Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-12-24

they won't loan over A,JD, ana he won
take a second mortgage TO secure the
other $500 Yet IL does seem hard, when the
place ought 10 be worth three times 81 500
I've tried every way 10 sell II, but can't
get no one TO give anything above the
mortgage. Everybody knows IL IL mort
gagged and are waiting TO buy II at sheriff
sale. Rhoades knows this. too. and now
he says IL Will save us lots OF trouble and
costs II we will give him a quitclaim deed
and surrender peaceable possession. I
begged him 10 wait awhile, but after lie had
learned you had gone out TO the mines he
said he would not wait a day that you
were on a wild goose chase, and, dear hus-
band. he even intimated that he believed
you were never coming back TO us. That
made me angry and may have said things
to him that | should not, but / could not
help II. Now dear husband, / cannot
stay here after having sold the COW: there
Is nothing TO do here, you know. except
washing and ironing and house cleaning,
and am not strong enough for that. Mrs
simmons will take Bessie and let her help
with the Homework and go to school, and
L will sell the chickens, pigs and furniture
and take little Charlie and go to Cleveland
TO try to get sewing or something 1t will
be. oh, 30 hard. but Il cannot be helped
Now. dear husband. do not worry: we viii
get along some way. Remember the words
OF the prophet: once / was young. but
now / am old. but never have I seen the
righteous forsaken or their seed begging
bread Now, dear husband, take care Of
your health, and II you do not hnd anything
out there soon. come back 90 us, we miss
you, oh. 30 much. Every night Bessie
prays for her papa, way out In the mines
and that he may find something rsch. You
may be sure that echo her pray ers. Write
as soon as you get this, dear usband. for
l cannot stay here long.
Your loving wife.
'.MAC,0IE"
This letter was paesed around; two
or three started TO read II aloud, but
they broke down, and it was silently
passed from one TO another. L. was
well for Mr.. Rhoades that he WAS not
in camp.
He told me all about It." said Sam.
They was five acres in the home place
that he got from his fathers estate
close TO town, an he bought five more
joinin', mortgagin' the ten 10 make up
the balance Of the money. He'd a-made
IL all right, but times got hard, an first
one, then another of them got sick a.
he had 10 keep on a-mortgugin'. He
see he could never pay out, So he come
out here TO see if he couldn't strike
it, leavin' nearly all the money they
had with his wife, an this cuss Rhoades
sayin' that he'd let the mortgage stan
anuther year, now-dern him. See that
stain there? That's from bunch of
apple blossoms that was in the letter;
he lowed they must a-been from the
yellow harvest trees back of the gar
den, poor cuss. Take lieer' of yer
10 -
fiat on his back up there in his tent,
without money enough for months
grub. Come back soon 10 us'--hum
Look here, partners, let's answer Bes-
sizes prayer, an show this feller
Rhoades whether min6n' Is chasin' wild
geese VI not. Mebbe Sans dern fool,
an l know he amt got much money,
but he can rustic. I'll go purity nigh my
pile on it--theres 50y who's all in on
2" and he slammed two EOS and 10
on the bar. 1t was just ike Sam, and
whoever heard an appeal like that go I'M
answered in q mining camp There
were so men in the room, and every
man saw Sans ante, and those that
did not have that amount borrowed il
from their friends In few momen is
$3.50 IN gold lay piled on the bar.
Sans eyes glstened as he counted the
money. "Everybody's in on the game, "
he said; wont he be paralyzed? Now,
pardners, every one of you come down
and see what he mas to say"
NO nonsense, Sam; you take 1t down d,
an tell us what he says tomorrow"
NO. I'll be derned if | do. Some of
you fellers got TO come along. l ain t
a-goin' TO play this hand alone any
longer" SO three or four of us went
with him. Well, there is no use going
into details. What would you or any
other man say under the circum-
stances? Finally he wanted TO give us
note or send mortgage back as Sc
curity, but we laughed at him, and all
of us crawled into our blankets that
night conscious of having done some
thing that might balance something
else on the debit side of the recording
angels ledger. He was too i'll TO travel
alone, and at last, after repeated urg-
ings, Sam was induced TO accompany
him.
you can bet your hfe," said Sam,
that I'll give Mr.. Rhoades the camps
respec's.'
Not long after that my partner and
left the gulch and drifted into Cripple
Creek One day when court was in
session we dropped in to see how court
organized under the code operated.
well, I'll be d" muttered my part
ner as he pointed to the prisoners dock.
There were two men in it, Pyrites Sam
and the tenderfoot. The air seemed TO
grow suddenly close in the courtroom,
and we went out.
At noon we went down to the Jail,
and were allowed to see the prisoners.
Hello, sam; how's Rhoades2"
Hello, hello; how's the boys down at
Tough NUT" and Sam and his part
ner grinned.
Look here Sam, you done the camp
up in good shape, and you know we
won't squeal, tout tell us aboutit.'
"Sure; but then they amt nothin' 10
tell; this is my pardner, an there was
no fever, no Bhoades, no Maggie, no
nassia M Charlie no mort on up no