Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-05-27

I've trled every way 10 sell IL, bui can
get no one 10 give anything above the
mortgage. Everybody knows II il mort
gagged and are waiting to buy IL at sherin's
sale. Rhoades knows this, too. and now
he says IL Will save us lots OF trouble and
costs if we will give him a quitclaim deed
and surrender peaceable possession.
begged him 10 wait awhile. but after he had
learned you had gone out to the mines he
said he would not wait day, that you
were on wild goose chase, and. dear hus-
band, he even minated that he believed
you were never coming back TO us. That
made me angry and may have said things
10 him that | should not. but l could not
help IL. Now, dear husband. | cannot
stay here after having sold the cow; there
is nothing To- - here. you know, except
washing aid ironing and house cleaning.
artl / am not strong enough for that. Mrs.
Simmons will take Bessie and let her help
with the housework and go 10 school, and
j will sell the chickens, pigs ana furniture
and take little Charlie and so TO Cleveland
TO try 10 get sewing or something. Ii viii
be, Oh, so hard, but IL cannot be helped.
Now. dear husband. do not worry; we will
get along some way Remember the words
OF the prophet: once l was young, but
now ! am old, but never have | seen the
righteous forsaken or their seed begging
bread Now, dear husband take care of
your health. and If you do not find anything
out there soon. come back TO us we mis-
you, Oh. SO much. Every night Bessie
prays for her papa, way out in The Mines
ana that he may find something rich. You
may be sure that / echo her prayers Write
| as soon as you get this, dear husband, for
! cannot stay here long.
Your loving wife,
MAGGIE"
This letter was passed around; two
or three started 10 read it aloud, bu.
they broke down, and ii was silently
passed from one 10 another. 1t was
well for Alr. Rhoades that he was not
IN camp.
''He told me all about it, said Sam
"They was tive acres in the home place
that he got from his fathers estate
close to town, an he bought five more
joinin', mortgagin' the ten TO 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 an
he had 10 keep on a-uortgagin'. lie
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 TINS cuSS Rhoades
sayin' that he'd let the mortgage stan
! auuther year, noW-dern linn. See that
stain there! That's from . bunch OF
apple blossoms that was in she letter;
he lowed they must a-been from the
yellow harvest trees back of the gar
den. poor uuss. Take leer of yer
| health, dear husban,' AN HIM a-Iayin'
fiat on his back up there in his tent,
/ without money enough for month
| grub. Come back soon TO us'-huIn- III.
! Look here, partners, let's answer Bes-
sizes prayer, an show this Teller
! Rhoades whether minin' is chasin' wild
geese ur not. Mebbe Sans "A dern fool
an 1 know he amt got much money,
! but he can rustic. III go purity nigh my
/ pile on it-there's 80; who's all in on
it?' and he slammed two 2Os and 10
on the bar. 1t was just like sam, and
whoever heard an appeal like that 90 un-
answered in mining camp? There
were 81 men in the room, and every
man saw Sans ante. and those that
did not have that amount borrowed II
from their friends. In few moments
$3.50 in gold lay piled on the bar.
Sans eyes ghstened as he counted the
money. "Eyerybody's iu on the game, -
he said; won't he be paralyzed? Now.
PARTNERS, every one OF YOU come down
and see what be mas 20 say.
"No nonsense. Sam; YOU take down.
an tell us what bee says tomorrow
NO. III be derued if ! do Some OF
you ftllers got 10 come along. | ain l
a-goiu' to play th.s hand alone any
longer" So three or four of us went
with him. Wei. there is no use going
info details. NnA1 VVoulo you or az
other man saw undo th" circpv--
stances? Finally ne wanted to give =,
q note or send mortgage back Us Sc
curity, but We laughed at him, and al.
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
EIuI
You can bet your ife," said sam,
that I'll give Mr.. Rhoades the camps
respecs."
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, Pyrtes Sam
and the teuderfoot The air seemed 70
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 Rhoades?"
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 I squeal, Out tell us aboutit.'
sure but then they amt nothin' TO
tell; this is my pardner, an there was
no fever, no Rhoades, no Maggie, no
Bessie, no Charlie, no mort guge, no
farm, no COW, no-no apple blossoms, no
nothin', but Jest me an him"