The Ely miner., 1940-01-11
Prologue zaEeve sits y:4;a:s !;
eMAanaA osTrAso-vNu SERVICE

Old Hector was at Work among
his flowers In front Of the house as
she drove UP. She blew her horn
and he lifted his head and looked at
her.
well, welll" he greeted her as
she came through the gate. you're
abroad early"
'Tm running away, Hector" she
replied with laugh.
He cast an anxious glance at her.
There was no way of telling what
notions these youngsters might take.
Besides, the girl was an OdeH.
From whom-this timer" he en-
quired, half banteringly.
From myself. of course" she
stated. "Who else?"
Old Hector shook his head. you'll
not find that easy, my dear" he OBJ
served. "But come along into the
house."
She ran before him up the steps,
through the open doorway, and into
the drawing room where all the
shades were drawn to exclude the
morning sun.
Lets have light, Hector!" she
cried and hurried from one window
to another to lift the shades. Zone
would swear you were trying to hide
something in this old house of yours.
It's positively spookyl"
He watched her, a helpless ex-
preston in his eyes, then smiled
family as she tossed her gloves and
hat upon a chair and helped herself
to a cigarette from box on the ta-
BILE.
There's little man Of my age
has to hide from the world" he
said slowly.
"But you keep that little very well
hidden, don't your" she countered,
lighting her cigarette and tossing
the match into the fireplace.
There was something in the girls
mood that made him apprehensive.
He moved uneasily to his accus-
toned position with his back to the
open fireplace and clasped his hands
behind him as he looked down at
her.
Zone never knows how well a
thing is hidden, my dear, until some
one attempts to seek it OUT" he re-
piled evasively.
Autumn looked about at the tap
estry-hung walls, then fiicked the
ash from her cigarette.
"Nor how poorly it is hidden
until someone blunders upon il" she
added.
He smiled and rocked back and
forward on the balls of his feet. He
wondered what the girl was getting
at. "Quite So" he agreed, quite
so."
Autumn got suddenly to her feet
and tossed her cigarette away.
''What a romantic old fraud you
areI" she said abruptly.
"Me? I have never thought OF
myself"
Hector" she interrupted him,
'why didn't you tell me everything
you knew when I came here to talk
with you last week."
He regarded her suspiciously.
"Did I withhold something?" he
asked her.
She eyed him narrowly. 81 am
asking you why" she replied.
Hector's look was challenge. ST
prefer to be my own judge, my
dear, as to what I shall tell con-
cerning other people-or concerning
myself, for that matter" he said.
Autumn stepped close to him and
laughed a little shrilly, he thought,
a little bitterly. Don't you get hoi-
ty-toity with little Autumn, now,"
she chided mockingly. "You can
keep your old secrets. ] know all
that's worth knowing about them,
anyhow"
Damn the girls taunting mood,
Hector thought to himself. She was
her mother all over again. How
often he had seen MiIlicent turn sud-
denly f1ippant when she wanted to
conceal her true feelings, whether
of disappointment over a trivial
thing or of grief so deep that it
broke her impetuous, wild heart.
"The gesture seems oddly famil-
lar" he observed.
Autumn's anger fared suddenly.
''It will become even more famil-
lar, then" she retorted. 81 have
discovered who am. From now
on, I'm through with trying to be
what / was never meant to be! It
can't be done. I'm going to be my
self, Hector Cardigan!" The old
mans face had gone strangely pale.
Don't look startled, Hector. Your
secrets are perfectly safe with me
lust as Jarvis Deans secrets. II
men choose to fall IN love and kill
each other over woman, it's no
affair of mine. Let the tradition 60
on. It's the Basque bell, Hector, and
nothing that you or / can ever do
will ever stop it ringing!"