead
ing me, astray! I'd like to go to
Mino's."
''Mino' So" Somewhere l had
heard that name. She misunder-
stood my hesitation and tried so
tactfully to reassure a poor en-
ployee of her aunt that I smiled.
Zone of the things I want most
in the world at present is chicken
sandwich and a seidel of beer"
my child" 1 told her, 'tyour am
bition touches me. It does indeed.
Give me the address"
The cab swung east at my new
order. I asked:
why should Mino's mean any,
thing to a boy from the country
and WHAT"
1T shouldn't" she answered.
maybe, you've heard Grove or me
speak of it. He likes it and he used
to take me there a lot. Perhaps"
she added, and I thought her voice
grew tighter, hell be there to-
night
''That'n be SWELL" I said as heart
lily as I could but she marked the
hollow sound.
"You don't like Grove. And it's
my fault"
NO." answered, "it's probably
mine"
Wen go somewhere else if you'd
rather" she said meekly. 81 don't
know why I said Mino's. If Grove
burned up with delight at seeing Ell
ther of US butt don't know-I just
have hunch."
always play them," I advised
her.
Right" she said and her head
came up again, well do just thai" "
Mino, himself, sleek as a black
cat, ushered us into wide, low
ceiled chamber where band pre-
sided over square of dance floor.
About the polished rectangle that
dancers were quitting, tables were
packed and beyond them along the
walls were high-backed stalls.
Dancer" Allegro whispered to
me.
I shook my head. The smell of
food was hard for starving man
to stand.
well sit over by the wall then,
Mino," she told her guide. Has
has Mr.. Paget been in tonight?"
Mino seemed desolated that Mr..
Paget had not. I did not share his
grief. I gave our order to the wait
er and prayed inwardly that he
would be quick From the center of
the dance floor, master of cere-
monies spoke amid gusts of laugh
ter and retired as two lines of girls
pranced out on either side of the
band platform.
1.-THE midnight show" Allegro
said, lifting her voice above the din.
do you mind?"
81 can take it or leave it, think"
Doesn't" she Knocked, "any sort
of music please you? Have you no
savagery in your breast, at all, Mis-
ter?"
If I had not matched her own de-
liberation when food arrived, she
would have had her answer. Allegro
lifted her seidel and grinned at me
across it.
Here's luck" she called through
the racket.
Suddenly the music paused, the
dancers held complicated forma-
ton and before applause ratified, I
heard voice in the booth next to
ours. The band reviving, blotted it
out. The dancers stamped and
whirled. I sat with my seidel still
halfway to my lips. Reason told me
was mistaken. My ears defied it.
Its not poison" Allegro said.
could not answer her. / was
back at the switchboard at the Mo-
relic and the wheel had just come
off Miss Agatha's chair and / had
left voice-that identical voice-to
get its own number while rushed to
the old lady's aid. But the owner of
that voice was dead. / must be
mistaken. And yet / knew I was