The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1877-02-02

but All the harder toiled, for never
thought Of doubt entered my mind. / was
only toe glad to have my dear brother tc
care for her, and save her from all rougl
contact with the world
Finding 40 luck in the mines, deter
mined to push on into the Indian country
and try ! little hunting and trapping-fo1
that was good business then. succeeded
q little better at that but wandered on,
and finally came out at Frazer River, where
the gold excitement had broken out so
feree1y.
don't know whether it was months Of
days and weeks were alike to me
for long tilne-bnt at last I was success
ful, and got together FIVE thousand dollars
in the yellow dust. Of course, my only
thought was Of my wife, and | seized the
first opportunity to send off the treasure.
A miner, going home, willingly took
charge of my little pile, and soon l began
to look for letters.
Bob's l could easily imagine-noble,
manly, like himself. Susy's I thought of,
and tried to fancy hundreds Of times, for
Ia never had a letter from her. | knew
It would be delicate and dainty, and like
my pretty saowdrop.
Well, well, fancies may do very we'll, but
they won't feed hungry heart.
Day after day passed by, and no letters.
My soul grew sick. made all sorts of ex-
cuses for them. imagined all sorts Of
delays. But the long dreary days went
by on leaden feet, and not word came to
the wanderer
I grew morbid and bitter, and at last l
wrote to an acquaintance in San Francisco,
asking for tidings Of my brother and my
wife.
The friend was not 50 neglectful as the
wife and brother.
Soon-too soon-I got reply. I can
see it now in letters of fire. "My dear fel-
ow," it ran, II have made inquiries, as
you requested, about your wife and broth
u, and can only find that they disappear.
ID from here a few months ago, telling no
me whence they We're going, but evidently
laying plenty Of money" i
What more the letter contained never
new. That much of it was burned into my
'rain, and at that pointI lost myself They
10 say was q raying maniac. Perhaps
% | don't know.
Ionly know | found myself an old man,
blasted before my time, like a tree struck
y lightning, y
Yeti could not feel angry. How could 3
blame him ? Was not mad to leave y
i'm, with his loving heart. to care for i ten !
er young b ea:tty Ike M sasy? How ,
ould he help loving her Wasn't she all J
nat was lovely? He was not to blame,
oor fellow. a
And she? Dill she not love me, and J"
'as he not my tw brother? What 50
TRANCE that, seeing his love, she should y
owto return it 4? .
What should | do? Should / search o
lem out, and blast their lives forever? ,
lould come with my ignoble revenge ~
I'd tear her from his arms Would she
We me for il? Should get back my wife u
ID brother? 70
Oh, no! had been gone long enough
give her a divorce-she had undoubted- o.
got il, and was even now his wife His %
ite 0. God, and could live %
Weeks, months, years, dragged on. / W
arcely knew they passed. Mechanically 60 :.
worked on. Fortune, no longer sought, g
owered gold on me. I cared naught for
but instinct prevented me from throw :, =,
: it away. Gambling was utterly repug- y
mt to me. No form ofdissipation lured ~
=. was an old, old man at thirty. |
ly worked and thought, and lived over -
old days-my one brief day Of perfect 9
never cursed 4hem. The hurt was too = =
p and too sharp for curses. From the
7ths Of ny torn heart ! piled them. -
Well twenty years rolled On, and | had -
to be torty-fEe years old, feeling and ~
king more like sixty-fye, bent and stiff ~
! gray-haired. -....-. -
)ne day, in ny Eanderings, came on -
raVeEng party Of miners, bound to the :
! regions. Ijoined them, frontierfash- y !
and was soon seated at their fire, ex-
nging news Of the Indians and from the
tes. ! chaneed % mention my name y
We've got . namesake Of yours in the g. s.
lP," said one fellow g
Have you?" said. carelessly. 1T isn't 80
1mmon name
No; and that's Why it's odd, said he. =.
sides, you somehow remind me Of him, O.
lgh you're much older than he. Bv-the- -
!, there he comesr'
turned-something, knew not what, -. -
through me; + rose. and kaaw nv