The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-22


do. I came here because wanted
to-and I've managed to make a
mess of everything since I've come.
Jarvis sighed heavily. "I'm sor-
~, my dear. It hasn't been your
fault, either"
Its the fult of no one in particu-
lar" Autumn said. cit was just in
the cards."
AYE. I know. You're still think
ing of Geoffrey's son. Isn't that
it?"
I'm thinking-of everything" she
responded. ST can't go on living
herewith things as they are. I've
done my best, Da-or my worst,
perhaps, you would say. 1t will be
easier for everyone concerned if I
get back to the other side of the
world"
She got up again and went to
stand before the window. There fol-
lowed long silence burdened with
the impasse to which their emotions
had come. She heard her father
clear his throat with deep rumble,
and then she knew that he had risen
and was coming slowly toward her.
His hand lay for moment gen.
tly upon her shoulder, but she did
not turn to look at him.
'I'm sorry, my GIRL" he NUT
tered. 81 cannot tell you how sor-
ry I am. I had hoped-somehow-
that you might be happy hereafter
tine-in spite of everything.
had hoped for too much, it seems"
st had, too" Autumn replied.
''But it wasn't to be-"
ST shall miss you more now than
ever" Jarvis said, and then, after
a long silence: "But you must not
stay because of that, Autumn.
"You are making it easy for me to
CO." Autumn said, somewhat
abruptly in spite of herself.
The old man went back to his
chair. Autumn" he said at last,
don't be impatient with me tonight.
I'm tired-and your music
ST didn't mean that, d." she said
quickly and went to him at once.
The Laird's head sank forward,
his eyes staring out upon the gar
den. ''I'd be just as glad if could
make it easy for you to stay" he
said. Sometimes think you"
His voice stopped and he swept
his eyes with his hand. Autumn
threw her arms around him and
pressed him close to her in silence.
Presently he freed himself gently
from her embrace.
"You think of your father as a
coward, Autumn" he said stoutly.
81 may have more courage than
you know. Yesterday-when the boy
came to see mel thought I might
tell him-tel him all that told
you one night upstairs there. have
my senses still, and can see things
still-with my own eyes. All your
silly carrying-on this summer with
that mad crowd of Elliot Parr's-it
didn't blind me to the truth. I've
known from the first what was be-
hind it. I've spent days and nights
thinking about it. And when the
boy came-before he came to me, I
thought thought-the right thing
to do would be to tell him-so that
he'd know-so that he'd understand.
Then, thought-he could do what
he hked-and you could do what you
liked-and I wouldn't raise a hand
to stop it, one way or the other. But
there's no way of accounting for
these things, it seems. He came to
me-and he stood there as if he had
been Godfrey Lander himself
proud, insolent, careless-and I of
fered him money for the loss of his
sheep. / don't think / expected him
to take it-but his manner stirred
something in me. It stirred the Bit
terness and the hatred and the pride
that have filed me for twenty years
and turned him out!" He paused
for a moment. "And now-I am
turning you out, it seems"
mo, d." Autumn protested, set
isn't so. You mustn't say that. I
am going back-as I told you-be-
cause I think it will be best for us
ALL"
Jarvis Dean drew himself up.
''Have him over-tonight-in the
morning." he said. Bring him here
and III tell him. I'll tell him all
I told you. When he has heard"
Father, pleased" Autumn plead
ed. ''That would only hurt him
and it would only hurt me. You
would be doing that for me, and it
would be quite useless. If I love
Bruce Landor, it's only another of
my silly plumbers. III get over it
with the ocean between us it ought
to be easy. I'm not so hopeless
that l shall go on forever breaking
my heart over someone who doesn't
care for me-"
The Laird raised his head and
looked at her. "You mean-he-"
ST mean-he doesn't love me,
d." she said, smiling down at him,
though there's nothing so strange
about that
Jarvis was thoughtful for a mo-
ment. Then he got up quickly and
stood looking at his half-smoked CT
gar. ST didn't think he'd be such
damned young fool!" he said.
Autumn laughed suddenly, but the
Laird looked at her sternly. "It'n
be as you say, them" he said. ''It's
better so. I'll sell up in the fall and
join you"
He patted her shoulder in awk-
ward and inarticulate compassion,
and turned away. She could hear
his retreating steps on the polished
floor, heavy and measured and pom
dering. To her defeated spirit, it
seemed that those footsteps sounded
the memorable, iron stride of the
past crushing down the present and