The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-15

In a rage at himself, he turned
brusquely and made his way back
to the cabin, where he dressed hur-
riedly in the half-darkness. He was
gathering up the things he had
brought with him when he heard
his horse whinny, and a moment
later a sound at the doorway caused
him to glance up quickly.
Softly outlined against the deep
ening dusk, Autumn Dean stood, as
she had stood one other night, in
her black riding clothes, her man.
ner half diffident, half audacious.
Bruce tossed the dressing gown
and towel down upon chair and
came with slow deliberateness to
the door. He placed one hand
against the door-frame and the 9TH
er on his hip, and stood looking down
at her, a contemplative half-smile
about his mouth that drew his right
cheek up into quizZical long hol-
low-that hollow that she had pic
tured in all her tormenting thoughts
of him. He was waiting for her to
speak.
Bruce" she began, and knew
how desolately her voice faltered-
"Mr. Gilly told me I should find you
here. I've been wanting to talk
to you"
"You too?" Bruce remarked.
"The Dean family has suddenly &C
quired a vivid interest in me, it
seems"
She fumbled with her gloves. She
raised her head and looked at him
with blank eyes. ST should like to
come in, if you please" she ven-
tured.
Bruce laughed caustically as he
opened the door for her and stood
well to one side. ''You are quite
welcome" he said. ''It happens
I have no kerosene in the lamp. I
wasn't expecting guest"
He lighted a cigarette and offered
the package to her. Autumn shook
her head. GAS you WILL" he said,
and replaced the package In his shirt
pocket.
Autumn seated herself in the dim
light close to the door, while Bruce
leaned against the tables edge with
his feet crossed idly before him.
She could see him looking at her re-
iectively through the dimness, and
the half-smile did not leave his face.
'You were over to see father this
morning" she began.
cat his invitation" Bruce replied.
HE wished to reimburse me for
some sheep I lost
HE told me so.'
HE should have told you, also,
that we were to have nothing to say
to each other in the future"
He told me that, too"
as this visit, then, just another
little gesture on your part?"
"a gesture-of what kind?"
fDisobedience to the Laird-and
contempt for me-" Bruce supple
mented.
Father has no suspicion that I
have come to see you," Autumn ex-
planned. "And if I wanted to show
contempt for you, I should have
stayed away"
"As you have done all summer"
he observed.
Autumn clenched her fists in her
lap as she felt her anger rise. She
had not come here to have him bait
her. ST should hardly expect you
to understand that" she said.
Bruce's smile was sardonic. "It
isn't so difficult to understand, he
replied. "You found people of your
own kind. am not blaming any,
one for that. It was just my mis-
fortune that you should have called
on me here that night-before you
found the others"
'tThat was a misfortune?" she
asked him.
mot serious one," he admitted
with a smile. ''It was rather good,
while it lasted"
She was on her feet at once, con-
fronting him with eyes that burned
in a face gone suddenly white.
Bruce Landor," she cried, 81
came over here tonight to ask you if
we couldn't be friends, in spite of
what my father said to you this
morning."
''Your pride must have suffered
before you came to that decision,
he returned coldly.
sThat is nv own affair" che "a
torted why don't you tell me at
once that I'm wasting my time?"
ST could have done So" Bruce
said quietly, ''if you had told me
at once what had brought you over.
I decided, long ago, that you and
cannot be friends, Autumn.
She threw back her head in a
proud gesture. IT shall not ask you
the reason" she said, and turned to-
ward the door.
ITO BE CONTLNUEDJ