Show BARC aae 0 0 joseph mccord service CHAPTER XII continued 13 pity I 1 learn you to cook more said pink if I 1 was a little spryer and the dominie alone id ask you to take me along you want to watch out for them A reminiscent look came into pinks gray eyes you know I 1 joined up with a bunch of em di dro the late la te ruckus the d s own in in a scrap dont you go artin anything with em unless you want to finish it and say I 1 dont know how long youre goin to be around here but I 1 hope you dont have to spend all your time with the girl friend we may not have a chance to be together again for a while more pie no thanks im going to have a shower answered dale I 1 well dont forget what I 1 said about the dominie pal around with him some hes been you a lot 1 I know im glad you told me that pink of course ill give him all the time I 1 can count on you for dinner can we of course ill be here fine ine ill be barbecuing barbe cuin the fatt cr jf er in the afternoon when jonathan farwell relur returned ned from the funeral he came directly to the kitchen where pink was bustling about has dale returned not yet I 1 guess hes aussin the cook decided closing his bis oven carefully he turned to look at the tall black figure in the doorway well dominie I 1 hear us old folks is goin to be left at the fireside again yes dale plans to go north in june well what guys can expect when they raise a family I 1 was telling the kid how he wanted to keep an eye on them canada boys I 1 mind up with some of them buddies once more they could take it ill say that for them they died well A note of harshness almost in Far farrells farwells wells voice do you expect dale for dinner sure hell be on hand he promised me lenora brady was slightly incoherent when she flung open the front door for a young man who came bounding up her porch steps dale dale Is it really r you come in quick shut that door there was a brief interval without words have halve to excuse me im a crybaby cry baby lee winked back her tears with a laugh I 1 think icamen very near fainting with excitement when I 1 heard your voice I 1 never dreamed of it being you why you prepare me there really time I 1 came away on such short notice do you mind mindl mind im so excited I 1 cant talk she patted his hand 1 I was biting a letter to you when the SJ frang erang and when hattie said is e man wanted to speak to me you thought it was pliny dale volunteered 1 I want that letter just the same this is better than a million letters 1 I kept my promise I 1 so wonderfully dear I 1 believe you always will ill do my best lady lee dale gave a glowing account of the future to lee old payne had been a trump to recommend him it seemed that this chap kelsey had a lot of interests and there was no telling what the canada job might lead to dale was going to do his best to make good right from the start he would too 9 wonderful lee sighed 1 I tb that its the start of happiness lor forus us only I 1 dread to see you go so far away dale dear 11 yes you must help me not to be self ish with you we must think ol of your father but give me every minute you can wont you do you have to ask yes its because I 1 am selfish about sharing my heart and geologist have you those blue goggles not yet I 1 think mosquito netting will be more appropriate from what I 1 hear it does sound thrilling indians and everything maybe tall fall in love with a squaw dale 1 I just wonder now lets plan for this afternoon its gorgeous out we runoff run off you saw the car out there you IU ill go if drive bargain we can have several hours to ourselves I 1 promised father I 1 would show up for dinner we had only a moment and I 1 want to see your mother before we go of course ill send her down ashes waiting upstairs for roe me to get over the shock I 1 wont be but a minute dalel dale what a pleasant surprise this is I 1 was mrs bradys greeting when that young man planted tm an impulsive kiss on her cheek and escorted her to her favorite chair it though he beamed im the one chos lucky we are so delighted to hear of your good fortune lee was so excited she scarcely could tell me about it she insisted that I 1 call her father and tell him he is very much pleased and anxious to see you 1 I do wish we could drive over to staten said lee when he helped her into the car but its too fir where shall we go 1 I was hoping you would want to go there we will before I 1 go 1 away what do you say it if we r run out and park on the top of aliens hill for a time I 1 like the view there td id love it then I 1 shall take you up into an exceeding high mountain and show eth you all the kingdoms of this world and the glory there are some special peaks to see today you tempt me too far and watch out for that car sir lucifer sudden silence stilled their lively flow of talk alk when dale parked the car on the summit of allens aliens hill and the two sat watching the landscape unrolled at their feet woods and farm lands basking in the early afternoon sunlight locust hill among its trees two miles to the east the slender spire of old white thrust above a sea of green what are you so busy thinking about dale lee asked it gently for some minutes she had been watching his contemplative eyes looking into the distance oh things he admitted without shifting his gaze 1 I suppose it sounds queer but just now it was about the funeral over there he nodded in the direction of the church where father went this afternoon 1 I know its helen emmons you remember her dont you of course she was one of those three sisters always together and always dressed in black I 1 sat in the pew with them the first sunday I 1 was here did you ever hear anything about them cant say that I 1 did ive often wished I 1 knew the whole story they say that miss helen she was the oldest was engaged to be married when she was a young girl her lover died her sisters have never left her through all these years and all three have worn mourning it makes you wonder about