The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-08-11


wish ! was there" he jerked out
with an effort
| began to suspect that The girl
left behind me- was troubling him
and he wanted to talk about it and
did not know how to begin So ]
rather. banteringly said: TELL me
about her.
| He looked at me with a look OF COM
ical dismay and said: why, how
did you knowp" and then said; ! j
might as we'll tell some one though
there amt much to tell. ] used to
live down in Cairo and was q roust-
about on u Mississippiste There
was another fellow always worked on
the same gang with me and we wore
thicker than ,molnsses in winter. He
was as vain Us d peacock and thought
he was some when he got on his Sun
| day togs. and he was q purity stable
sort OF Il Teller Well there was q
girl who lived down the river a few
miles, whose dad run truck farm
and sent garden sass to st. LOUIS
you know Hank Simpson and me
both met her to dance one night.
cot introduced first and danced twice
! with her before Simpson did and then
she danced several times with him
and when come up once to ask her
she said she couldn t, as she was GO
ing to dance with Mr.. Simpson. That
made me hot and | went and told
Hank he was not doing the fair
thing not allowing her to- dance with
anyone but him. He laughed. and
said she didn seem to think of any
hardship Well, we both got mad,
and I told him l would dance with her
anyway. and | went back and said
Hank couldn't keep his engagement
Well, she danced with me. but Hank
and me We're enemies and he did me
every bad turn he could. Well I used
to go down the river'every Sunday to
old man Lees place. and sometimes
found Hank Simpson there and he
went down sometimes in the week. I
couldn't tell which of US Elsie liked
the best or whether she was fooling
both of us. She was pretty enough
for better than u.s."
Here tender note crept into his
voice.
& Il had to go down on the boat to
Vicksburg. which would take about
two weeks. as we would have to wait
for cargo. 1t was a regular purga.
tory to me all the time l was gone,
for was afraid Hank would get the
best of me and I made up my mind to
have it out when l got back. The
next Sunday l went down. I had
bought ring in Vicksburg, with two
claspcd hands holding little garnet
to give her and thought maybe that
would help me out found her in
little arbor in a corner Of the garden
She seemed glad TO see me. but she
acted the same to Hank. so couldn't
tell anything from that. She asked
me about the trip and wanted to
know If I had lost my heart to any
pretty girl in Vicksburg. l thought
it was now or never. so I said: How
could I when l left it at home9" 4 "
Who took care of it while YOU
were gomez she asked
" I'd like to think you did, I said
I wish, Elsie you could like me a lit
tie better than Hank Simpson. You
know how much care for you
She looked down and dug her
shoe into the dirt and said How
should /? You never told me-
We'll, l tell you now and 1 can't
bear to think Of Hank coming here to
see you when | want you to marry
me-
Elsie looked at me and then said:
Why Bob I. didn't know that you
meant anything. .... .....ts.-
We'll. Miss Majors, she didn't
make much fuss when l put my arm
around her and kissed her. I felt as
if I was in heaven and even felt
Sorry for Hank Simpson. WANTED to
do something great that would make
me worthy to have Elsie for my wife.
After she had given me her promise
didn't care for Hank Simpson and
wasn't a bit jealous OF him. She told
me that she had begun to care for me
at the dance. but had been afraid to
cross Hank. as he had such temper.
Maybe you want to know why I
am away out here. Well, Elsie and
me agreed that it was no use trying
to make any money to buy home
working for days wages on the river.
l heard that good men in the mines in
the noun tains got big wages. and so
thought would try. Invent to see
Elsie the night before I came away,
and she cried and hung to me till l
almost lost my courage to go. but I
did. | have been here year now
and saved good deal. I have written
to Elsie every time anyone went to
Meeker and hadsletters pretty often.
We were to have been married at
Christmas and now it is only a month
away, and here am laid up for the
winter and showed in, too What
will Elsie think when she don't hear
from me?' ,..
The poor fellow turned his head
away with tears in his eyes. BY way
OF consolation, said: You may be
able to send a letter soon.n
No" he said there's ten feet OF
snow in White canyon"
He seemed in the depths OF misery
and left him.
/ The weeks slipped away and the
weather was steadily cold. with occa-
sional light falls of snow. and as Bob