The Portland daily press., 1900-03-15

was coffee color and II fellow had that
| color Of coffee be wouldn't kick on there
being too much water In II either. Then
she had pretty thick lips, and her hair was
black and shiny like piece Of wet coal
Negro, by iiminyl" says the night
clerk, but abe wasn't At least the straight
hair didnt look that way, and there's
whole lot Of Indian blood among some Of
those North Carolina folks, so I've heard
Well there she was, anyway, and some
Of the folks who bad seen . photograph Of
Minnie that Jim used 10 carry around said
she didn't look any more like that picture
than the least little bit in the world.
81 believe she Is postage stamp girl, ="
said the night clerk, and everybody around
agreed that they thought so too. What's
postage stamp girli No, IL isn't young
lady that sells stamps in a postofiioe. A
postage stamp girl is girl that answers
advertisements in newspaper Wanted
"A young woman Of net much sense and
considerable money" and get married
through the postofilce.
So Just to make sure about It, the clerk
| put up job ON Jim, and besides, he want
| ed to punish him for the yarns he'd been
telling about the little sweetheart OF his
boyhood's days, and the golden haired dar
| ling with curls that used to sit across the
| aisle from him In school Next morning
| Jim got up earlier than usual, because he
| was going back to the cabin and ordered
big breakfast Of everything thero was, be-
cause he kind of hated to settle down ngain
TO his own cooking and after he was about
| half way through, here comes Minnie
promenading along into that dining room
| like mulley COW into a cornfield, and the
waiter brings her along and sets her down
square IN front Of Jim, and ON the other
side OF the same table, and Jim never said
word only kind Of sized her up and
went on eating his breakfast and thinking
to himself probably that he was glad that
"Minnie" wasn't that sort and wondering
what kind OF man would get her for
husband. And she didn't know him either,
because some Of the women In the hotel
who were on to the game had told her that
| Mr.. Reed hadn't come In from the mine
yet and she had said the same yarn about
being schoolmates, and so on, so they must
have fixed it up between them TO tell to
the folks
Minnie didn't seem to be hungry like
! Jim was, so she got through almost as
soon as he did, and when she came out In
| to the office the clerk called to Jim. and
when be came up the clerk says: Miss
| Watson, permit me to introduce Mr..
Reed" For q minute Jim didn't seem to
catch ON at all, but when he did he never
staggered a bit, nor let on that it wasn't
exactly what no had been expecting.
But when they were alone in a little
parlor, Jim says, you've deceived me-"
"How's that" says she.
1.-THE photograph you sent me wasn't
yours" says Jim.
"And the photograph you sent me wasn't
| yours, " says she, and no more 1t was, be-
cause when they first began writing letters
Jim didn't know that ID would ever
amount to anything, and as he was living
SO far away from town that 1t wasn't con-
venient to have his picture taken, he sent
along one of good looking fellow who
was q cowboy down Rocky Ford way.
"Now, SEQ here" says Jim, 81 can't
marry you, that's sure. But I'll tell you
and I'll give you $50 besides If you'll go
! back to North Carolina"
Jim Reed, )" says the woman, and her
| eyes began to shine like you've seen the
| fire creeping up through lump of Ignite,
"Jim Reed, " says she, "for l reckon that's
your name, according to what these folks
| out here told me, didn't come out yere
| for no $50 Maybe l amt no fine lady,
and maybe amt no orange blossom for
| beauty, but am an honest, hardworking
ing girl that hasn't got anything to be
ashamed of unless 1t is this yere fool trick
that Pm playing now. I've done said
goodby to all the friends I've got In the
| world, I've done spent all the money I've
| earned by hard work a-fixin up for this
! yero trip, I've done pawned my trunk to
tho railroad company to get me to this
| place, i done come all the way out to Col
orado for love of a man l never seen, to
| marry you and be a good wife to you, and
| fore tho Lord, Mr.. Reed, I'ze g'wine to
do itr'
And sho did.
The ceremony was performed by the
mintster In the hotel parlor. Jim paid his
last 40 bNl to get the BRIDES trunk from
.sie grasP Of the unfeeling corporation, and
/ the newly married pair started for the
cabin at the coal mine.
There isn't mubi more to tell, except
that she did make Jim good wife. There
wasn't better kept or more comfortable
cabin ON the creek than Jim's, and there
wasn't a warmer heart or a more generous
hand In all the county than Mrs. Jim s.
! For every body that came along that road,
| from the minister down to Mexican
tramp, there were kind word and square
meal. After awhile Jim was made post
master, and Mrs. Jim says the postmaster
general in Washington sent Jim letter
thanking him for being such good post
master and saying that the government
would hardly know how to get along
without him, but the postmaster up at
Trinidad says that was only circular that
was sent to all the postmasters. Jim new
or did quite get over his shock at the hotel.
He did get so no was pretty well satisfied
with the postage stamp girl, but he never
was real proud Of her, but she was OF him,
and II she ever saw anything wrong In the
way he acted toward her she never let on
to anybody, and when the dispute about
the coal claim was settled and Jim moved
away everybody around cared good deal
less about seeing him go, for all he was
popular, than for losing Mrs. Jim.
A Musical Asylum.
| To the charitable institutions which owe