The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-12-26


You will probably wonder who Jake"
is, where he brought me, and how it hap
pens that | allowed this particular Jake to
bring me anywhere; and it is even posi-
BILE that you would like to be informed as
to my own personality.
First, then, Jake is one of the best great
hearted men who ever lived. Not too
strong" did | hear you say? Well, | dare
say almost anything about him, you know,
for he is my husband,
And the place to which he brought me
is XuitiuX, a mining settlement in the State
of Colorado. You need not look for it on
the map, for it is not marked there. 1t
consists of one house, which is ours, the
nearest neighbor being five miles distant;
and the inhabitants number three-Jake.
the baby and myself. The mines, of which
my husband is joint partner, are three
miles from the house, and | am alone all
day.
AS to how | came to let Jake bring me
here, you have doubtless already seen, so
| will not enlarge upon that subject.
Now, if you are not already tired, I will
tell you who | am, in as few words as pos
sible. | am the daughter of Percival Simp-
son, Esq, who was, at the time of my
story, a fourishing barrister in the city of
Indianapolis, my birthplace, but who has
since died. Jake Dobson, one of the pro-
prietors of the mines at Xuitiux, having
legal business at indianapolis, engaged
my father to transact it for him, and father
invited him to spend an evening with us,
which invitation Mr.. Jacob Dobson. accept
ed. Curtain.
X = X X x = K
We had been married just two years
when the episode | am about to relate oc-
CURED, and during that period my husband
had never allowed me to remain alone in
the house at night, always managing his
affairs so that when he was obliged to go
to the city, which was twenty miles from
Xuitiux, he went in the morning and re-
turned before %sundown.
But one afternoon he came home from
the mines earlier than usual. and, to my
enquiries, said:
Il am afraid shall be obliged to leave
my little wife alone tonight"
"Why?" | enquired in surprise.
"Well, it's this way he answered:
tom went home with the chills this morn
ing, and we must have some new drills just
as soon in the morning as we can get them
here
Tom was my husbands partner, who, be
ing unmarried and having no one to leave
alone, always went to the city when it was
necessary for anyone to go at night.
"Well, can't one of the men at the mines
go? He might have Daisy" said |, for
getting for the moment that Jake never al
lowed anyone to ride his petted horse but
himself.
He might get along without Daisy, but
l dare not trust any of them to purchase
drills; for if l did l expect they would
bring such worthless ones that | should
be obliged to go myself i'll a few days
'Why can't you wait until morning? l
am afraid you will meet some of those va
gabond Indians | said; | did not fear for
myself.
Because we would have to keep a
number of the men idle all day, and that
don't put much money down on the credit
column. As it is, they will lose half a
day, and that's plenty. Don't you think
so, little philosopher? And you need not
worry about me; I'll fight shy of all the
reddies."
'Of course, if it is necessary, you must
go: but | wish it could be done in the
morning."
'NWell, | am sorry, but it is necessary;
so get me a little supper, and I'll get back
here before noon tomorrow"
SO saying he went to the barn to
saddle Daisy, while | prepared sup
per. 1t was five o'clock when he started,
and, as he babe me goodnight, he said:
"Be very careful, Alice, when you go
into the w~oodhouse, for there's a can of
sent it as a sample for blasting purposes,
and if you should accidentally knock it off
to the floor, | should likely have no wife
to welcome me home tomorrow"
Then he was gone.
| went to the w~oodhouse, and, as ! gath
cred an armful of wood, | noticed the can
of which he had spoken. Returning to the
house, | barred every door and window, as
a matter of precaution, but little did l
know what a providence it was to prove.
| sat down to my sewing, and became so
engaged with it and thinking of the dam
gers to which my husband was exposed, that
| was surprised, on looking at the clock, to
find that it was past eleven.
Hastily putting away my work, thought
to examine the fastenings again, when |
thought | heard a faint noise outside the
front door.
| bent close and listened. Yes, some one
or something was certainly stepping steal
thily around the front of the house!
Half paralyzed with terror, | grasped
the baby from its cradle, and rushed up
stairs, and going to a window which open
ed directly over the door, I noislessly rails
ed it and peered out.
There. i'm the black darkness, | discerned