miss eloise and miss jane they gave their lives to helen and now she has gone why did you think about her just now dale just how strange it all is father standing in the pulpit and telling people what a good woman she was miss emmons there too perhaps she knows more than anybody in the world what its all about 1 I hope so what I 1 was thinking of ashes on the way out you and I 1 really are just coming in I 1 suppose its that way all the time dale dear lees hand came out and caught his in a fierce little clutch dont talk like that I 1 I 1 cant bear it if anything happened now I 1 I 1 think id die the moss agate eyes were brimming with sudden tears lady leel lee dale exclaimed remorsefully morse fully 1 I mean to 1 I know she mustered a smile you see I 1 love you so much it makes me that way well nothing is going to happen it not now 1 I dont believe it could it seems to me that I 1 have known and loved it if anything happened n you always and its really been but a few months it after you went away I 1 used to find myself wishing that I 1 had told you about it sooner but I 1 have very well just the same I 1 feel that we wasted time well try to make it up dale smiled we have years and years coming to us do you suppose that ever be sorry no I 1 never will be sorry I 1 coveyou love lov eyou you more than anybody in the world it will always be like that 1 I know but my chin gets wobbly every time I 1 think of you going so far away ive got to worry some dale be away off from everybody there wont even be letters if you were hurt or sick I 1 might know nothing about it for a lont long time dont worry dear nothing can happen to me as long as you love me and I 1 know you do so terribly ill try to keep my chin up while I 1 have you here and can se see e you every day oh dale I 1 have some gossip for you its bad news go goon on break it evelyn Is away she and her mother have gone to europe I 1 was going to tell you in the letter tough and that all pliny resigned his position with the gas company and has gone into the bank with mr marblestone so im resigned too pliny a thing on me sure youre nok not sorry the use and so lengthening shadows found them watching the world at their feet 1 im M afraid we should be going lee sighed regretfully 1 I hate to see this day go its the happiest I 1 have ever known dale 1 I know I 1 feel the same way but it gone that is it if let me come over for a little while after dinner 1 I was alm almost ost afraid to suggest it of course I 1 want you to ill drop you at your house as we go in some day well be going home together just you and I 1 perhaps it will not be so long now you know ill be ready whenever the time comes lee answered softly nothing can ever separate us now tell me it cant she entreated just once more funny girl what could separate us CHAPTER XIII when dale reached the parsonage he went directly to the study As he had hoped he found his father there farwell laid aside his pen and leaned back in his chair let rne me hear something about your new position dale he be suggested just where are you going into the Missi country Is the atlas handy ill show you there beside you on the lower shelf dale laid the volume on the ta 3 ar ta 14 e A WI it I 1 think id die ble and leafed through it until he located the desired map ill be starting from minneapolis he began importantly then go up the north shore like this zen 1 I I 1 dont know the exact route yet but im to strike tor for the Missi river and follow it to some point along here it looks as if it might be rough and sparsely settled country it is im going to make a hunt tor for gold but no one is supposed to know that dales blue eyes were alight with excitement ill have to use a canoe and guu jul mr kelsey says 11 1 whom did you say farwell broke in sharply his head still was bent over the atlas oh I 1 tell you wade kelsey hes the man who is sending me up there hes a mining man A great friend of doctor payne then you met this man ill say I 1 did he came down to the U to consult payne on the proposition he wanted to send a man up there to make a report and the chief suggested me im to make a survey while the snow is off the ground and to take all the time I 1 need of course all my expenses are paid and I 1 get a fair salary in addition I 1 may have to lay out some money for my 0 outfit but I 1 guess I 1 can manage that 11 let me know if you nee dany thing thanks father it if I 1 do it will be a loan this time 11 dinner pinks strident voice interrupted from the lower hall 1 I must wash up dale remarked hurriedly see you downstairs father A few moments later he was I 1 ta the dining room chatting with as they waited for doctor afar farwell to put in an appe appearance arancie the dominie hear Pink demanded the goin to 0 be e havin a chill pretty quick why yes he heard dale said said 1 I was telling him about the job up north when you called id just been giving him all the dope I 1 had from my new boss wade kelsey and gandl Mul grews small face wa was s I 1 a ashen len his gray eyes stared helplessly pink dale leaped forward and caught the man by his white shoulders happened what is it kid pinks tongue wet wei his lips they were trembling oddly kid best go up and see your dad dale hastened upstairs flather father emust I 1 must ask you something well came a muffled mu filed voice from the man facing the win binl dow the swivel chair swung about reluctantly dale caught his breath at the sight of his fathers face the black eyes pee peering rinEr up at him in a lackluster stare when I 1 went down dale be 9 gan an 1 I felt that something was wrong I 1 was talking to pink and 91 what did he tell you nothing but he father who is wade kelsey I 1 farwell sighed wearily he pulled himself to his feet holding toj toi the table with both hands his tace ace was a white mask of misery sit here on the bed dale we will talk as two men he dropped heavily to a place at dales side and sat in brooding silence TO BE CONTINUED |