The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-01-23
BY FREDERIC r. VAN DE WATER
@ EF. VAN DE- WAFER ::
w. ". u. Service I..::

trapped and how little she really
cared. And I can't see him marry
ing widow who had been dance
hall hostess and was accessory to
her husbands death. There's that
thing I call noblesse oblige. You
probably call it snobbery."
grinned and rose, explaining that
was to meet Cochrane at the Press
Office at seven. I fumbled badly
over my farewell, for I owed much
to the woman who listened to my
f1ounderings and offered me no aid.
Sand tell" stumbled, 'your
niece good-by for me, too"
Her sharp gray eyes dug into me.
81 wonder" asked Miss Agatha,
eff you think I'm the utter fool that
I know you are, David Mallory. You
talk as if we never were to meet
again."
THAT" I answered, sis exactly
what I do mean" I had faced it
for the last half-hour. Quarrels and
rasped feelings seemed in the after
math of tragedy trivial things, but
my purpose ran deeper than that.
By every measurement one might
employ, Allegro was out of my reach
and the best tribute I could pay her
was to leave her so.
The old lady had leaned forward
in her effort to beat down my eyes.
David" she said, 'life doesn't
begin at fourteen and stay there.
What happened to the last person
who went in pride out of this apart
ment should make you think lit
tie. I'm fond of you, which is more
than I admit to most people. Don't
be posturing idiot"
''Miss Agatha" I said and it was
hard to speak clearly, after the odd
tenderness had heard in her voice,
81 love your niece. That sounds old
fashioned"
"All the important things in the
world are old-fashioned," she told
me. "And that's why you want to
make things as distressing as posi-
BILE for everyone concerned? Be-
cause you love Allegra?"
What I knew was truth seemed
trite when spoken under her steady
regard. I went on:
''I've got job. At about fifty
week. can't offer that to a girl
who has everything"
''My dear boy" said Miss Aga
tina and jerked her head, match
making isn't among my sins. And
besides I've never fixed Allegra's
worth in dollars. Have your"
''That's why" I went on fast be-
cause my throat was Tightening,
''I'm saying good-by. Probably this
also sounds idiotic to you, but l
love her too dearly to ask her to
marry me-"
Rhetoric, rhetoric" said Miss
Agatha and laid her hands on her
chairs wheels. 81 hope newspaper
work sweats some of it out of you,
David. Will you wait minute?''
She propelled herself through that
door which opened into her bedroom.
I picked up my hat and coat and
turned toward the hall, half minded
to go.
Allegro stood there. thought that,
till now, I had not known how fair
she was. She was a cool wind blow
ing through my mind, routing the
rubbish of old wretchedness.
"Going?" she asked.
Her eyes, smiled. sa-@
81 am" I said. "Or-I mean, !
was just saying to your aunt"
Part of my mind screamed "Idi-
ot!" at me. None of it did any
thing else to help me. She came
nearer.
81 heard you," she told me. "I've
been standing here for five minutes.
Let's not review that again; let's
60 on from there. Have you no bet
ter reason for not marrying me, Da-
vid?"
Miss Agatha did not come back
for a long while.
1.-THE ENID