The Indianapolis journal., 1893-09-10
BY ADVERTISEMENT

decision, ana even now he drew the Iamp
nearer. as if q stronger light might reveal
something that had escaped him in his
many readings of the fascinating para
graph.
Hiram put conscience into amp-cleaning 2
IS into every thing be did. The clear light
iIlumined his honest bronzed face bendin q
intently over the newspaper spread out on
the white pine table. aud glanced across
the barely furnished cabin To the row of
bright tins hanging on the wall behind his
cook stove. Through q door opening into
the other room of the ranch it made dimly
visible his cot bed. spread with O buffalo
robe. HIram's life was simple and his
wants prImitively few.
IF she wasn't so tip-top it would be
easier" he muttered. Young. beautiful
and stylish. Lord the idea of me thinkin'
of her! Wants to correspond with q WE'LL
fo-do ranchman; object, matrimony.
Humphl / wonder would sle really look
st q gTizzled bomely fellow like mel
Women's such queer cattle. you never can
tell what they would like. I've seen times
when they preferred the bomeIy ones.
There's Phil Peters. now. l reckon Amt
worse featured than him, and he's ad two.
So Pye a mind TO try my luck. and sha'n't
be cut mp about It if she won't have me.
seein' l amt really ever kept company
with her. And If she should think well
enough OF me TO come out here. it would be
awful nice.
The purple light was creeping over the
eastern bad lands as Hiram finished his
lengthy, laboriously- composed letter.
-Pve started out square with her; told
ber about the wart on the side of my nose,
and est how lonesome lt Is on q Montana
ranch six miles from neigh Dor, and what
work there Is to do, and ali" he said as he
put the carefuily-folded sheets of blue
lined paper IN an enyeiODe. and addressed
IL TO Miss Julia Raynor, Westville, o.
Ii was already his customary hour for
fising. SO he freshed himself with a W ash
at the pump outside the door, and then
cooked some coffee. and bacon. and
potatoes for his breakfast; Then he
iramped half mile up the gem
tie slope behind the house and opened
the rigeting ditch. which sent she water
rilling through his acres of sprouting & feed
corn. Before noon be rode over TO the
town road and put his letter down the slit
In tha tin cracker box. fastened TO a post
on the lonely wayside ia time for the In-
coming stage from Deadwood. which
btopped that day to tske up the mail and
carry IL on to Belle City.
In few days reply came to Hiram's
letter. Billy, the driver handed it down
10 him from the box seat of the stage and
be rode on home with his sturdy heart
humping pretty hard against the envelope
In the breast pocket of his red flannel
shirt. 1t was n pink envelope, and
emitted strong odOr of musk
IN the warm contact. Hiram snltfed
up the perfume with enjoyment He hoped
that the letter read as sweet as 1t smelled
and ho made one or two coniectures as to
Its contents. But after few attempts he
mOdestly gave it up. He never before had
received a love letter. which he supposed
this to be. and he felt a certain delIcacV in
framing one TO himself. When be reached
the ranch he closed the door on even the
intruding prairie before opening his letter
lt was written In smooth. Iunnin z
hand. and Its elusive expressions OF etfec-
tiOn made Hiram blush with happy shame
tacedness as he read.
"oayin' she knows Pm an old dear from
the way wrote. and that she loves me
Already. Pshaw, now she can't really
mean that. Though 'taln't likely the girls
liar. She don't mind the wart on my
nose. either; says she wouldn't care If I had
SIX OF them. She's seen enough trouble i'll
life not 10 care for extremities. What's
thst oh, reckon she means my nose is
m extremity; IL certainly does stick out
some. No; it's externals. That's outside
things. She only cares for my good heart.
Bless her little heart. che sha'n't see any
more trou bic If | can help It."
His correspondent wrote thar she was a
clerk IN sdry goods store and lived with
her grandmother in little cottage on the
outskirts of the town. Shc was glad to
enter into q matrimonial correspondence
with Hiram. because her grandmother was
feeble and would leave her entirely alone
when she died.
Well. now thought Hiram. "why not
have the grandmother como out here tooT
III take care OF them both we'll as not, aud
IL might do the old lady no end of good.p
de was Tor having them both come wi tn
out further preliminariee. but jules next
letter said the scheme " as imprscticable
because her grandmother was too aged to
make n change, and that they must walt
until she died before thinking OF marriage.
Hiram responded by return mail to this
second letter, and received on early reply.
Inc ecorrespondepce soon became tho most
eosorDing as wei as the pleasantest fea-
ture IN his life, and each new letter in
creased his desire 20 see Julia Raynor.
Ihe stage came out from town three
times week. and left the mail for the
neighcorlng ranches ut the cracker box
station. about which q gronpo of horsemen
were usually waiting when 10 arrived.
hiram took TO meeting regularly with
them. lie did not deny that he had "a giTl
Ia the East when his friends quizzed him
ABOUT the regular appearance of the pink
envelopes. end in his increasing happi-
ness aOOut her he even came out of his
customary reservedDess concerning his af-
Ielrs sufficiently to tell them her name
hO WIS C4pCNtluk W oOOu ndN (
ner out there. When he galloped home to
read his letters In private. he thought with
AsOrt OF eNultatIon of how lonely the ranch
now was and how different It would bc
"nen jules presence IilIed nc.
Julie wrote that she was all ready "a
marry him as soon as her GRANDMOTHER died
out must not think OF leaving herso long as
she required her care: and HIram's admira-
non was increased by this Draiseworthy
devotion. such u good grandcnIld was
hound TO make good vile. be thought
anu he tried not TO DO very inpatient al
the delay.
it seems as il it would almost knock me
silly with JOY to see her fussin' abOut the
nonse when / come an he thought
lOung. beautiful and stylish. Don't that
sound nIcef And TO think that she's willin
10 harness IN with q rough old chap Ike
me. It's snrel lnck"
lie thought about Julie all day as he
Worked IN his fields. He liked TO look "
suddenly from his task imagining that be
aehrd her coming ont TO chat awhile. Per
maps sho you'd stand at the door OF the
uaOih and wave her hand when dinner was
ready. Hs resolved to leave the work II
'front.' OF The house to do ut noon time st
mat he could see her cheerful form stand
i ing there Every other night be wrote tC
her. and off nights he read and reread bel
letters to'him.
hiram was prosperous. His corn fields
yielded well and the grain brought good
prices. and his cattle ranging with a larger
4 Sutht up the Tlvcr. were thriving lie feIi
Hlmseif IA position 10 enlarge his house
/ ana furnish IL proDerly for his expected