The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-10-24
CHAPTER VI-Continued


my tankard. I thought he expected
me to reach foot for brass rail
or blow froth on the floor Perhaps
If was another doubt that bothered
him. I forgot to wonder about it in
admiration of Miss Agatha.
She plunged her patrician nose
into the foam and, after brief in
slant, set down the vessel empty
with contented sigh. She caught
my eye.
Beer" she said with authority,
sis a mass beverage, David. Its
virtue lies in volume. People who
sip their beer also like afternoon
tea OF Wagner on fiddle. No beer,
Allegra?"
The girl sat close beside her broth
er. He peered into his tankard. One
of her hands lay on his bowed Shout
der.
NO." she said and smiled, "Tm
too sleepy"
Always" Miss Agatha told me,
nodding toward her niece, ''the soul
of courtesy. How much of that ma
terial did you get through"
IAN of it." I said.
It pleased her.
Excellent" she exclaimed, with
a tiny click of her teeth. ''Then
tomorrow We can get to work, burn
ing the scandal at both ends"
Isn't it NICE" the girl asked,
and I thought her jauntiness was
forced, that after all the family
skeletons, Mr.. Mallory will drink
with you, Agatha?"
'Bah!" said Miss Agatha and
reached for the untouched tankard,
David is"
Just" I said as she paused, "an
elevator man coming up in the
world"
The wrinkles came about her eye
lids. She chuckled.
THAT isn't what / was going to
say. Since you are in New York
and your people are in Nebraska,
you may have more use for fami-
lies as institutions than have. Dis
lance makes relations more endura-
bic to one another. Of course the
republic is founded on the American
home"
There she goes" Allegro said in
loud aside to her brother.
1.-The family is the foundation of
the nation" the old lady went on,
land I wonder if that isn't the trou-
bic with things. I believe
The peal of the doorben cut her
short. Grosvenor rose to answer it.
Damn" said Miss Agatha. eff
it's that man Shannon again.
It was Lyon Ferriter. I admired
Miss Paget's balance.
"Well!" she said warmly, as
though a wish had been answered.
Come in and revel. Grove, an
other tankard.''
Lyon checked the lad and smiled.
His eyes, moving easily from face
to face, rested on mine an instant
and once more seemed puzzled.
Thanks" he said and bowed to
Miss Agatha. 81 shouldn't have in
truded but they said downstairs that
you had just returned. I came, with
Captain Shannon's permission, to get
some things from my fiat and I
wanted to thank you-all of you
for your neighborliness. There's an
odd word to use In New York, but
I can think of no better. You were
very good to my sister, Miss Pag-
ct" he added more softly; 81 shan't
forget it. You've kept your head
better than any of us, during this
unpleasantness."
my dear man." Miss Agatha said
crisply, when you've lived as long
as I have, a mere murder can't
terrify you. And Ione?"
Better" Lyon replied in the ten
der tone that always accompanied
his mention of her. We're coming
back tomorrow. The Babylon is
hardly a refuge. Newspaper men
have found out where we were hid
ing. A policed mans life is not a
happy one"
He stood in the doorway, a brown.
worn and pleasant figure, and spread
his hands.
said to Miss Agatha:
ITS time I went-or several
hours after time"
''f," she answered and her eyes
were merry, ''you can stir that
that decoration there"-she nodded
toward Grosvenor-''to an interest
IN fencing or any exercise, stay
longer"
AS turned toward the door, Ly-
on's exclamation halted me. "Fenc-
ing" he repeated. ooh, by George,